July 20,1995
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The Perquimans Weekly
350
Vol. 63, No. 29
The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County people
Hertford, North Carolina 27944
Two file
inWinfall,
but no
races yet
Two men have filed for seats
on the Winfall Town Council.
Incumbent mayor Fred
Yates and newcomer Clif Towe
signaled their desire to sit on
the council.
In Hertford, only Mayor
John Beers has filed.
Councilman Larry Chappell
said last week that he will not
seek re-election. Board veteran
Billy T. Winslow said Tuesday
that he has not decided
whether he will run again.
The filing period ends on
Aug. 4.
Inside
We are the champions
Darden Department
Store opens new
mini-museum
Page 3
Bethel, Belvidere
take Youth
League tourneys
Page 6
Brian Center hosts
first intern
Page?
Education interest
has deep roots
Page 4
CiaSSifiedS.«.Page8
The 11/12-year-old Bethel team earned both
the Perquimans Youth League regular sea
son and tournament championships, losing
only one game all season. Team members
are (left to right, front) Warren Shotwell,
Brent Potichko, Josh Cram, Earlie Byrum,
Robbie Reed, Garry Byrum, Jason
PHOTOS BY SUSAN HARRIS
Wolfgang, (middle) Michael Lang, Maurice
Downing, Craig Ayscue, Quinton Chappell,
Nick Proctor, Rob Woodard, Josh Sutton,
Kevin Downing, Justin Roberson, (back)
coaches Earlie Byrum, Charles Woodard
and Edgar Roberson. Ross Maillet and Jim
Layden were on the squad.
The Belvidere team won the
9/10-year-old Perquimans Youth
League tournament. Team mem
bers are (left to right) Jay
Rountree, Dylan Nowell, Damon
Winslow, Jason Dail, John
Lassiter, (middle row) Matt
Whiib', Robert Stallings, Timothy
Parks, A.J. Overman, Josh
Lassiter, Robbie Holloweli,
(back row) assistant coach R.P.
White, head coach Richard
Stallings and assistant coach
Joe McLawhorn.
Donor family meets heart recipient
Cohens attend high
school graduation of
teen who received
their daughter’s
heart and lungs
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
A1 and Velma Cohen have
ridden a rollercoaster over the
past year that has alternately
taken them to the depths of
despair and crests of great joy.
The lowest of the dips on the
ride came on July 9, 1994, the
day their seemingly healthy
18-year-old daughter,
Charlotte, went out to get the
mail. Charlotte suffered from a
cerebral hemorrhage on the
way to the mail box. Hours
later, doctors at Pitt Memorial
Hospital told the Cohens then-
daughter was dead.
Then came the question
that would ultimately bring
the Cohen family peace: Would
you be willing to donate
Charlotte’s organs for trans
plant? After only a slight hesi
tation, the Cohens’ answer
was, yes.
In another small North
Carolina town, a very
unhealthy teen and her family
were facing the realities of
heart and lung disease.
Stephanie Lucas of Dunn
knew her chance at life was
limited. She had to have a
heart and lung transplant in
order to live. And time was
running out.
At the same time the
The Cohen family of Hertford was united with Stephanie Lucas
(center), the recipient of Charlotte Cohen’s heart and lungs last
month in Dunn.
Cohens faced their darkest
hour, the light of hope peaked
through for the Lucas family.
Stephanie would be the recipi
ent of Charlotte’s heart and
lungs.
The road to transplant was
a long one for Stephanie and
her family. She underwent two
open heart surgeries as an
infant. As she grew, it took up
to 17 pUls each day to control
her weakening heart. For
years, she was in and out of
hospitals.
1993 brought even graver
news: Stephanie’s lungs were
destroyed. Only a double
transplant could save her. And
doctors said the teen was not a
candidate for transplant
because of the scarring from
previous surgeries and her
weak condition. They feared
she would bleed to death on
the operating table.
The development of a new
drug and the return of a for
mer Duke University Hospital
surgeon brought hope back to
the Lucases. Although no
patient at Duke had lived
through a heart-lung trans
plant, the doctors - and
Stephanie - knew it was her
only hope. She went on the
waiting list in March 1994.
