Dear LifeSpan families,
One of the strengths of our center is that we are filled with a community of wonderfully loving families who not only support their child and their child’s teachers, but also your fellow families. This is one of the things that we love most about our families! We would like to share some information with you and ask for your support and participation in a upcoming event
One of our families experienced a recent loss; one that most of us cannot imagine, but one that has made us feel that we need to educate our community, our families, and to help fund research. Meagan D.’s recent death was due to spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD). Meagan was the loving mother of two of the children in our center. She was kind and warm, funny and sweet, and always so helpful and understanding.
Ninety percent of SCAD victims are women who have recently given birth or who are pregnant. Half of all cases can be fatal even before patients arrive at the hospital. “Unlike traditional cardiovascular disease, SCAD has nothing to do with arterial plaque buildup and so healthy eating and exercising aren’t effective preventive measures. With SCAD, a patient’s artery, which might have been otherwise pristine, splits. An internal layer tears away from the wall, creating the potential for blood flow blockage.” More research is needed for doctors to fully understand and see the symptoms for early warning detection. In most cases postpartum discomfort can mask symptoms. Research suggests a link between the rapidly fluctuating hormone levels that come with pregnancy and birth.
In lieu of donations to the family, we would like to participate in the 2016 Lehigh Valley 5K SCADaddle for Research on September 17th in Meagan’s honor. We will be setting up a LifeSpan team online. You will be able to either join our team and walk with us, run or donate directly. To make a donation or join our team, please follow the link, http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/LifeSpan/2016-pennsylvania-5k-scadaddle-for-research!
Next week we will hold a contest to pick the team name. Each classroom will pick a name to represent our center’s love for our family. We will put the names on buckets near the front desk. For every vote of yes, you will put a donation in the bucket.