" Health'Wellness
Issues concerning the wellbeingot tnh African-American community
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By AVONIE BROWN
An NNPA Corrttpondent
WHEATON, Md. ? Andrew Greene
beams with the pride of a father who
delights in the accomplishments of his
children. There is no hesitation in his voice as he
declares how blessed and thankful he is to have them
in his life.
On the surface Clinton, 17, and Melinda, 15, are
typical teenagers ? preoccupied with music, sports,
television, the computer and the telephone. On this
afternoon they are oblivious to their father's praises
and are much more concerned with rummaging
through kitchen cupboards in search of after-school
snacks. \
But the situation is anything but typical in the
Greene household. In late spring 1996, Melinda began
complaining that she couldn't sleep properly. "I attrib
uted that to the fact that she was young, active, ener
getic, involved in all kinds of activities with her
friends," Mr. Greene explained. "I thought she was
plain tired, so I didn't give it much weight." He
remained unconcerned until he received a call from
her school that there was a medical emergency.
THE FAMILY'S MEDICAL odyssey took them
to Children's Hospital in Washington, D.C. Four days
after admission, Melinda suffered a stroke, losing
much of the functioning of her right side. By June
1996 she was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy.
That is, the left side of her heart (ventricle and atrium)
is dilated more than it should be, with the heart
enlarged, and the walls are thinner than they should
be.
Dr. Eric Quivers, transplant cardiologist at
Children's Hospital, said Melinda's situation is idio
pathic in that they do not know the cause.
"Transplant is the best option. You can choose not to
do anything or you can choose to treat it medically,
but the heart typically will continue to deteriorate,"
he explained. "But individuals typically die within
two years; however, there is an 80 percent survival
rate five years after surgery." . .
She was transferred to the Kennedy Krieger
Institute in Baltimore, where she spent six weeks
rehabilitating her right side. On the day of her sched
uled discharge, she suffered a cardiac arrest and her
heart stopped for 12 minutes. Doctors were able to
revive Melinda, but the stroke and the cardiac arrest
Tiid do some damage. She suffers short-term memory
loss, her speech is slightly slurred, she does not have
use of her right hand and she has a limp because of
the drag of her right leg.
"This child is tough beyond belief," said her father
with obvious emotion. But that does not begin to
describe Melinda. By October, with an auto
implantable cardioverter/defibrillator (an electrical
device used to restore normal heartbeat by applying a
brief electric shock) placed in her heart, she was back
in school, had learned to write with her left hand and
was making the honor roll.
"Melinda possesses a personal strength and focus
that is unexpected from someone so young," said
Greene. Even though the heart of a 70-year-old faint
ly beats inside this 15-year-old, she has not allowed it
to stop her. She is extremely self-sufficient, he father
explains. She fixes her own meals, takes showers by
herself, dresses herself, cleans her room and will read
ily refuse help from her father and brother.
But Melinda is still a child and the situation has
also taken its physical and emotional toll on her. "I'm,
scared," she said with a nervous laugh. "It's hard to see
my family going through this," she continued after an
intensely emotional and pregnant pause.
GREENE SAYS THE MOST difficult thing he
has to deal with now is the persistent fear that some
times overwhelms him. "My hope is that I get rid of
the fear. If the fear of her heart failing can be
removed, then that's enough for me. Just so that I
know that my child can get up every day and perform
her tasks and her heart doesn't just fail her. A new
heart I hope will remove that fear," he said.
Melinda is one of three children awaiting heart
transplants at Children's Hospital, and all are African
American. The typical wait is approximately one year.
"We are fighting the perception that organs are being
taken from minorities and given to whites," said
Quivers. "But the patient's status and length of time
on the waiting list determine who gets the offer."
Until recently a new heart seemed like a remote
possibility as the cost of health care and lifestyle
changes have overwhelmed this single parent
(Melinda's mother died six years ago from unrelated
heart complications). Last year Melinda's bills were
over $675,000 and most of that was paid by Greene's
insurance. However, the heart transplant that Melinda
requires could cost as little as $175,000 or over
$550,000, depending on her health status at the time
of the operation. And that is only the beginning. After
the transplant, cardiologists have informed Greene
that Melinda can expect to be on medication for the
rest of her life (over $5,000 per year) and most of this
will be out-of-pocket expenses.
THE BLEAKNESS OF THE SITUATION
changed with one visit to the beauty salon. Hairstylist
Pearl Greene, Andrew Greene's ex-wife and Melinda's
step-mother, was exchanging general chit-chat with a
client when the conversation turned to Melinda's situ
ation. Unknown to Pearl was the fact that seated in
her chair was Judith Thomas, the co-director of the
Larry King Cardiac Foundation (LKCF). Thomas
informed her of the work of LKCF, helping people
who are unable to pay for heart surgery and follow-up
care, and told her to have Greene call her at the foun
dation.
