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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - Finger Lakes Times, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009
Cardiac screening may have saved local teen's life
To the Editor:
We want to express our greatest gratitude to the Anthony Bates Foundation, Finger Lakes Health,
local sponsors and all the volunteers involved with the free cardiac screening offered to area school
districts at the Geneva Community Center
Sept. 12.
We were fortunate enough to have a family member so adamant about the importance of this
screening. We decided to bring our children, which turned out to be a life-changing decision.
Never in our wildest dreams would we have believed our son would have been diagnosed with
Wolfe-Parkinson-White syndrome.
The medical staff involved responded quickly and professionally, which led to a life-saving surgery
less than a week later.
Fortunately, our son is on the road to a complete recovery and will have full involvement in his
senior year activities.
If this or any other free screening is offered again, we highly recommend that all parents and school
districts take full advantage of the opportunity.
Lastly, we would like to thank all our family, friends and community members for all your
support. It was greatly appreciated.
Connie and Gus I. - Senaca Falls
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Darla H., Mesa, AZ, August, 2009
Hi Sharon,
I want to thank you for doing this for our athletes. Your loss is tremendous….
One that I cannot begin to imagine.
So, from the deepest part of every mother…... Thank you
for making a
difference for our sons and daughters!!!!
I decided to send the information to my son’s competitive
soccer league.
The league consist of boys
and girls from many age levels. I asked
management to seriously consider passing the information to the
parents.
You are a wonderful Mom!!
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Cindy B., Phoenix AZ, June, 2009
Hi, I’m just calling for Sharon. My name is Cindy
and I just wanted to thank you. My daughter had
a screening at the BGHS screening. She
had the Echo & EKG tests. Actually she had an abnormal EKG.
She didn’t have Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.
She had something else. We didn’t have any idea. She
didn’t have a lot of symptoms.
She is seeing a pediatric cardiologist. She is 14 and having other testing
done and she may need a pace maker it look likes. I just wanted to THANK YOU. I am very happy we
went there and we found this out now!
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Jerry D. - Manhattan, KS, October, 2007
Dear Sharon;
I would like to thank you for holding the screening in Manhattan on Sunday the
28th. I took my son
to it and they found that he has a Bicuspid Aortic Valve that is leaking.
If we had not gone to
this we may have known that he had it until he was much
older. Thanks so much for what
you are doing for our Athletes.
Thanks Jerry D.
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Debbie S. - Manhattan, KS, October, 2007
Sharon,
First of all... thanks very much for this service you provide
for the youth in the area. What a great way
to honor Anthony and continue to give such meaning and significance to his
life. Hopefully our
donations are helpful, though I know this is mainly run on your compassion.
While the screening is
obviously for the kids, as a mom I feel like it was a gift to me too. There
are always plenty of things to
worry about, but this is one less thing to think of as my kids are out there on
the field and court.
So thanks for that!!!!
It has to make you feel good to know that you have impacted at
least 50 people and their families just over
one weekend. I'm sure the early detection of various problems could
very likely change the courses of
their lives.
Thanks again for everything you do.
Debbie S.
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Dear Sharon,
I wanted to write and thank you for your hard work and dedication toward educating
parents of this
potential killer. My husband's only brother died in 1982 the same way your son
did. At that time the
doctors really couldn't give his family much information, let alone answers, therefore for
over twenty
years all we've had was "hope" that this won't suddenly happen to our children.
Thanks to your
organization now we have the knowledge to be proactive in helping protect our daughters.
Tomorrow
we are taking our oldest (almost 14) to get her baseline echo, among other tests,
and are grateful for
the information and encouragement you have provided.
Please put me on your mailing list. I am interested in helping out with events
you may sponsor in
Southern California.
Thanks again!
Ellen E.
San Diego, CA
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Kendra, Phoenix, AZ, August, 2004
Ladies & Gentlemen:
Please accept this small donation as a token of my gratitude for the services you are providing
our community.
