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Flat Bob in the News!

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Flat Bob on a Tiger hunt

Yes, I know it’s been a while since my last blog. Been kind of busy with work stuff and really haven’t had the oomph to type one of these suckers up. Then last week an article appeared in an Atlanta newspaper. Seems our buddy Flat Bob made the news. Actually Flat Bob has been a lot of places lately; Paris, Isle of Man, Australia, Miller Park in Milwaukee and witnessed Tiger Woods win the Memorial golf tournament in Columbus, OH. That’s FB stalking Tiger and Ricky Fowler from the ropes on the 13th hole. 

When Laura from the SADS Foundation told me their idea for Flat Bob I thought it was a great idea and had hopes that it would catch on. Well it has more than caught on. Everyday Laura is tagging me with Flat Bob photos on Facebook from all over the world. Now our goal is to get Flat Bob be a household name just like Flat Stanley.

The touching thing for me is that some of my oldest and dearest friends have jumped on the bandwagon. A few weeks ago my ISU Sigma Pi fraternity brother (we don’t say frat because…well, we just don’t) Jon Genson took FB to France and sent over some great photos. Last week my high school buddy David Dummer took FB to Miller Park to see our beloved Cubs take on the Brewers. Very cool guys, very cool indeed!

That’s the great thing with this campaign, people who only a short time ago had no idea what SADS was, are now taking Flat Bob with them, posting the pictures on their social media pages and helping spread awareness. 

I am going to cheat for the remainder of this blog and let the news article from Atlanta finish the blog. So for now this is so long and good-bye where it’s time to move over Stanley because here comes Bob.



Published Wednesday, June 06, 2012
  
Flat Bob Campaign: Miracle girl raising awareness about heart syndromes
BY NICHOLE GOLDEN
NICHOLE@NEWNAN.COM


Six-year-old Lisa Trotter of Grantville is a recent Kindergarten graduate, and is looking forward to a fun and busy summer with new friend “Flat Bob." Flat Bob is a paper doll distributed by the SADS (sudden arrhythmia death syndromes) Foundation.

Lisa, the daughter of Cynthia Trotter and the late Mitchell Trotter, was a healthy child until March 23, 2011. “She was playing in the yard and collapsed,” said Trotter. The babysitter called 911, and was talked through CPR until Coweta firefighters arrived on scene. The firefighters used a defibrillator to save Lisa.


Transported to Egleston in Atlanta, Lisa was placed on a heart and lung bypass machine and a ventilator as her heart was not strong enough to maintain its own beat. One positive was that a measurement of Lisa’s blood gases indicated good oxygen levels as “CPR was done correctly,” said Cynthia. Lisa was diagnosed with a sudden heart arrhythmia and placed on a beta blocker medication. Her specific diagnosis, determined through genetic testing, was Long QT Syndrome.
Long QT Syndrome is a rare congenital disorder, but Lisa has its most common form, KCNQI related to potassium loss.


The syndrome is an electrical disorder of the heart and patients must avoid sudden starts or scares, and must keep hydrated. Trotter says Lisa cannot participate in competitive sports, and only takes a dip in a pool. She doesn’t swim in lakes or recreational areas that cannot be accessed quickly by emergency responders.


Trotter carries a portable automatic external defibrillator (AED) unit wherever they go in case of a cardiac episode. Lisa attends Grantville Elementary, which has an AED on site, and the nurse has a specific protocol to follow in the event of an emergency.


Trotter calls Lisa her “miracle” child and personally thanked firefighters Bart Cauthen and Robert Shellabarger for saving her daughter’s life during a firefighters’ dinner last December.


Lisa is very attached to “Duckie” a beloved soft toy that her mother even brought to the hospital during her stay. Lisa considers her cat, “Polka Dot” and her dog, “Maple” her brother and sister.


This summer, the Trotters will join the SADS Foundation Flat Bob campaign to draw attention to the importance of CPR classes, especially for parents. The program also highlights the role of AEDs in helping the victims of sudden cardiac arrest.


Flat Bob is named for advocate Bob DeVries, whose wife Shawn Marie died at the age of 35 from an undiagnosed heart condition. DeVries worked for SADS to raise awareness and funds by visiting 30 ballparks in the 2010 season. His wife was a loyal Yankees fan.


SADS and its partner DeVries work to encourage those who have lost family members to arrhythmias to undergo genetic testing. The foundation has programs to help cover costs of genetic testing for children. These tests are often not covered by insurance.


Symptoms of sudden arrhythmia death syndromes can include dizziness, fainting, heart palpitations, consistent or unusual chest pain, and trouble sleeping. Shortness of breath when exercising can be another indication of an underlying problem.


“You always think this is something that could happen to someone else,” said DeVries. “Then all of a sudden. I became someone else. I’m a lot more invested now.”


To join the Flat Bob effort, or to learn more about heart conditions, go to www.sads.org. Printable Flat Bobs are available on the site.


“We’re supposed to travel with Flat Bob in the car,” said Trotter. The family’s first assignment is to photograph Bob and Lisa at a CPR Class,and with an AED located at a business or community site. This week, June 4-8, is National CPR and AED week.


According to SADS, 400,000 Americans die suddenly and unexpectedly due to cardiac arrhythmias each year. One in 200,000 high school athletes in the U.S. will die suddenly.


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Lisa with Flat Bob and her AED

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