Nothing says engagement/birthday party like a big plate of ‘chos! Who needs cake when you have a mountain of salty goodness? This is how many nachos it takes to feed the entire BT gang
!
Big ups to Dennis from the Rose & Crown who fired up the biggest plate ever for the festivities! Now all we need is a little patio weather.
As a parent, I can empathize with this family’s hard decision. I’m not sure I would be able to turn down an opportunity if I knew it would help my child. Yet, what about the risks?? Tough call. But this family made it.
Here’s the story.
One year old Jakob Bielskis can see the light in his light box. He turns toward it now – something he never would have done – before his trip to China.
His dad, Richard Bielskis says “we wanted immediate results and basically we got them to a certain extent – just different visual tactics we were trying to stimulate or get some kind of reaction from him and sure enough we did.”
Jakob’s mom Dawn Villeneuve agrees, “of course we want the best for our children and the way we looked at it – if he could see even light that that was going to be better for him than not seeing anything.”
So, last October, the family made the trip to China. Jakob received donated umbilical cord stem cells there in the hope they would help him see.
Jakob suffers from optic nerve hypoplasia…a disorder that’s untreatable in Canada. This is why after a lot of fundraising, the family took a chance.
“I don’t think anything in hindsight could have prepared us for all the emotion. We knew we were taking a big leap of faith, so ya know it was a little scary, ” Dawn admits.
But the family says the trip paid off.
He was a very happy child before the treatment, says Jakob’s dad, after the treatment he’s done way better than we could ever expect.
His mom says “I have zero regret about going. I think it has only benefitted Jakob. There has been absolutely no adverse effects from it.”
And they were careful not to have had unrealistic expectations.
His mom admits it would have been fabulous if they’d gone to China and Jakob would have been able to see his parents, but they understood that was not a realistic goal.
Jakob’s mom did a lot of her own research before she went over…. including talking to other parents who’s children had undergone the same procedure. It gave her some hope and made her feel a little better – because she ran up against some serious concerns from doctors here.
Dawn says, “I was frustrated. Everytime I went to the doctor I felt beat down to be honest with you.”
And U of C medical ethicist, Glenys Godlovitch, raises questions about the safety risks this family took by going to China.
They’re going to a place where they’re unfamiliar with whether the jurisdiction has regulations or whether that jurisdiction has safeguards in place.
Godlovich says it’s a classic case of “therapeutic misconception” – where just because a treatment is possible – people think it may be helpful.
She explains, “so even when told there may be risks, there may be unknown risks associated with the procedure – the drive to get some benefit overwhelms and overrides any concerns about risk.”
But for Jakob’s mom – it was a risk she was willing to take.
“I tried to arm myself with as much information before we got too excited about it, and then we realized that was pretty much the only option for us, so we took it.”
And mom continues to look for more experimental treatments that could help Jakob.
Her second son Jaxon was born in
February. She has saved his umbilical cord blood hoping one day the stem cells from it could help Jakob – and maybe here in Canada.
For more information on Jakob’s story visit the family’s website
jakobsfightforsight.com
Living the dream at The Beach recording studio this morning! www.thebeachaudio.com
After recording a spectacular rendition of “Livin on a Prayer”, Lanny and Derek let me take a seat in the producer’s chair. Some Autotune correction was needed on my vocal track. Just a little. By the end of it I sounded like Cher doing a Bon Jovi cover. Amazing.
The real musicians in the booth are in a band called Misguided Innocence. Wicked guys. Check out their website www.misguidedinnocence.com.
If they ever let them out of the studio, the band will be coming soon to a city near you!
It really is big. And comfy!
It was so sweet of Loonette the Clown to let us shoot BT on her couch this morning! I nearly lost my blackberry in the cushions and had to do a little digging. I ended up finding a rubber chicken, a blanket, and this massive duster!
Loonette took some time to hang out with me and contest winner Meagan (pretty in pink!) – in person Loonette is teeny tiny! I had to crouch down for the pic.
You can check out Loonette’s show at A Family-a-Fair at the RoundUp Centre Friday 11am/330pm and Saturday 10am/330pm!
Really, it’s all about the cash for medical researchers. If they can get some sustained funding then they don’t have to spend all their time applying for grants. They can actually do the science - that could one day benefit us all.
So, cheers to the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research. It has awarded 39 million dollars to 41 health researchers in the province.
One of those researchers is Shalina Ousman. She’s looking into multiple scleroris and how the body might be able to use it’s own healing mechanisms to fight the disease.
She says, “Every time the body encounters an injury – a bruise, a cut – your body mounts normal healing mechanisms so your cut will seal. And so our hypothesis is in MS there must be healing mechanisms that are in place, but are obviously not enough to overcome the injury – people still have MS. So what the lab is trying to indentify is what are the natural healing mechanisms in MS, why are they unable to overcome the injury of MS and can we in some way harness and boost this activity of these healing mechanisms to overcome the MS disease.”
Ousman’s research could one day lead to new treatment options for multiple sclerosis.
