POL Board Member to Run New York Marathon to Raise Funds for POL Cord Blood Program

PRESERVE OUR LEGACY ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER DOMINICK BOYCE RUNS THE NEW YORK MARATHON TO RAISE FUNDS FOR CORD BLOOD PROGRAM 11/3

Dominick Boyce is a native New Yorker and health care advocate who cares about family, youth and community. He is married and a father of two children. Dominick is a Christian man and knowledgeable father who is also willing to lend a hand. He is very active in the lives of his two sons who reside with him and his wife in Harlem. Since 2011, Dominick has served as a volunteer manager and coach for baseball teams in the Harlem Little League. Also, he volunteers time supporting youth programs at the Double Discovery Center at Columbia University and at the Impact Repertory Theatre of Harlem.  

Professionally, Dominick Boyce works as a Faculty Practice Administrator at Harlem Hospital.  Also, he is an Adjunct Professor of Public Affairs and Administration at the Graduate School of Management at the Metropolitan College of New York.  Dominick is an avid runner that promotes awareness of health causes that disproportionately affect minorities and women.  He has run over 6 marathons and 25 half-marathons across the country. His persona motto is Luke 12:48 : “ For  whom much is given, much is required.”

For Media or more information please contact Preserve Our Legacy at 877.778.3623 ext. 702, Shana Melius, Co-Founder or Erica Lee-Benedetto, ext. 716 or Dexter Ottley, ext. 712.  

POL Annual Bone Marrow & Umbilical Cord Blood Awareness Week 2013

ASSEMBLYMAN KEITH L.T. WRIGHT, RIVERBANK STATE PARK & PRESERVE OUR LEGACY TO PARTNER FOR ANNUAL AWARENESS WEEK OCTOBER 22, 2013

Date: October 22, 2013

Location: Riverbank State Park Cultural Theater
679 Riverside Dr. New York, NY 10031

Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Each year Assemblyman Keith L.T. Wright and Preserve Our Legacy, Inc. partner to increase awareness within various New York communities by hosting their annual bone marrow and cord blood awareness week. This year is the fourth annual awareness week with a new partner of Riverbank State Park. Details of events to be posted soon.

Assemblyman Keith L.T. Wright

A lifelong resident of Harlem, Assemblyman Keith L.T. Wright has earned a reputation as a dedicated and thoughtful public servant who gets results for his constituents. Active in his Harlem community, Wright has helped grow small businesses, create affordable housing, and increase economic opportunities for all New Yorkers.  Since 2008, Assemblyman Keith L.T. Wright has supported Preserve Our Legacy and introduced Jaden’s Law in the New York State Assembly.  “Our communities continue to be ravaged by silent killers like heart disease, kidney disease and other deadly illnesses, yet minorities still represent the lowest number of registered donors.  Since we represent almost half of those who need transplants, it is critical that we do all we can to increase awareness of these risks.  My bill, A.6582 would take the first steps to educating the broader public about the importance of bone marrow and cord blood donation”, Assemblyman Keith L.T. Wright, 70th AD.

Riverbank State Park

Celebrating their 20th anniversary this year, Riverbank is the only park of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. Inspired by urban rooftop designs in Japan, this 28-acre multi-level landscaped recreational facility is a state-of-the-art park facility. Rising 69 feet above the Hudson River, Riverbank offers a wide variety of recreational, athletic and arts experiences for all ages, interests and abilities.  “The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation is pleased to host this important event!  The awareness of the health benefits that Preserve Our Legacy, Inc. promotes is as significant to the future of the communities we serve as the physical activity promoted by the programs offered and the facilities available at Riverbank State Park” said Karen Phillips, Director of the New York City Region of New York State Parks.

For Media or more information please contact Preserve Our Legacy at 877.778.3623 ext. 702, Shana Melius, Co-Founder or Erica Lee-Benedetto, ext. 716 or Dexter Ottley, ext. 712.   For more information about Assemblyman Keith L.T. Wright contact 212.866.5809 or Riverbank State Park log on to: http://nysparks.com/parks/93.