Greene followed through, and Thomas invited him
to submit a letter detailing the family's medical and
financial circumstance as the foundation was getting
ready to choose their next grant recipient. All candi
dates were evaluated, and after meeting with
Melinda's doctors and on Thomas' recommendation,
the foundation choose Mehnda as its first pediatric
grant recipient.
With one phone call, Larry King brought renewed
hope to a family in need. "1 was at work when the call
came through and the voice said, 'Mr. Greene, this is
Larry King, and it's a done deal! You don't have to
worry about the operation for your daughter, the
transplant is covered, you don't have to worry about
it."' The recollection was enough to make Greene
choke up with emotion. "The tears just started run
ning down my face. Never did I think in my dire need
that someone would just reach out and help me like he
has. He is a man who has everything, yet he's taken the
time to pause and see that there are people he can help
in a meaningful way."
"It was a great moment in my life when I was able
to call Mr. Greene and tell him that Melinda had been
chosen to get the funding for the heart," said King, as
he made his way through the reception of the glitzy
black-tie fundraising gala for LKCF. "There is noth
ing better than doing things for people, and she
(Melinda) is a doll. She was an easy choice, she is
young and she is bright. Let's hope we get her a heart,
and frankly I know we will."
THE NOV. 19, 1997, gala featured performances
by singer Michael Bolton and comedian Sinbad as
well as an emotional tribute to Melinda by singer Bob
Carlisle. The event, which brought out much of
Washington, D.C.'s, power brokers, raised more than
$200,000. Additional funding for the foundation
comes from private donations and from King. Ten
years after undergoing quintuple bypass surgery, King
has turned over substantial proceeds from his books
and speaking engagements to the foundation.
Greene admits that he does get very depressed at
times when he looks at his beautiful daughter and
realizes that there are no guarantees. But her illness
has had some positive impact, it has made him very
aware of all their blessings, he said. "My child has
been hit with something debilitating, yet she is show
ing that she is willing to fight and survive and be the
best that she can be. There are little things that con
tinue to remind us about where we've been and where
we're going, and I'm very confident that when it's all
done, everyone will be happy. Just to have her here
speaks volumes. To God be the glory."
Donations are welcomed by the Larry King
Cardiac Foundation at 8000 Towers Crescent Dr., 6th
Floor, Vienna. VA 22182. You may specify that funds
be directed to the Melinda Greene grant.
100th World AIDS Day
observed with marches,
government measures
. (AP Photo/Susan Sterner
Jimmy "Jamaitha Jo Toi" Cartmr
sit* on tho floor of hit dining
room In Lot Angoiot, Calif.,
Sunday, Nov. 30, holding ono of
tho ttuffmd boart ho't roeohrod
during over a xa porformor and
AIDS fund raltor, loarnod ho
had AIDS in 1993. Ho hat toon
ovor 400 friondt and at quoin
tancot dio of tho dltoato tinto
than.
BY JOSEPH SCHUMAN
Associated Press Writer
PARIS (AP) ? AIDS activists
around the world marched, prayed
Bnd wore red ribbons to mark the
10th World AIDS Day ? while
AIDS victims in poor nations did
what they did every day: lived,
struggled and died in obscurity.
On Monday, at least, their lives
were honored.
In Europe, demonstrators
observed the day with candlelight
marches and songs; in Asia,
governments announced new
education and health programs
aimed at fighting their growing
AIDS problem.
Thousands marched in Paris at
sundown, blowing whistles and
carrying placards demanding
more help for victims. Rallies were
also held in other French cities.
"They are dying less in France,
in tlie rich countries, but they
continue to die more and more in
the poor countries," said French
Health Minister Bernard
Kouchner.
Kouchner announced a plan to
require that French doctors report
the number of patients who test
positive for the AIDS virus,
though the names would remain
confidential. "If we knew, in
epidemiological terms, the number
of HIV-positive people, this would
vastly help us" fight AIDS, he
said.
One in every 100 sexually
active people age 15 to 49
worldwide has HIV, and among
those infected, only one in 10
knows it, according to UNAIDS
and the World Health
Organization.
Figures released last week
show doctors had underestimated
the size of the epidemic by 30
percent: 30 million people now are
infected with HIV and 16,000
more people are infected daily. Of
the 2.3 million people expected to
die this year of AIDS, 460,000 are
children under IS.
This year's World AIDS day
emphasized the plight of HIV
infected children.
Elsewhere in Europe, 12
Athens radio stations broadcasted
an hour-long program on AIDS.
Greek state-run television stations
aired documentaries on AIDS, a
Freddy Mercury concert ? the
singer who died of AIDS ? and a
ballet dedicated to the fight
against AIDS.
In Helsinki, Finland,
lawmakers lighted candles on the
steps of Parliament. Some 50
artists performed a free concert in
Turku, Finland's former capital on
the west coast, with the proceeds
going to AIDS support centers.
The World Health
Organization said new HIV
infections in Western Europe have
dropped 10 percent.