Only nine thousand dollars to transplant this fig tree from Florida and into the middle of this living room! The house is one of 5 venues on the Artist Home + Studio - it’s well worth the ticket price to see this architectural achievement. Definitely not your everyday 2 bedroom home. Get tix by calling 403-262-1737.
Osteria de Medici is a hot spot for many celebs when they come to town. President Bush is the most recent - but check out the Pescatore Chef Rocco Terrigno cooked up Thursday on BT. Christopher Reeve was a regular at Osteria back in the 80s when he was filming Superman II in Calgary. This dish is one of Superman’s favs!
Millions of Canadians have been bitten by the shutter bug! Digital photography has taken off and companies just can’t make accessories fast enough. I got my hands on a few unique accessories to attach to your cam!
Gorilla Pod Go-Go - $25
Gorilla Pod Go-Go
Tripods can be key to get that perfect shot. Only problem is it’s not convenient to take one with you every where you go. That’s where Gorilla pod comes in handy.
This pocket sized tripod can be twisted many different ways. Its 3 legs are bendable and can be wrapped around tree branches, bike stands, poles, rails, you name it. This tripod is perfect for situations where you want to use a timer. Set it up, run in front of the camera and wait for the picture to be snapped! It’s lightweight, durable and comes in many different sizes for different cameras. The Go-Go model also has adaptable heads so you can use it with a GPS unit, MP3 player and other gadgets.
For purchase info click here
MonsterPod is a"gravity defying tripod"
MonsterPod – $30
They call it the “gravity defying tripod.” Think of MonsterPod as a giant suction cup with goo on the underside. The idea is simple, attach your camera to it, stick MonsterPod to a surface and you have a tripod! The manufacturer claims MonsterPod can stick to 1000 different surfaces.
We tried MonsterPod on concrete, metal, wood and trees. It does work. In fact sometimes it works a little too well. If you pull it off too fast you will leave some gunk behind. The sticky underside also collects plenty of dirt, and grit. While it is washable most of the grit just works its way into the goo. Makes me wonder how long it will keep its gripping ability.
The other thing you have to watch for is the weight of your camera. You can only use cameras that weigh 20 oz or less! Don’t expect to use professional gear with this tripod.
Overall MonsterPod is fun to use, but keep in mind its limitations to avoid breaking your camera or damaging surfaces you use it on.
For purchase info visit PhotoJoJo
Take pictures at 90 degree angles
Super Secret Spy Lens – $50
Oh so sneaky! If you’ve ever wanted to feel like a spy, this gadget is for you! Attach the Super Secret Spy Lens to any high end camera (must use 52mm lens) and you’re set to take some candid shots!
The lens has a hole in the side. By using a mirror, it allows you to take pictures at 90 degree angles. Super sneaky indeed! Of course I don’t condone taking any pictures with this device that would be considered “distasteful.”
For purchase info visit [PhotoJoJo]
This is what happens during our downtime between hits on BT. We make gifts for our co-workers.
Cameraman Rob put down his camera and picked up a new craft this morning at Firehall Glassworks. Under careful supervision from glass artist Brian Kelk, Rob fired up the biggest paperweight ever for Andrew Schultz. Aisling was a bit jealous, but she doesn’t know what’s all wrapped up for her wedding gift!
This is a great idea. It’s a partnership between the Calgary Stroke Program and Home Care and it could really help with the bed shortage in the city. You get patients home sooner because rehab comes to them, in their home. Patients are not waiting in a hospital bed for the therapists to see them there. They can go home. It’s a win win don’t ya think?
Here’s the story.
Josef Juschka is recovering from a series of ministrokes. Today, he’s getting some rehabilitation at home – thanks to speech language pathologist Bon-Hi Moon and social worker Kristin Morgan.
Josef says this team approach means he’s improving everyday.
Moon for example, helps Josef to find his words.
She explains, “I’m in there doing a lot of drill work in terms of motor movement with his speech movements and trying to get him to say the right words that he wants to say in the correct way.”
Morgan helps Josef and his family find the resources he needs.
“So with Josef we’ve referred him to the CNIB – the Canadian National Institute for the Blind – so he can get the necessary instruments – magnifying glasses – that’ll help him see better and be more independent.”
It’s a pilot project designed to help stroke survivors as soon as they get home. It may even help them get out of the hospital quicker. That’s because all the rehab they need …occupational, physical and recreational therapy, speech and language therapy, even a social worker and a therapist assistant will all come to the survivor’s residence.
The pilot project began in January and will run to the end of the year. But, organizers hope to extend it, so the team can continue to help patients like Josef do simple things, like go to a restaurant.
Moon says “we’ve done outings to his favourite restaurant …trying to educate him to try and sit where it would be most ideal for him to communicate without having the noise bother him.”
She says it’s something she wouldn’t have discovered had she been treating Josef in the hospital. Morgan agrees. She explains, “someone is way more comfortable in their home and you’re giving them the skills to adapt to their environment.”
And Josef says, “it helps me very much.”
