March 1, 2014
The Arlington Times / The Marysville Globe
CORRECTION
SPENCER FROM PAGE 1
In the Feb. 15 story titled “Work continues on museum,” one of the business supporters of the museum was misidentified as Union Lumber when it was actually E and E Lumber.
he’d simply come down with a common cold, and after following a few recommended home remedies, they took him to the family doctor who told the family that Spencer’s condition was normal and probably just a viral infection. On the Sunday of the Seahawks’ play-off game, a family friend who was celebrating with the Nortons noticed that Spencer’s face had an ash-blue color.
Seattle Optometrist Helps LEGALLY BLIND to See!
Just because you have macular degeneration (or other vision-limiting conditions) doesn’t always mean you must give up driving or reading. A Seattle optometrist, Dr. Ross Cusic, is using miniaturized binoculars or telescopes to help people who have lost vision from macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy or other eye conditions. “Our job is to figure out everything and anything possible to keep a person functioning,” says Dr. Cusic. “Whether it’s driving, reading, TV, seeing faces, check writing, bingo or bridge. We work with whatever is on the person’s ‘wish list.’”
Patient Driving with Bioptic Telescopic Glasses With interest-free payment options this technology is now more affordable than ever. “Definitely worth the $2150 cost. I should have come sooner,” said Dr. Cusic’s patient. For more information and a FREE telephone consultation,
Call Today: 877-823-2020 Offices In: Bellingham, Kirkland and Olympia
Although this quickly dissipated, the next morning, Amy picked Spencer up from his bed and noticed that he had a purple ring lining his lips, and that his nail beds were purple in color. “I started making calls to local clinics, describing his symptoms, and when I spoke with Seattle Children’s they told me to call 911,” Amy Norton said. “Spencer was only getting something like 70 percent of his oxygen.” Spencer’s surgery was delayed by him actually contracting a common cold, which dropped his oxygen
Savings SUPERIOR FARMS
FREE!
2 piece Lamb Ear Petite Chew with the Purchase a 10oz. Bag of Lamb Lung Treats
VANDERYACHT PROPANE INC.
levels down to as low as 10 percent to 30 percent. “They had to put him in an artificial lung machine,” said Amy Norton, who camped out with Scott and their daughter Olivia in the Ronald McDonald House in Seattle to be close to Spencer, who spent 20 days in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit of Seattle Children’s Hospital. “Olivia held his baby brother for the first time just a few days ago, and said, ‘We’re an adventure team.’” Even after his surgery, Spencer remains at the hospital, and is facing many more gauntlets of medical care to come. “We have to wean him off morphine and other drugs, at the same time that he has to keep taking medicine because he had too much blood-flow into his lungs, which was making them tight,” Amy Norton said. “He could have lifelong pulmonary hypertension. He has a Gore-Tex patch on the hole in his heart, and his arteries have been rerouted, but doing that can cause kinks, which might eventually stop his oxygen flow altogether and lead to a heart attack.” According to Amy, Spencer’s surgeons rated the difficulty of his operation as an 8 out of 10. In spite of spending most of his third and fourth months
of life hooked up to lifesaving machines, and receiving doses of various medications, he’s remained an upbeat infant. “Spencer has shown us how strong he is,” Amy Norton said. “He is the happiest little baby I’ve ever known. He still smiles in circumstances when most adults wouldn’t even want to open their eyes.” While Amy considers Spencer himself to be the greatest gift that she and Scott could have received, she did not discount the many generous gifts that her family has received from the surrounding community. “We have been so humbled by all of the people we don’t even know, who have given us food and donated money,” said Amy, who works as a teacher at the Marysville School District, while Scott works for King County Metro. “It’s been a phenomenal experience. We don’t even have a clue what all of this will cost yet. We’re not even in a place where we can do that math. We’re just trying to get Spencer home.” You can help cover the Nortons’ out-of-pocket expenses by donating at w w w. g i v e f o r w a r d . c o m under “Spencer Norton’s Fundraiser.”
BOARDS FROM PAGE 1
Houser and Berg reassured those in attendance that the school staff who guided the students through such significant growth in recent years would not be the subject of turnovers. “This allows us to build on our successes,” Berg said of the RAD designation. Anthony Craig and Kristin DeWitte, co-principals of Quil Ceda/Tulalip Elementary, identified the merged school’s three focus points as academics, behavior and cultural heritage. “A lot of schools that were recipients of those improvement grants came up with strategies to bump up their scores in the short term, and we could have done the same,” Craig said. “The problem would have been that we wouldn’t have had any real reforms after the money went away in three years.” “What role can the parents play in all of this?” Sheldon asked. “We’re looking at a lot more family engagement,” Craig said. “A lot of our parent/teacher conferences have 100 percent attendance now. That’s what it means to own a school. We want our students to be able to tell their parents about their own positive experiences at school, and about how someone believes in them.”
Family Owned and Operated for Over 20 Years
SERVING ALL OF SNOHOMISH COUNTY ▼ LOCATIONS LYNDEN
360-398-1234 BURLINGTON
360-707-5550 FRIDAY HARBOR
360-376-5591 ORCAS ISLAND
360-376-5591
888-557-6778
LOW Cost Propane FREE Tank Switchout FREE Gas Check Underground Tanks Available 24/7 Service
www.vanderyachtpropane.com
SALE $1299 Sale Price Good Feb. 28 to April 17, 2014
Family Owned & Operated Since 1978 1340 State Ave. • Marysville
360.658.7817
968892
CALL TODAY FOR A QUOTE!
jonesandcompanypets.com
by reporting that Quil Ceda/ Tulalip Elementary has been designated as a Required Action District by the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. “As hard as those students have worked, because of where they began, they’re still not at standard,” said Houser, who pointed out the silver lining of continued resources for the school, whose school improvement grants are set to wrap up. “We’re moving from federal to state money.”
995620
To Be Included In This Directory Please Call Nancy 360-659-1300
953272
953276
953275
CHILD CARE and SCHOOL DIRECTORY
953277
2