Page 12 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • September 8, 2010 Have a healthy start to the new school year (ARA) From buying new supplies to soothing firstday jitters, parents have a lot to do to get their kids ready for the new school year. And if a child has a chronic disease, the start of school may feel especially stressful. Eric, a nurse and father of two sons with hemophilia ����������������������������� a disease in which a person’s blood does not clot properly ������������ - says his family’s back-to-school experience is not all that different from everyone else’s. But to make sure the �������������������� transition goes as smoothly as possible, he recommends taking these extra steps: Make sure the school can reach you at all times. It’s not enough for the school to have just one or two phone ������������������ numbers; make sure the office staff has home, work, mobile, and e-mail contact information for both parents and emergency backups. Talk to your employer about your situation. For Eric, his sons’ illnesses mean he occasionally has to visit their school and inject them with a dose of medication. If your employer understands your child’s illness, he or she may be more flexible if you need to leave work suddenly or adjust your regular hours once school begins. Get to know the school nurse and office staff. It’s important for school staff to know how to react if a complication arises with your child. Eric’s sons’ school doesn’t have a nurse, so he makes sure the office staff knows exactly what to do if one of his children has a health-related complaint. Educate your child’s teachers. It’s critical for teachers to know when to send a child to the nurse, when to call the parents, and how to diffuse potential teasing from other students. Eric often taps into his local hemophilia awareness group for reading materials and DVDs that he can share with his sons’ teachers. Encourage the school to treat your child like any other student. Above all, Eric wants his sons to be treated like any other 7- and 10-year-old boys. While safety always comes first, his goal is for them to be active, independent and spirited - and that’s not possible if they’re sitting on the sidelines or receiving special treatment from teachers or staff. Ask for accommodations, but only when necessary. It’s important to have a thorough understanding of school policies and feel empowered to ask for an exception if it’s necessary to your child’s health. For example, if your child can’t carry a heavy backpack, it may be easier for him to use a rolling suitcase, which some schools prohibit. Talk to school administrators if a situation like this arises. Recognize that every child is different. Even among children with the same condition, there are several vari- �������������� ables - how the child feels about his or her disease, how frequent and severe his symptoms are, and even whether he or she wants other kids to know about the illness. Make sure the school understands and respects your child’s individual situation. Educate and empower your child about his or her disease. It’s important for a child to know his or her body and illness so he or she can act responsibly in any situation. Eric’s sons attend local camps and seminars to better understand their hemophilia and this knowledge helps keep them safe and confident during the school day. Don’t let the disease take control. Eric’s family’s philosophy is that hemophilia is just a challenge they have to manage. It doesn’t define their family or dictate their decisions. He wants other families to know that even if they’re dealing with an illness of any kind, it shouldn’t stop them from having an education, careers, or relationships, just like anyone else. Remember: Every school has different policies related to child health, particularly when it comes to administering medicine. Be sure to talk to your child’s school staff about any other steps you may need to take to keep him or her safe. To learn more about hemophilia, visit www.hemophiliavillage.com. On Sept. 13, a resale store known as “ditto” will open its doors at 965 Belmont Avenue in North Haledon. Far from being just any retail operation, ditto operates as a benefit for the Eastern Christian School. The store outgrew its previous location in Hawthorne, and the board of the Foundation for Eastern Christian School was ready to relocate to a larger, more accessible location where the inventory on sale could be expanded to include furniture, appliances, sporting goods, books, and household items in addition to gently used, clean cloth- Resale store to benefit Eastern Christian School ing. After months of planning and searching, the board found the new 11,000 square foot location. The property was completely renovated over the summer by Visbeen Construction Co. and converted into a state-of-the-art retail store. To manage the day to day operations of ditto, the board hired Eric Hawn, a former EC parent and Wyckoff resident who is active in several local ministries. Hawn’s strong background in retail operations will be a significant benefit for this operation. The remainder of the staff will all be volunteers. According to Garret Nieuwenhuis, executive director of the Foundation for Eastern Christian School, it is expected that some of the ditto volunteers will again be residents of the Holland Christian Home in North Haledon. “We always appreciated their faithful service for the benefit of Eastern Christian,” said Nieuwenhuis, “and we look forward to their continuing service at this new (continued on next page) Just as you are reading this ad, others are reading your ad. 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