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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 19, 2015)
4 letters to the editor/community bulletin board february19 2015 Readers To the Editor, The 4H program benefits many of the youth in our county. These 4H members prepare all year to enter their projects at the Columbia County Fair in July. After the fair a ribbon premium is paid out to these kids, not just as a reward, but to support them in future projects. This premium money is not funded through the 4H program or 4H tax dollars. The Premium Group’s main fundraiser is the Barn Bucket concession stand which operates during the Columbia County Fair. New volunteers are needed to prepare for and participate in this major fundraiser. Without new volunteers there will no longer be a group or funding to provide premiums for our 4H youth. If you are interested in learning how you can help, contact Lynn Green, 503-728-4723. Lynn Green Clatskanie To the Editor, Your action is urgently needed to protect your right to make informed vaccination decisions for your children in Oregon. I would like to encourage you to write Oregon State Legislature representatives regarding Oregon’s Bill SB 442, on vaccine exemptions. What ever your stance on vaccines it is important that Americans keep their rights to make an informed choice in what they put into their bodies. On February 18 th , in Salem, Oregon there is a hearing scheduled to share your Vernonia Weather January 2015 DATE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Ave/Tot HIGH 44 37 40 49 52 51 51 53 48 44 47 49 51 50 44 52 55 51 49 49 49 50 48 56 61 57 50 54 58 58 53 50.3 LOW 18 23 33 40 42 30 30 30 37 41 41 34 26 25 26 32 36 38 35 29 27 36 42 46 34 32 42 40 32 31 30 33.5 PRECIP 0 .03 .12 .55 .01 0 0 0 T .01 T 0 0 0 .79 .03 1.91 .10 .01 0 T T .12 T T T .07 T 0 T 0 3.75 Weather data is collected at the U.S. Weather station at the Vernonia Water Plant opinion on this very important matter. Please write to your local representatives and share your opinion. Here is my story: My name is Karen Kain; my daughter Lorrin was vaccine injured on April 27 th , 1994. Lorrin was born on March 15, 1994, on April 27 th I took Lorrin in for her well baby check up. Lorrin received a DPT vaccine, she then fell into a deep sleep; two hours later she woke having a seizure. I took her back to the pediatrician’s office. During the examination, she did it again in front of the doctor, also lasting for five minutes. This day, my life changed forever. Fourteen days later Lorrin had her third seizure and by May 9 th she had had nine five minute seizures in one day, which left her body lifeless. Lorrin was getting worse every day. At four months of age she was taking 3 different anti- seizure medications. In this time we learned that Lorrin received what is called a “Hot Lot.” That means that 30 kids had seizures or worse reported with the same lot that Lorrin received, there were also 10 surrounding deaths. It is important to mention here that the drug companies back then and still do today, scatter the lots, when mailing them to the doctors’ offices. Lorrin’s lot was scattered all over the United States so that the same doctor would not see all the vaccine reactions. This is legal and approved by our government. This was a time before the Internet. I was isolated and alone. My only hope was that the National Vaccine Compensation Program, (NVCP) would step in and help us. The fact that they agreed the cause of injury was vaccine related, was great; It’s Lulu Lamping’s 80th Birthday! March 7th 1-5 pm Cabin in Vernonia the next step was to decide how much money should be given to Lorrin to help her for the rest of her life. I was very afraid for her. The first time I met the team from the NVCP was at Cedars Sinai ICU. Lorrin was in the hospital as usual for uncontrolled seizures. Everything was taking too long, every day she was alive she was another day behind. Lorrin was making no childhood gains, anything she did was lost immediately with her constant seizures and drug changes. I remember the day as if it were yesterday. I was standing with my attorney, Mr. Dodd. It was then, that the NVCP legal/medical team walked in. The NVCP, sent an attorney and a nurse who greeted me and went straight to Lorrin’s bedside crib. They proceeded to examine her and took her diaper off. I asked Mr. Dodd what they were doing? He replied, that they were looking for bed soars. He told me quite frankly, “These people are not your friends; they are trying to prove that you are a bad parent.” I was stunned. This meeting was my only hope for my family’s future, Lorrin’s future. The only place in America that Americans are not entitled to due process is in vaccine court. You cannot sue the drug company or the doctor and you do not receive judgment from your peers. Vaccine court is hidden so that no one can see what vaccine injured families go through. Even though it was agreed that Lorrin was vaccine injured, it took three long years to settle with the NVCP regarding how much money my daughter’s life was worth. Separated from Lorrin’s father, I was living with my mother. We separated due to the unbelievably stressful situation. He was a Get all your Garden Essentials at the 2nd Annual Vernonia Community Garden Fair & Plant Sale May 9th 9am-3pm at the Vernonia School Commons 1,000 Tomato Plants, vegie & flower starts plus many gifts for Mother’s Day Interested in being a vendor? Potluck No gifts, please Contact Penny Costley 503-429-0196 Need Help? Call for meeting times and locations Columbia Community Mental Health Call 503-397-5211 -or- 1-800-294-5211 For after hours Crisis call: 1-866-866-1426 http://www.ccmh1.com/crisis.html Narcotics Anonymous NW Region 503-345-9839 http://portlandna.com/ Alcohol Anonymous NW Region 503-366-0667 http://www.pdxaa.com/ Upcoming Events Columbia County Chapter of Oregon Hunter’s Assoc. Fundraiser - Saturday, February 28 at the Columbia County Fairgrounds, 588892 Saulser Rd, St. Helens. Doors open 5:00 PM, Dinner served 6:30 PM. 503-396- 5265 Friends of the Library Spring Book Sale - Friday, March 13 thru Saturday, March 15. (503) 429- 1818. E-mail: library@vernonia-or. gov broken man, our finances were ruined, and our daughter’s life was at constant risk from the severe brain damage. We grieved and coped differently. He was drinking himself to death. He finally died December 2003. My little girl, Lorrin Danielle Kain, died in my arms at home December 22, 2009. The NVCP, counts on the fact that the families are devastated and takes advantage in every possible way. I am strong now and as I look back I cannot believe how unjustly I was treated. If my daughter was the one in two hundred fifty thousand injured by a vaccine, taking a hit for the team, she should be treated as a hero. My family and I should have been treated as heroes and held up high and taken care of. Who knows if her father would be alive today, if the NVCP had had any decency at all and stepped in and supported us through this terrible time? The Vaccine Compensation Program should be ashamed. And now our government wants to make vaccines mandatory. They do not have our children’s health in mind; this is not a battle of what is best for our children it is a battle about money. For more information on this article please go to: KarenKain. com Karen Kain Halfway, OR HOW TO SEND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Vernonia’s Voice welcomes and requests your thoughts, opinions and ideas. Please include your name, address and phone number, limit your letters to 300 words or less. Vernonia’s Voice reserves the right to edit, omit, respond or ask for a response to letters submitted. We will print letters space permitting. Deadline is the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month. Email: scott@ vernoniasvoice.com or mail to: Letters, PO Box 55, Vernonia, OR 97064. Safe Kids Columbia County Car Seat Clinic Saturday, March 14th 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Vernonia Fire Station 555 E. Bridge Street For more info call: 503-556-3736