On July 10, 1994, the heart
and lungs of Charlotte were
transplanted to Stephanie.
Stephanie became Duke’s fmst
successful heart-lung trans
plant recipient.
With the consent of both the
Lucases and Cohens, the two
families began a long-distance
School board OKs
PCMS repairs
The Perquimans County
Board of Education approved
a $26,000 expenditure to
replace floor tiles at the newly-
renovated Perquimans County
Middle School.
Amy Tobin, Public
Relations Director, said prob
lems with glue coming up
through the tiles made the
repairs necessary. Tobin said
she has received no indication
that the board intended to look
to the supplier or contractor
who installed the floors for
compensation.
The repairs will be made
with funds from the 1995-96
capital outlay funds provided
by the county.
PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
Leigh Ann Henion (center) a rising senior at Perquimans
County High School, was a delegate to the 1995 World Affairs
Conference held this summer on the campus of Marymount
University. Her sponors were the Hertford Rotary Club, Captain
Bob’s Restaurant and Centura Bank. Carlton Davenport (left),
presiden of the Rotary Club, and Sharon Lane, co-owner of
Captain Bob’s, wish Henion well as she prepares for her trip.
Henion attends
international
conference
relationship. In June, the
Cohens accepted an invitation
from the Lucases to attend
Stephanie’s high school gradu
ation. After 11 months, the two
families would meet.
Both families blinked back
tears at the graduation: The
Lucases were thankful for
Stephanie’s new lease on life.
The Cohens were sad that
there would be an empty seat
at the spot where Charlotte
would have been sitting at the
Perquimans graduation exer
cises, yet proud that even in
death, their daughter had con
tinued to give.
Stephanie’s graduation
weekend was spent by the two
families g0i|:ting to know each
other, trading photos and talk
ing about the road that
brought them together.
‘"rhe Cohens are a wonder
ful family,” said Don Lucas,
Stephanie’s father, to Dana
Stanley of The Daily Record
newspaper. “To have a child
taken must be like having
your own heart ripped out.
'They didn’t think of just them
selves on that day. They
thought of others. That’s the
ultimate sacrifice. That’s shar
ing joy during grief. That’s
making sure their daughter
lives on.”
Both families believe that
Charlotte does live on through
Stephanie. Stephanie feels that
she now has two sets of par
ents, one who gave her birth
and another who saved her
life.
(Note: Dana Stanley of The
Daily Record newspaper in
Dunn contributed to this story.)
A rising senior at
Perquimans County High
School participated in the 1995
World Affairs Conference on
the campus of Marymount
University in Arlington, Va.
last month.
Leigh Ann Henion, daugh
ter of Dr. and Mrs. Randall
Henion, was sponsored by the
Hertford Rotary Club, Captain
Bob’s Restaurant and Centura
Bank.
The conference is a summer
residential program for high
school students designed to
involve them in the problems
and challenges of global issues
today. It brings young people
together with university pro
fessors, diplomats and govern
ment spokespersons to discuss
current issues and the means
by which better understanding
of these issues may lead to
world peace.
This year’s program includ
ed such topics as, the libera
tion of Panama; the Middle
East...as seen by the
Palestinian, the Israeli, and
the American; the breakup of
the Soviet Union and the emer
gence of new independent
states,; and today’s Africa.
The group toured the
nation’s capital, where they
visited the FBI building,
Japanese Cultural Center,
Capitol Hill, and Arlington
Cemetery. They attended the
play, “The History of
America,” at the Kennedy
Center. Students also partici
pated in a model U.N. Security
Council session.
The co-sponsors’ scholar
ship award included tuition,
room and board, educational
materials and activities within
the four-day conference peri
od.
Interested students were
required to submit a one page
essay on the topic “Why an
Understanding of International
Affairs Is Important Today. ”
Essays were submitted to the
high school administration
and then to the Rotary Club
representative for review
without the author’s name
appearing. The essays were
read and the winner chosen.
Outside
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