Union family raises funds to pay for cutting
edge treatment for son with cerebral palsy
A special Bingo Night will be held
in Portland Friday, Dec. 13, to help a
union family raise money needed to pay
for cutting edge stem cell injection ther-
apy for their young son with cerebral
palsy.
Oscar Triplett was born to Sylvia
and Gabriel Triplett on Oct. 11, 2012.
A difficult 16 hours of labor caused a
lack of oxygen to Oscar’s brain. As a re-
sult, he suffered global brain damage
and has been diagnosed with cerebral
palsy.
The family spent the first month of
his life in the neonatal intensive care
unit (NICU) at Emanuel Hospital in
Portland.
The Triplett’s come from a strong
union family. Gabe is a member of Car-
penters Local 156. Silvia is a member
of the Industrial Workers of the World,
Gabe’s father, Steve Triplett, is a mem-
ber of United Food and Commercial
Workers Local 555, and his step-father,
Kenny Brown, is with Operating Engi-
neers Local 701.
Oscar has come a long way from his
days in the NICU. He has been at home
for over a year. He can breathe on his
own, eat on his own, and is currently be-
ing weaned off his seizure medication.
But Oscar still has a long road ahead
of him.
Luckily, neuroscientists are begin-
ning to understand more about neuro-
plasticity and the possibility for cell
growth in the brain. A cutting edge
treatment for kids like Oscar provides
hope. It is called umbilical cord stem
cell infusion. It is done all over the
world, but is still in the FDA trial period
in the United States. For that reason, the
treatment isn’t covered by the family’s
health insurance plan.
73RD ANNUAL
MARION-POLK-YAMHILL CENTRAL LABOR COUNCIL’S
FREE
HOLIDAY PARTY
FOR CHILDREN
ELSINORE THEATER
170 HIGH STREET, SE, SALEM
Saturday, December 7
Doors Open at 9:45 am
program begins at 10:00 am
And the treatment isn’t cheap.
The Tripletts need to raise $20,000
in order to take Oscar to Panama to re-
ceive the stem cells, then to California
to do a week of post treatment intensive
therapy. They’ve raised over $10,000
through family, friends, co-workers and
a donation of almost $3,500 from the
delegates of the Pacific Northwest Re-
gional Council of Carpenters. But they
still have a ways to go.
On Dec, 13, from 7 to 10 p.m., the
Triplett family and St. Charles Parish
will hold a special Bingo Night to raise
funds for the treatment. There will be
food, beer, popcorn, cotton candy, soda
and “Oscar T-shirts” for sale. There
also will be a wine pull and a kids’ cor-
ner. Bingo cards will be $1, and every
game will be a 50/50 split between Os-
car and the winner.
St. Charles Parish is located at 5310
NE 42nd Ave., Portland.
More can be learned about Oscar’s
story, stem cell therapy, and other ways
to donate online at www.oscarrising.
wordpress.com.
The Triplett family — Silvia, Gabe and Oscar.
Holiday toy drive ends Dec. 10
Labor’s Community Service Agency
and the Northwest Oregon Labor Coun-
cil are accepting donations for the 16th
annual “Presents from Partners” holi-
day toy drive. New, unwrapped toys for
children of all ages can be dropped off
at the following sites in the Portland
Metro area through Tuesday, Dec. 10:
Labor’s Community Service Agency
and IBEW United Federal Credit Union
offices, both located at 9955 SE Wash-
ington in Portland; The Northwest Ore-
gon Labor Council office, 3645 SE
32nd Avenue, Portland; Jobs With Jus-
tice office, 1500 NE Irving, Portland;
and local Sunrise and Green Apple
Dental locations in Oregon and South-
west Washington.
The credit union also hosts a room
where children can pick out gifts for
their parents. Gifts for that room also are
needed.
Toys will be distributed at a holiday
party for working families affected by
unemployment and financial hardship.
Remaining toys are donated to Compas-
sion in Action Toy & Joy for military
families in need.
The toy distribution party is a collab-
orative effort of local unions and com-
munity partners. This year’s event is also
sponsored by BULL Session Charities.
“The Presents from Partners program
is just one of the many ways labor sup-
ports working families,” said Vickie
Burns, executive director of Labor’s
Community Service Agency, Inc. “We
are excited and honored to join hands
with our event sponsors to share joy
with families in our community who
would otherwise do without this holiday
season.”
Low Prices!
Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat 9:30-5:30, Sun 12-6
MOVIE: EPIC
MEET WITH SANTA
SING HOLIDAY SONGS WITH
NORMAN SYLVESTER & FRIENDS
and
RECEIVE A BAG OF HOLIDAY TREATS
The Holiday Program is provided FREE for the children of Marion, Polk and Yamhill
counties by the labor unions representing public employees, school employees, bak-
ers, retail clerks, musicians, meat cutters, electricians, painters, bus drivers, laborers,
steelworkers, teachers, firefighters, office workers, childcare providers and commu-
nications workers.
S PONSORED BY THE M ARION -P OLK -Y AMHILL C ENTRAL L ABOR C OUNCIL
P. O. B OX 13940, S ALEM , O REGON
P ROUDLY S ERVING
P ORTLAND W ORKERS
F OR O VER 32 Y EARS
DECEMBER 6, 2013
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
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