Originally written by Smilin'
Sandi's 10 yr. old son
Copyright, 2000
Low Telescopic View of the HCV virus
High Telescopic View of the HCV Virus
Hi, I am Smilin' Sandi's 10 yr. old son (2000) and I’m here to talk to you about Hepatitis C. Hepatitis C is an infectious virus that is carried in the blood and affects the liver. There are seven types of hepatitis from A to G. The most common forms are A, B and C. Hepatitis A is caused by sewage-contaminated food or water. There is a vaccine to prevent contracting Hepatitis A.
Hepatitis B is spread by contact with all body fluids of a Hepatitis B carrier. Hepatitis B is not spread from coughing, hugging or sitting close to someone, or from using the same dishes. Hepatitis B is a worldwide problem. It’s shocking that more than fifty million people are infected with Hepatitis B every year causing two million deaths yearly. The first genetically engineered vaccine for humans, the hepatitis B vaccine, was developed by Chiron in 1986. Most people who get Hepatitis B will recover, but ten percent will remain infected and at risk of liver cancer. According to the WHO, 75% of the world's population live in areas where there are high levels of HBV infection. More than two billion people worldwide have evidence of past or current HBV infection, and 350 million are chronic carriers of the virus.
First officially identified in 1989, three percent of the world’s population are infected with Hepatitis C. Over 170 million carriers of Hepatitis C worldwide are at risk of developing liver cirrhosis (scarring) and liver cancer. Hepatitis C is the number one reason for liver transplants in North America.
Hepatitis C is a direct blood to blood disease. In Canada, it is estimated that up to three hundred thousand people or about one percent of the population has Hepatitis C. One thousand Canadians die each year from Hepatitis C. Some common risk factors for Hepatitis C include sharing dirty needles used for tattoos, body piercing, acupuncture, intravenous drugs; or sharing straws for snorting drugs; sharing razors, toothbrushes, nail clippers or manicure scissors; and blood transfusions received before 1992.
If you have Hepatitis C, you cannot donate blood. Hepatitis C CANNOT be spread by sneezing; coughing; hugging; kissing; shaking hands; swimming in a public pool; sitting on a toilet seat; eating food prepared by an infected person; and either sharing drinking glasses or eating utensils.
Some people clear the virus on their own. Eighty-five percent of the people carry the disease for life. Hepatitis C is known as the "Silent Epidemic" because it takes ten to thirty years for symptoms to show. The common symptoms are extreme tiredness, yellow skin and eyes, loss of appetite, stomach pains and muscle cramps. Hepatitis C attacks liver cells causing scarring of liver tissue. Some people may get liver cancer. A biopsy is a small needle injected into the liver removing a tiny amount of liver tissue that will show how badly the liver is damaged.
There is no cure, no vaccine and limited treatment for Hepatitis C. The treatment is with interferon, a protein discovered forty years ago. Interferon shots three times a week can stop the virus from multiplying. However, this treatment can cause serious side effects and only works for twenty-five percent of people. It is important for Hepatitis C sufferers to rest, eat well, stay positive and stop drinking alcohol. It is important to protect the liver from further damage. The liver is the most important organ that performs more than five thousand jobs. The liver helps digest food, removes bacteria and toxins, gives us energy and helps the blood to clot.
If you are at risk of Hepatitis C, get tested! If you have Hepatitis C, get vaccinated against Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B. To prevent getting Hepatitis C, never use drugs. If you want to get a tattoo or body piercing, make sure the artist uses gloves and clean single use needles. All tattoo parlours have been inspected in Durham Region.
April 23 - April 30, 2000 is donor awareness week. You can make a difference! Please sign a donor card because there are three thousand, five hundred and forty-four people waiting for organs in Canada.
More money is needed for research to cure Hepatitis C. Get educated about Hepatitis C, support people suffering this serious disease and donate to organizations promoting awareness of Hepatitis C.
Thank you.
Prevention, through education and awareness,
remains the best defence against Hep C transmission.
My son wrote this essay in Gr. 4 (2000) - he had to do a five minute speech and he chose Hepatitis C. Until that time, no one at his school in Whitby knew that I had HCV. The school staff were very supportive in helping me with Hepatitis C awareness. By the way, his teacher gave him a A- on his essay.
For a language enrichment class when my son was in Gr. 5, he designed a slide show on Hepatitis C in the form of a quiz, using Hyperstudio. Hepatitis C info was placed on the class bulletin board for the "Racing Against Drugs" program in May, 2001, which is a program geared to Gr. 5 students in the Durham Region.