September: Child Obesity Awareness Month

Let’s Talk About… 

September: Child Obesity Awareness Month

by Maya Bryant

What is Obesity? 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Overweight and Obesity are both terms used to describe body weight considered to be unhealthy for a certain height. This is measured by calculating BMI (Body Mass Index) to determine the amount of fat a person has. For children, BMI is categorized by height, weight, age, and gender.  Children with a BMI between the 85th and 94th percentiles are considered overweight; children with a BMI at or over the 95th percentile of the population are considered obese.  Overweight and obesity are the result of “caloric imbalance”—too few calories expended for the amount of calories consumed—and are affected by various genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors

A few statistics:

• Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years.
• The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2010. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to 18% over the same period.
• In 2010, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.

The Problem with Child Obesity 

Obesity, unfortunately, has many negative effects on health. Obese youth are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. Obese adolescents are more likely to have pre-diabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels indicate a high risk for development of diabetes. Children and adolescents who are obese are at greater risk for bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and social and psychological problems such as stigmatization and poor self-esteem. Children and adolescents who are obese are likely to be obese as adults and are therefore more at risk for adult health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis.  Overweight and obesity are associated with increased risk for many types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, colon, esophagus, kidney, pancreas, gall bladder, thyroid, ovary, cervix, and prostate.

How we can prevent this!

Fortunately, obesity is a disease that can be avoided if preventative measures are taken place. Healthy lifestyle habits, including healthy eating and physical activity, can lower the risk of becoming obese and developing related diseases.  The dietary and physical activity behaviors of children and adolescents are influenced by many sectors of society, including families, communities, schools, child care settings, medical care providers, faith-based institutions, government agencies, the media, and the food and beverage industries and entertainment industries. Schools play a particularly critical role by establishing a safe and supportive environment with policies and practices that support healthy behaviors. Schools also provide opportunities for students to learn about and practice healthy eating and physical activity behaviors.

Let’s Move!

First Lady Michelle Obama launched an initiative entitled Let’s Move in early 2010 to fight childhood obesity in the United States of America.  This movement tackles obesity by providing healthier foods in our schools, giving every family the accessibility to healthy, affordable food, and helping children become more physically active. 

The five pillars of the Let’s Move! Initiative: 

1. Creating a healthy start for children
2. Empowering parents and caregivers 
3. Providing healthy food in school
4. Improving access to healthy, affordable foods
5. Increasing physical activity 

Everyone, from teachers to parents, celebrities to the government needs to work together to better the future in OUR children’s health.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYP4MgxDV2U <Beyoncé promotes Let’s Move! campaign with new music video

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Preserve Our Legacy, Inc joins families, caregivers, charities and research groups across the United States to observe September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. In the U.S., almost 13,000 children under the age of 21 are diagnosed with cancer every year; approximately 1/4 of them will not survive the disease. A diagnosis turns the lives of the entire family upside down. The objective of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is to put a spotlight on the types of cancer that largely affect children, survivorship issues, and to help raise funds for research and family support. 

Preserve Our Legacy, Inc was created because of childhood cancer In 2006, its founders, Brett and Shana Melius met a 3-year old African-American boy named Jaden Hilton. This new acquaintance would not only touch their lives, but would eventually have a significant impact on the lives of many others. At the time, Jaden was battling Leukemia which inspired them to build awareness about stem cell treatments and to find a donor for Jaden. Despite their efforts, Jaden lost his battle with Leukemia on January 29, 2007. After this devastating loss, they heightened their efforts to build awareness especially amongst communities that are just not educated, about the need for donors, for those who are affected by leukemia, sickle cell anemia, heart disease, diabetes and other diseases at higher rates throughout the US. In an effort to fulfill the mission of educating these under represented communities, Preserve Our Legacy was formed.

Preserve Our Legacy: Spare Cells, Saves Lives Health Panel Discussion

GET INFORMED! Sickle Cell Disease: Symptoms and Complications

GET INFORMED!