While new drug therapies and
increased education has slowed
the spread of HIV in many
industrialized countries, AIDS
infection has accelerated in
developing countries, where
victims and governments cannot
afford the costly treatments.
More than 90 percent of HIV
infected people live in the
developing world, and the disease
is spreading at an alarming rate in
Eastern Europe and the former
Soviet Union, the WHO's regional
director for Europe said Monday.
"Eastern Europe is now in the
forefront of the AIDS epidemic,"
Jo E. Asyall said, attributing the
increase primarily to intravenous
drug use.
In St. Petersburg, Russia,
teenage actors dressed as
prostitutes and drug addicts drew
laughter as they did a skit
demonstrating the menace of
AIDS. But the performance was
followed by a serious message.
"I understand that young
people are our future, but who will
work with prostitutes, who will
work with drug addicts, who will
work with homosexuals?" AIDS
activist Nikolai Panchenkov asked
the audience. "No one."
Across Asia, where
international health authorities
say they believe the number of
AIDS and HIV infections is
under-reported. World AIDS Day
was observed with new awareness
programs from China to India.
In Bombay, demonstrators
carried through the streets a
wooden effigy of a snake
strangling India.
China said it plans to start
broadcasting anti-AIDS messages
on trains.
In Tokyo, hundreds gathered in
a rain-swept square to sing songs
and appeal for support and
understanding for AIDS victims.
A huge tree was set up in the
square, illuminated with electric
lights and covered with some
17,000 red ribbons sent in from
around Japan.
However, in Thailand,
economic problems prompted the
government to slash funds for a
program that bought condoms for
prostitutes, and sharply reduced
World AIDS day observances in
Bangkok.
Outside Nairobi, Kenya,
workers at a home for AIDS
infected children went about their
usual job Monday ? <$rying to
prolong and ease the lives of 50
largely abandoned youngsters.
"The children look at me," said
program director Protus Lumiti.
"If I am strong, they will be
strong. But if I am brooding, they
will, too."
Internal Medicine Associates
Physician On CaM
The Winter Illnesses?
Colds and Flu
Q: How do I protect myself and my children from catching a cold
this winter?
A: Colds are caused by a virus that is spread from person to
person by small water droplets. These can be spread by
coughing, sneezing, touching, shanng food or drink, or shaking
hands. The best way to control the spread of this virus is
wash your hands frequently and avoid contact with sick
people. In addition, adequate rest and nutrition may help
keep the immune system working well to prevent disease.
Q: What is the difference between colds and the flu?
A: Both colds and the "flu" are caused by viruses. Most colds
are caused by either rhmovirus or adenovirus which typically
cause a low grade fever, sore throat cough, and stuffy nose.
Influenza is caused by the influenza virus which typically,
causes a higher fever and is associated with body aches
and fatigue. A sore throat and cough are much worse
when you have the flu, usually accompanied by nausea,
vomiting and diarrhea.
Q: Does getting a flu shot really protect me from coming down
with the flu?
A: This year's flu shot contains a portion of the virus responsible
for the three most common strains of influenza. Ideally, an
injection of this type leads to immunity from this illness.
However, in case of infection, having been immunized may
lead to a less severe illness.
Q: Is there such a thing as a "stomach flu?"
A: "Stomach flu" is a common name for gastroenteritis.
Gastroenteritis may be caused by viruses such as rotavirus
and by bacteria such as e-coli, salmonella and shigella. It is
usually characterized by fever, chills, nausea, vomiting and
diarrhea. Influenza may also cause these symptoms, but it is
usually accompanied by respiratory symptoms as well.
y: Uo over-tne<ounter cola meaications work, or are nome
remedies just as effective?
A: Most over the counter cold medications are low dosages
of prescription medications. These are usually sufficient for
treatment of minor cold symptoms. Common medicines
include pseudoephedrine (active ingredient in sudafed and
other decongestants); dextromethoraphan (the DM in
most cough suppressants); guafenicm (the expectorant or
"thinning agent" found in decongestants and cough syrups);
and vanous antihistamines to decrease nasal and lung
secretions. Most home remedies are harmless (such as
chicken soup), but you should avoid any home remedy that
normally you would not eat drink, or apply to the skin.
Novant Health Triad Region facilities include Forsyth Memorial
Hospital, Medical Park Hospital, Davie County Hospital and
Community General Hospital ofThomasville.
John P. Card, MD
Dr. Card, an Internal Medicine
Specialist at Internal Medicine
Associates, is a graduate of Howard
University in Washington, DC. He
completed his residency at Loyola
University Medical Center in May
wood, lllnois and is board certified
in Internal Medicine.
Internal Medicine )
Associates 1
Frances ? Ferguson, MD . J
Internal Medicine I
John P. Cord, MD v|||
Internal Medkine,
Tommy WHSoms, At Ed,
Birdie Jackson iSI
Practice Managet% ^ fffj
(910)718-0900 "M
Hours { 1
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