May 1, 2002 I was asked by the Principal of my son's new school in Oshawa to do a presentation on HCV for the two Gr. 7 classes, coinciding with their Hepatitis B immunization shots scheduled for April 30th. In conjunction with the new Ontario Curriculum Healthy Living: Growth and Development program, I was involved in educating the two classes of Gr. 8 students about Hepatitis C as well.
Nov. 7, 2002
My son, in Gr. 7, age 12, received his first shot of the Hepatitis B
vaccine.
May, 2003 A presentation on Hepatitis C for the Gr. 7 classes.
June 11, 2003
My son received his second (last) shot of the HBV vaccine.
My Youngest Son's Academic Accomplishments
When we moved to Whitby in August, 1998, my son was chosen from among his Gr. 3 classmates, to appear in a Nelson Language Arts Book, "Hand in Hand", in the story "Stone Soup" which is used in the school curriculum.
Apr. 27, 1999 At age 8, my son
was presented the 3rd Place Junior Level Trophy by the Mayor of Whitby at the Spelling
Bee of Canada Semi-Finals, at Durham College for the Oshawa/Whitby area. He proceeded to the Ontario Championship Finals in Toronto on May 30, 1999 at Queen's Park where he finished 6th place.
From 1999 to 2000, he participated in the school chess club playing against all ages of competitors. He won 3rd place in 1999, and in 2000, he won 2nd place.
2002 Grade 6 School Champion of his new school in Oshawa, Ont.- The Canadian National Mathematics League, a math competition marked by the University of Windsor.
June 21, 2004 Graduated Gr. 8 on the Honour Roll ( >80% overall ).
Sept. 9, 2004 My son begins his community service hours as a volunteer for the
Durham Hepatitis C Support Group
Feb. 2005 Music Leadership Award
June, 2005 Graduated Gr. 9 Honours with 89%.
Musicianship and Bandsmanship Certificates.
June, 2006 Graduated Gr. 10 Honours with 93%. Gr. 10 Bandsmanship Award.
Gr. 10 Latin Award.
Gr. 11 Information Technology award.
Completed 40 hrs. volunteer community service.
Feb. 2007 My son and his Robotics class teammates were
given Certificates of Recognition at Oshawa City Council meeting for winning the
local university Sumobot competition Dec. 2006.
June, 2007 Graduated Gr. 11 Honours with 96%. Participated in the
Canadian Computing Competition, an internationally-recognized computer
programming competition held each year by the University of Waterloo.
He scored in the top 25% across Canada.
Top of Class
Awards:
Grade 11 Computer Engineering; Grade 11 Computer and
Information Science; Grade 11 Technological Design (Robotics); Grade 11
Music-Stage Band (Jazz band) and Grade 11 Functions (Math course).
Aug. 2007 Grade 12 Chemistry 92% final grade.
2005- 2007 Member of Durham Senior Honour Band
" The finest senior level musicians from secondary schools across Durham Region
".
Jan. 24, 2008 "Robotic Rumble" Robotics teams featured on Daily
Planet/Discovery Channel.
February 1, 2008 Gr. 12 Final Report Physics 97%, Advanced Functions 97%, Data Management 96%.
An extremely proud mom,
Smilin' Sandi, HCV Educator/Patient Advocate since 1997
For privacy and safety concerns on the Internet, I do not post my family members' names. My spouse and both sons have been tested and they do NOT carry the virus.
Education
National Library of Canada (Medicine and Health)
U Of T Health Services
Viral Hepatitis: What Every Teenager Needs to Know
A three-part illustrated slide set designed to teach high school students about
hepatitis A, B, and C.
Risk Factors
Tattooing and body piercing with improperly
sterilized equipment or contaminated inks can put you at risk for contracting
HIV, Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C.
Beauty and Body Art Safety
News Items
Hepatitis C Testing Recommended For Anyone With A Tattoo
(Oct. 19, 2007)
More Pages on Sandi's Site
"HCV- The Taboo Subject" by Sandi
Copyright 1998
Hepatitis
C Counselling Guidelines
Medical Research Page
Memorial
Page
Sandi's Proclamation Page for
Hepatitis C Awareness
Sandi's Story
Copyright 1997
Sandi's Tests/Results/Updates
Copyright 1997-2008
Transplant Page
This personal website is maintained by
Smilin' Sandi, HCV Volunteer Advocate,
providing Hepatitis C information and support worldwide since 1997.
Smilin' Sandi does not endorse and is not
responsible for the content of external websites.
Outside Links will open in a new window.
Email Listowner/Moderator Smilin' Sandi
for a personal invite to join
the Yahoo CANHepC list
for current Hep C info and private online support.
Original Page 2000
Last Updated March 29, 2008