Sickle Cell Disease: Symptoms and Complications

 by Maya Bryant

Sickle Cell Disease is a serious disease that has very serious symptoms.  Symptoms of the disease start at the early age of 4 months, and can occur entirely throughout one’s lifespan.  This segment is to inform about the various symptoms of Sickle Cell Disease. In the next segment, we will then discuss the treatments for these symptoms.  

Early Symptoms 

The earliest symptom for a patient with sickle cell can be found within the first 4 months of life.  This symptom is known as hand-foot syndrome.  Because babies have very small hands and feet, sickle cells can easily get clogged in the tiny blood vessels of these areas and cause the hands and feet to swell.  

http://adkteamtalk.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/hand.png

Other Complications
The majority of problems that come with sickle cell come from block blood vessel due to the clogging of sickle cells.  Patients with sickle cells often get organ damage, especially in the spleen.  Since the spleen is a prominent part of the immune system, patients with sickle cell disease have a high risk of infections. 

Other symptoms include 

• delayed growth
• jaundice
• vision problems
• coldness in the hands and feet
• fatigue
• dizziness
• shortness of breath

It is important for patients with sickle cell to adopt and maintain a healthy diet that that is low in salt, added sugars, and solid fats to prevent symptoms as much as possible.  The patient should also drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration.  Most doctors recommend for patients to take folic acid to help the body make more red blood cells.  

Sickle Cell Crisis 

The main complication that comes with sickle cells disease is sickle cell crisis.  This can be found anywhere in the body where blood flows, but mainly occurs in the joints.  People with this disease describe the feeling of the crisis as repeatedly being stabbed with a butcher knife in the same spot.  All patients with sickle cell have crises, but some have them more often than others.  If the pain is unbearable, the patient needs to go to the hospital as soon as possible.  Some crises last for a couple hours, while others can occur for weeks at a time.

GET INFORMED! Sickle Cell Disease: Where do you get it from?

GET INFORMED! 

Sickle Cell Disease: Where do you get it from?

by Maya Bryant

For “Part Two” of the Sickle Cell Disease series, we will discuss how genetics play a part.  Earlier, we learned how blood cells work, the definition of sickle cell disease, and a few statistics on the disease.  If you haven’t had a chance to look at Part 1, take a second to scroll down and read it right now!  This would help you understand this new section much better.  Now, we are going to discuss DNA and how Sickle Cell Disease is acquired through genetics.

DNA

DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid.  It is a molecule that makes up the genetic material of all living things that is found in each and every cell.  DNA is a like a cell’s blueprint: it contains instructions for a cell’s structure and function.  Each person’s DNA contains alleles from each parent. Half of each parent’s alleles are randomly selected to be passed on to the child. (½ alleles from father + ½ alleles from mother = child’s DNA makeup) 

Dominant vs. Recessive Traits 

Each allele has various forms.  This explains why everyone looks different. There is a large variety of each genetically express trait.  Some alleles are dominant and others are recessive. In order for the recessive trait to be expressed, two recessive alleles from each parent have to be passed down to the offspring. In other for a dominant trait to be expressed, the offspring could have both dominant alleles for the trait or a dominant allele and a recessive allele.  The dominant allele DOMINATES over the recessive allele.  For example, brown eyes are a dominant trait and blue eyes are recessive.  If a child was passed down a brown eye allele from their father and a blue eye allele from their mother, the child would have brown eyes, but will still be able to pass down either allele to its offspring.  Complicated right? 

Genetics and Sickle Cell Disease

Sickle Cell Disease is a recessive trait, which means both parents have to pass on a recessive allele for Hemoglobin S (as we discussed in the first segment) to the offspring.  If one dominant and one recessive allele are passed, the offspring has the trait for sickle cell.  This means that the child is able to produce normal red blood cells with Hemoglobin A.  They also may produce some sickle cells here and there, but not enough to harm any bodily functions.  Because the trait can still be passed along, two parents with the sickle cell trait have a 25% chance of having a child with the disease.