Georgia Coastal Health District

There’s really nothing that can prepare you for being a new mother. Just ask Bethany Shantz. The energetic, astute businesswoman and owner of Gigi’s Cupcakes in Savannah quickly realized that taking care of premature, newborn twins takes a whole different kind of savvy.

“We didn’t have a clue,” she said with a laugh. “I had no idea what their schedule should be – when they should be eating or sleeping. I had at least 10 books on the subject but nothing prepared me. All I could think was, ‘I don’t know how to be a mom!’”

Initially, Bethany turned down services offered through Children 1st, a state-funded program created by the Georgia Department of Public Health to promote the healthy development of young children, because she didn’t think she would need extra assistance or guidance with her babies. It didn’t take long for her to discover otherwise, however, and after a couple of months at home with newborns Weston and Taylor Anne, Bethany picked up the phone.

“I immediately called Sarah and said, ‘Please come save me!’”

“Sarah” is Sarah Harper, R.N., a nurse specialist with Children 1st in the Coastal Health District. Sarah’s role in the Children 1st program is to complete home visits and developmental screenings on children, educate parents on a wide variety of pediatric topics, link families to public health and community resources, and partner with local hospitals to ensure that children at high risk for developmental delay are identified and offered services upon discharge.  Because Children 1st doesn’t require a referral from a healthcare provider or hospital, Bethany was able to reach out to Sarah directly for services.

“She was unbelievably sweet,” said Bethany. “On her first visit she checked their developmental skills – motor skills, hearing, vision, everything – and was able to tell us how they were tracking. As a parent that makes you feel so good because of course you want to make sure you’re doing the right thing and going about things the right way.”

Sarah was also able to help get the babies some specialized care that they needed as a result of having severe protein allergies and acid reflux and she helped coordinate physical therapy for Weston who had torticollis which is the twisting of the neck muscles.

“Sarah was such a blessing and a Godsend,” said Bethany. “I would not have survived the first year without her.”

The feeling is very much mutual for Sarah when it comes to working with families like the Shantzes.

“I honestly feel so blessed to have the opportunity to work with families in this program,” said Sarah. “I get to experience miracles every day – from watching babies that were on the brink of viability grow and thrive to seeing little ones who are struggling, succeed – just by providing parents with the education and tools necessary to make their goals a reality.”

Just a few years before Weston and Taylor Anne were born, Bethany wasn’t sure being a mom would ever become her reality. In 2012, she was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) which is a type of cancer of certain blood cells found in the bone marrow. That startling emotional blow was followed by the news that she had been pregnant and lost the baby and would not be able to carry a baby to term.

When Bethany’s best friend offered to act as a surrogate, Bethany agreed and realized she had a very small window to try and realize a very big dream. Accepting the risk that her cancer might recur, Bethany stopped taking her chemotherapy medicine for 17 days so her eggs could be harvested. Of the 12 eggs harvested, two had not been affected by the chemotherapy medication.

Thirty-two weeks and six days after conception, Weston and Taylor Anne made their grand entrance at 4 pounds, 5 ounces and 4 pounds, 2 ounces respectively.

[JPG, 145.24 KB] Taylor Anne and Weston Shantz celebrate their first birthday. (Photo courtesy teresa earnest photography).

“They were such little miracle babies,” said Bethany.

Today, those miracle babies are thriving and just recently celebrated their first birthday. Although Sarah initially paid regular visits to the Shantz family for several months, she now checks up on them at six month intervals to ensure they stay on track and meet all their developmental milestones. And the Shantzes know that anytime they have a question for Sarah, she’ll be there with an answer.

“It just gives us such peace of mind to know that we have someone like Sarah that we can call,” said Bethany. “We feel so loved and special and cared for when she calls to check on us.”

The services provided through Children 1st can be accessed at no cost. If it is determined that a child is in need of other services then referrals can be made to programs such as Babies Can’t Wait, (Georgia’s early Intervention program serving children with significant developmental delays or children who may be at risk for delays due to a diagnosed medical condition); Children’s Medical Services (medical care for children from birth to age 21 who have disabling conditions or chronic diseases); or the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program (a comprehensive system of universal newborn hearing screening and assure early detection and intervention for hard of hearing and deaf children).

“Our program is especially useful for families with premature infants who are at high risk for developmental delays and who have special needs,” said Sarah. “In the case of the Shantzes, Mom and Dad have done a wonderful job and they have two beautiful little ones to show for all their hard work.”

Those little miracle babies continue to bring joy to Bethany and her husband, Chris.

“I’m just thankful every day to be alive and to have my babies,” said Bethany.

For more information on Children 1st and associated programs in the Coastal Health District please call 912-644-5805 or click HERE.

Special thanks to teresa earnest photography for the photos that accompany this article.

