AR changing pediatric stroke practice because of Bellaflies

“Since introducing The Bellaflies Foundation into our OutreACH Education Program, we have presented pediatric stroke to awareness and education to 41 counties, 944 Paramedics, EMTs, Firefighters, School Nurses, and ER Clinicians, and 91% will change their practice as a result of Bellaflies pediatric stroke course.” -Charles Wooley RNIII, Paramedic Arkansas OutreACH Coordinator

We are JUST getting started!! We have committed to brining pediatric stroke education to the WHOLE STATE of Arkansas!! All of our proceeds from our Strides for Strokes event series will be donated to Pediatric Stroke OutreACH Education until the whole state is covered!

 

Q & A with Charles Wooley RNIII (Paramedic OutreACH Program Coordinator)

Charles Wooley is the Paramedic OutreACH Coordinator for the Emergency Department at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. He will be teaching the Pediatric Stroke OutreACH Education Program, and he was gracious enough to answer some questions for us about OutreACH and Bellaflies’ donation to the program. 

What is the OutreACH Education Program?  Outreach Education is a based on two things Support and Recognition. At Arkansas Children’s Hospital we feel a massive responsibility to our patients. We want to support our patients from the scene all the way through their stay. This means that we support first responders, school nurses, EMS, and adult hospitals or who ever is treating our patients. One of the ways we offer this support is by teaching recognition. We teach pattern recognition. This is a highlight of all the major childhood emergencies. We use Videos and Lecture as well as hands on Simulation. We measure comfort level before and after the class and we have seen positive results! 

As a paramedic, what do you think is the single most important thing about the OutreACH Education program? The most important part from a Paramedic point of view is recognition. This is what we focus on! We strive to point out signs and symptoms that will direct providers to an early diagnosis. This will lead to early treatment and possibly save lives. 

What role do you see Bellaflies fulfilling? Bellaflies has opened my eyes to pediatric strokes. This revelation combined with the story of Bella has spurred myself into action. We are teaching stroke recognition all over the state. We are also telling a story about a kid that we missed all the warning signs. This is treatment changing information.

 Do you think that pediatric strokes would have been taught about as much without the donation?  I know that Pediatric stroke would not have been taught as much. This all changed when I learned about Bella and her story.

How impactful do you foresee the pediatric stroke lesson?  Pediatric strokes are in the top 10 reasons kids die. This has to be one of the most under taught subjects. I foresee a huge increase in awareness at least here in our state. I am confident in saying the providers we reach will rule out stroke when treating altered children.

To support this life saving education please register for Strides for Strokes 2017! 100% of proceeds will be donated to the Pediatric Stroke OutreACH Education Program. SFS is extremely family friendly, and if you cannot attend the event you can register as a virtual runner and we will ship the T-shirt to you!

REGISTER FOR SFS 2017 HERE

LEARN MORE ABOUT SFS 2017 HERE

 

Bellaflies funds life-changing pediatric stroke research at UCSF

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) VIPS (Vascular effects of infection in Pediatric Stroke Study) Team and Bellaflies partnered in 2014 to fight pediatric stroke. Since then we have continued to support their pediatric stroke research and we are excited to tell you about their findings.

Our joint goal was to figure out why strokes happen in children like Bella, and how physicians and researchers can prevent them. Bellaflies’ funding helped them figure out that children with a stroke have an increased risk of having a second stroke, especially if they have diseased arteries to the brain. They also discovered with the pediatric stroke research grant that inflammation plays a role in the progression of the arterial disease in children with stroke, and increases the risk of a second stroke.

The second study we funded at UCSF helped them figure out that herpes viruses (the cause of chicken pox and cold sores) are an important trigger for pediatric stroke even if the infection is not presenting with symptoms. The most recent study we funded focused on stroke in the very young. They found that children who are very young are less likely to have a headache at the time of the stroke, but more likely to have seizures. The very young are more likely to have strokes from blood clots in the heart, but can still have diseased arteries to the brain. This research is just the beginning!

This team of Vascular effects of Infection in Pediatric Stroke (VIPS) researchers is made up of data from 355 children who have had a stroke from 37 different hospitals, 5 continents, 9 countries around the globe who are all united in stopping pediatric strokes!

 

Bellaflies funds testing for previously undetectable virus

We are thrilled to announce that our 2013 donation to Arkansas Children’s Hospital was extremely successful! As a direct result of your support, ACH is now able to detect a whole new genus of viruses, called parechoviruses. We can’t stress how important the impact of this work is. Prior to this grant, this virus was previously undetectable at ACH. Now that they are able to identify this genus of viruses, doctors and researchers will be able to report on the these viruses for the entire state of Arkansas and the surrounding region, contributing to an even greater understanding of these issues at a national level. Dr. Romero, Chief, Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Director, Clinical Trial Research , says he plans to use this data to improve long-term outcomes in children. We could not be more pleased with the direction that he is taking with this exciting new testing!

Here is a little bit about what a parechovirus or human parechovirus (HPeV) is. HPeV is divided into 2 species, A and B, and A consists of 16 different types.  HPeV infections are a frequent cause of infection in childhood. The clinical presentation is diverse, and varies from mild gastrointestinal infections to more severe diseases like meningitis and sepsis leading to mortality.

Cerebrospinal fluid, blood and feces have the highest sensitivity for detecting HPeV. After a primary HPeV infection, there is still a possibility of viral shedding in the feces and respiratory system for several weeks. Although, HPeV is a frequent cause of serious infection in children, there are limited tools available to fight these viruses. There is no treatment for HPeV infections, and little is known about the long-term prognosis of HPeV infections. (Information is from the National Institutes of Health)

If you have supported The Bellaflies Foundation this victory is yours! Your dedication to Making a Positive is improving and saving lives, and that is what Bella’s foundation is all about!