I have been very concerned about my son participating in tackle football due to the press coverage
of the occassional heart-related deaths of apparently "healthy" young men who have passed their
sports physicals and yet die on the field or the court! Although I mentioned this to both my son's
physician and also my ex-husband I felt that my concerns were dismissed by both of them as
"overprotective" and "paranoid". When a friend told me about hearing your advertisement on
the radio for the free heart screenings at Mountain Pointe High School I decided to take
my son for my own peace of mind because I would never forgive myself if I didn't do it
and later something bad happened. Thankfully he is fine and the report was forwarded to his
physician for inclusion in his medical record and to establish a baseline.
I was so impressed by the service you provided that I called my son's father and insisted
that he also come down because he has high blood pressure, which he has refused to take
seriously, in my opinion. They actually identified a concern with his heart and recommended he
see his family physician wihch he did the following Monday. Based upon the results that your
team provided, the physician did a comprehensive physical evaluation, changed his
blood pressure medication and provided written and verbal nutritional counseling that
I think has "finally gotten through" to him.
Thanks to your Foundation I hope to see improvements in my ex-husband's overall health status
and we both know that our son is starting his athletic career with no "hidden" time bomb in his chest.
Sincerely,
Kendra
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Senia, age 27, Oklahoma City, OK
"My name is Senia, age 27, and I was a volunteer at Mountain Pointe High School, Phoenix, Arizona,
on May 18, 2002, when athletes were screened for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. I live in Oklahoma City
and was visiting my aunt and uncle in Scottsdale who were volunteering so I went along and
helped screen the female athletes. The opportunity arose for me to receive the screening and I took
advantage of it, not anticipating that anything significant would be found wrong with my heart!
I was greatly
surprised to learn that one of my heart's valves was not closing properly, thereby allowing
blood to backwash out of my heart. This was confirmed by a full resting echocardiogram
administered by my physician in Oklahoma City. From the echocardiogram they determined that
I have an even more serious condition than first thought. Instead of the valve not closing
properly I have what is called a torn chordea. My doctor is watching this to see if any more
of the chordea breaks loose and if it does I will have to have a valve replaced. He has given me
some warning signs to look for so that I can take immediate action. To monitor this condition I
now have an echocardiogram once a month. If I had not had this screening I might have had
a fatal heart attack as I had no prior knowledge that I had a problem. To Sharon and
Allen Bates I wish to say a most sincere, "thank you." This screening may have saved my life."
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Greetings Dearest Sharon,
Our family wants you to know we appreciate the screening at Mountain Pointe High School
months ago (May, 2002).
You were instrumental in that venture. They discovered something in Kathryns heart test that day.
We did an immediate follow-up with my cardiologist and Kathryns pediatrician.
Kathryn is our 2nd daughter, now
a senior at Desert Vista H.School.
It is not life threatening yet the doctors said it is great to know about it for
the future.
Leah(20) and Jimmie(15) were tested with no irregularities....Good to know that too!
THANK YOU SHARON
BATES.....ANTHONY IS LOOKING DOWN AND BEAMING WITH
PRIDE AT WHAT HIS MOM IS DOING FOR SO MANY PEOPLE. His tragic passing has
evolved into a Godsend through YOU! He and You have given us knowledge for Kathryns sake.
Your efforts will undoubtedly uncover things that will help so many people and they may never
know you or Anthony............but we do and God bless you both.
With Love,
Curtis, Lillian, Leah, Kathryn
& Jimmie Cook
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Mrs. Lindstrom, St. Mary's, KS 66536
Dear Ms. Bates:
I wanted to thank you for the wonderful work you do through the Anthony Bates Foundation.
My son, a 17 year old high school senior and avid soccer player, went to the KSU screening
on September 29, 2001. Fortunately, his results were fine. Please know that your work
and efforts are very much appreciated. You and your son are in our prayers.
Sincerely,
E. Lindstrom
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