Summer is here and as more people make their way outside for activities, Coastal Health District officials want to remind residents to take precautions to avoid mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are annoying but can also carry diseases such as West Nile Virus, chikungunya, or Zika Virus.

The best way to protect ourselves from mosquitoes is to prevent them from breeding. One of the most effective ways of preventing the spread of mosquito-borne viruses is controlling the mosquito population by eliminating standing water around the home and in the yard. Mosquitoes lay eggs in water; just a bottle cap of water is all they need.

After every rainfall – or at least once a week –  tip out water in flowerpots, planters, children’s toys, wading pools, buckets and anything else around your yard that can hold water. If it holds water and you don’t need it (old tires, bottles, cans), toss it out.

Also:

• Clean out gutters.
• Remove piles of leaves.
• Tightly cover water storage containers (buckets, cisterns, rain barrels) so that mosquitoes cannot get inside to lay eggs.
• Keep vegetation cut low to prevent landing sites for adult mosquitoes.
• For containers without lids or that are too big to Tip ‘n Toss (bird baths, garden pools), use larvicides such as mosquito dunks or mosquito torpedoes and follow the label instructions. Larvicides will not hurt birds or animals.
• Homeowners associations and neighborhoods, along with city and county governments, are encouraged to sponsor community cleanup days.
• Make sure to keep doors shut and cover windows with screens. Repair or replace any screens with holes in them.
• Use EPA-registered insect repellents containing 20%-30% DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus when outdoors. Wear light colored clothing with long sleeves, long pants and socks to help prevent mosquito bites.

You want to do what is best for your children. You know about the importance of car seats, baby gates and other ways to keep them safe. But, did you know that one of the best ways to protect your children is to make sure they have all of their vaccinations?   [JPG, 16.17 KB]

Immunizations can save your child’s life.
Because of advances in medical science, your child can be protected against more diseases than ever before. Some diseases that once injured or killed thousands of children are no longer common in the U.S. – primarily due to safe and effective vaccines. Polio is one example of the great impact that vaccines have had in the United States.  Polio was once America’s most feared disease, causing death and paralysis across the country, but thanks to vaccination the United States has been polio-free since 1979. Due to continual worldwide vaccination efforts, Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only two countries in the world that have never interrupted the spread of wild poliovirus, and only small pockets of polio still exist in these countries

Vaccination is very safe and effective.
Vaccines are only given to children after careful review by scientists, doctors, and healthcare professionals. Vaccine side effects are almost always mild such as redness or swelling at the site of the shot, but this is minimal compared to the pain, discomfort, and risk of injury and death from the diseases these vaccines prevent. Serious side effects following vaccination, such as severe allergic reaction, are very rare. The disease-prevention benefits of getting vaccinated are much greater than the possible side effects for almost all children.

Immunization protects others you care about.
Children in the U.S. still get vaccine-preventable diseases. In fact, we have seen resurgences of measles and whooping cough (pertussis) over the past few years. For example, in 2014, there were 667 cases of measles in 27 states, the greatest number of cases since measles was eliminated in 2000.  The following year saw measles cases as well.  During 2015, 147 people were part of a large, multi-state measles outbreak linked to an amusement park in California. Almost one in 10 people who became sick with measles in this outbreak were babies too young to be vaccinated. While some babies are too young to be protected by vaccination, others may not be able to receive certain vaccinations due to severe allergies, weakened immune systems from conditions like leukemia, or other reasons. To help keep them safe, it is important that you and your children who are able to get vaccinated are fully immunized.  This not only protects your family, but also helps prevent the spread of these diseases to your friends and loved ones.

Immunizations can save your family time and money.
A child with a vaccine-preventable disease can be denied attendance at schools or daycare facilities. Some vaccine-preventable diseases can result in prolonged disabilities and can take a financial toll because of lost time at work, medical bills or long-term disability care. In contrast, getting vaccinated against these diseases is a good investment and usually covered by insurance. The Vaccines for Children program is a federally funded program that provides vaccines at no cost to children from low-income families. Visit http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/vfc/index.html to find out more about the VFC program, or ask your child’s health care professional.

Immunization protects future generations.
Vaccines have reduced and, in some cases, eliminated many diseases that killed or severely disabled people just a few generations ago. For example, smallpox vaccination eradicated that disease worldwide. Your children don’t have to get smallpox shots anymore because the disease no longer exists anywhere in the world. By vaccinating children against rubella (German measles), we have dramatically reduced the risk that pregnant women will pass this virus on to their fetus or newborn, and birth defects associated with that virus are seen in only rare cases in the United States when a pregnant woman who was never vaccinated against rubella is exposed to someone who contracted rubella in another country. If we continue vaccinating now, and vaccinating completely, parents in the future may be able to trust that some diseases of today will no longer be around to harm their children in the future.

For more information about the importance of infant immunization, visit http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines.