Chamber News

Buddy Dollarhite Admitted to Hospital for Bone Marrow Transplant

Buddy Dollarhite was admitted to MCV/VCU Hospital on Tuesday, June 7, 2011 to begin procedures for his Bone Marrow Transplant

Buddy Dollarhite was admitted to MCV/VCU Hospital on Tuesday, June 7, 2011 to begin procedures for his Bone Marrow Transplant which is scheduled for Wednesday, June 15, 2011. If you would like to send him a card, his address is listed below... Fundraisers are on-going to help off-set Buddy's medical costs... Video Get Well Wishes-$10 each I will be at Lowe's Foods on Saturday, June 11 from 9:00 am til 11:00 am-Simply do your own personal greeting for Buddy to be sent to him on video/computer... Orange Honor Lights-$5 each In efforts to show our support for our chief, Buddy Dollarhite, the Stuart Fire Department will be displaying orange lights on the outside of our firehouse, in awareness of Leukemia. We will have a poster with the name of each contributor on display in our firehouse and at our other fundraising events. We will also send Buddy a list periodically of who is letting our lights shine for him. Our lights will remain lit until Buddy comes home. A carwash by Lowes Employees-COMING SOON! Later this summer, a gospel singing with concessions will be held in the Patrick County High School Auditorium. The address where Buddy will be staying for the next several weeks. Buddy Dollarhite C/O MCV/VCU Hospital Bone Marrow Transplant Program 1300 E. Marshall St. North Hospital, 10th Floor, Room 15 P.O. Box 980157 Richmond, VA 23298-0157 Please remember that Buddy is allowed to receive cards, balloons, stuffed animals, silk flowers, books, magazines, puzzles, CDs or tapes, DVDs, etc. Fresh fruit, real flowers (including dried), or any flower arrangements containing moss are not allowed on the unit as they are a source for infection. Please do NOT to send such items. For all bone marrow transplant patients, we were asked to pass the following guidelines along. Please, if for some reason someone cannot adhere to these guidelines then please abstain from visiting. The guidelines are really simple and make use of common sense in this particular situation. BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT PROGRAM GUIDELINES FOR VISITORS and PATIENT SAFETY... No fresh flowers or live plants. This includes dried or artificial flower arrangements that use real moss in the base. Please send cards, gifts, balloons, or a few silk flowers in a vase instead. If outside food is brought in for a patient, it must be unopened and canned, boxed, bagged, or frozen. Fresh fruit and vegetables are not permitted. Food prepared at home or in a restaurant is not permitted. No caffeinated drinks or chocolate allowed. All food is labeled with the patient’s name and kept in the unit galley. Space is limited, so please do not bring in too much food at one time. Prepared food or opened food is only good for 48 hours. Partially eaten food cannot be returned to the galley or saved for later. Patients and family members are not allowed in the galley. Please ask a staff member for assistance. Please wash your hands at the sink outside the patient’s room or in the hallway each time you enter the room. Lather your hands with soap and rub them together for fifteen seconds. Rinse and dry them thoroughly with the paper towels provided. You may choose to use the foam cleaner instead. You must also wash your hands after you touch your face, mouth, or anything that is on the floor while you are in the patient’s room. Only the patient will use the bathroom, bed, phone and other personal items. Visitors may use the bathroom by the elevators. They should not sit on your bed. Visitors may not eat in the patient’s room. Visitors may have a drink in the patient’s room if the drink is covered with a lid. Only three visitors are allowed in the room at a time. Visitors who leave the patient’s room must remember to wash hands before going back into the patient’s room. Visitors should avoid kissing patients. It is okay to hold their hand and sit close by. Hugging is always welcome. Only a family member or designated caregiver of a pediatric patient is allowed to spend the night. In rare instances, exceptions might be made with the approval of the physician. It is important that everyone get their rest. Smoking is not allowed in the hospital building. Due to construction and frequent changes in policies, outside smoking areas may change. Please ask at the information desk in the Gateway Building for the latest locations. Please be aware that patients with reduced immunity will be walking in the halls. Therefore we ask that family not congregate in the halls for the protection of all our patients. Bone Marrow Transplant staff reserve the right, at any time, to request that visitors leave or to inspect bags and belongings brought on the BMT unit. This policy is based on our commitment to maintain and protect the safety of all BMT patients and to avoid any unintentional injury to our patients. Guidelines for Visiting Children Only children in the patient’s immediate family are allowed to visit. Siblings may visit with permission of the transplant team. All children must be free from infection for 48 hours before visiting. Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult (other than the patient) at all times. Patients can not be responsible for the care of their children while they are visiting in the hospital. Recently immunized children must be cleared to visit by the transplant staff. Vaccines: Oral polio- must wait one month. Chicken pox- must wait three weeks. When entering the unit, the child must wash their hands and then proceed directly to the patient’s room. Thanks for all the prayers and keep them coming for Buddy! Please feel free to e-mail me if you want to help in some way and are not sure what you can do! Pamela Nowlin, Secretary Stuart Fire Department 276.229.8685