ONE AMAZING KID

Twelve-year-old BRYSON ADDISON is rarely seen without a smile on his face. Bryson has been living with severe asthma, neutropenia, and polyarthritis, but despite his obstacles, he remains optimistic and radiates joy. Through his struggles, he puts his faith in God to help him overcome the hard times. “If there is anything I am dealing with, I just let God deal with it and put it to the side and keep smiling,” he says. Bryson volunteers his time with Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital and LSU’s Dance Marathon in order to help other children who are experiencing similar struggles. He was even recently named the Children’s Miracle Network Champion. Children’s Miracle Network Champions “serve as the face for children treated at their local children’s hospital. These ambassadors spend the year advocating for the charitable needs of children’s hospitals.” When he’s not lending a helping hand to those in need, Bryson enjoys spending time with friends, playing basketball, playing the snare drum in band at school, playing video games (his favorite is Fortnite), and staying involved at church. When he gets older, he hopes to become a computer programmer, where he can continue coding. At Southern Lab, he is the seventh grade class representative and the president of the Junior BETA club. He also maintains a 4.0 GPA. Bryson is thriving. He’s kind, a great friend, well-mannered, and one amazing kid. ■

Five St. Luke’s Episcopal School students were entered into the 2022 Debose Fine Arts Competition, and all five students were named winners. “Wow, just wow. I am beyond proud of these students,” says Ms. Whitley. The winning students include first place for Barbara Claire G., sixth grade, in still life in watercolor pencil; first place for Beau D., third grade, in India ink and watercolor; second place for Brayden M., fifth grade for oil pastel landscape; third place for Mimi C., sixth grade, in Sumi-e ink wash; and third place for Amelia C., second grade in still life in mixed media. The Debose Fine Arts Festival is an exhibition and performance event which includes a fine art and music competition once a year in the Baton Rouge area.

Episcopal School of Baton Rouge recently congratulated this year’s winners of the Middle School Battle of the Books competition. The winning group was the Flying Caterpillars team. For the competition, the Battle of the Books teams were quizzed on their knowledge of 10 different books. The five rounds of competition included a multiple-choice, short answer, and puzzle round. The winning team now advances to the regional competition against Central Middle School, Denham Springs Junior High School, and Central Private School. The goal of the Battle of the Books contest is to encourage students to read. The students on the winning team include Daniel Lindsey, Patrick Kelly, Nate McLean, Ainsley Ebey, Mason Kelly, Autumn Baldridge, Alex Hayden, Ada Mere, and Kate Lyons. Having a safe space to be open and vulnerable is essential to the overall well-being of students, and this space was recently created by students at Tara High School. Tara High senior James Robinson created a student-led organization called “B heard” which encourages students to come together during their free periods at school and speak on issues that affect them inside and outside the classroom. Through the group, students can discuss their issues and find ways to cope with their emotions, or find ways to solve the problems they may be facing. The organization was even recognized on Good Morning America for their commitment to bringing awareness to mental health at the school. The group is open to all grade levels at Tara.

Following Hurricane Ida in the fall of 2021, Ascension Public Schools held district-wide dress-down days to raise funds for Lafourche Public Schools that sustained severe damage to multiple campuses and facilities. When EATEL heard about the fundraising efforts, they donated $2,500, bringing the total to $24,406 for Lafourche. According to Houma Today, Lafourche was one of four school districts hit hardest by hurricane Ida with an estimated recovery cost of at least $97 million which will take years to complete because of ongoing material and labor shortages around the area. In addition to the funds raised, Ascension’s Child Nutrition Department delivered cafeteria tables to South Lafourche High School, and several schools held supply drives for individual schools.

The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) has launched The Protect Louisiana Schools: Hurricane Preparedness Commission (PLSHPC), Louisiana’s first statewide commission centered on solidifying our public school’s core infrastructures and creating operational best practices for school systems and leaders during hurricanes. The Protect Louisiana Schools Preparedness Commission will bring together experts from the private sector, academia, and government to formulate comprehensive recommendations that will modernize Louisiana’s education infrastructure and equip school systems with the necessary tools to protect their facilities both pre- and post-hurricane. ■ protectlaschools.org

Ascension students with a love for singing and music, and who are in grades 6th through 12th, are invited to audition for this year’s Ascension ICON Singing Competition. The auditions will be held on Friday, March 4 from 4-8 p.m. at DeFrances Academy of Dance Studio in Prairieville, with the final singing competition on Thursday, March 31 at Lamar Dixon. The annual singing competition is open to students in any Ascension school, public or private. Applications for auditions can be downloaded from the website and emailed to info@ascensionfund.com by March 1. Student IDs will be required at each phase of the competition. ■ ascensionicon.com

PODCAST

BY KIMBERLY BLAKER

Poisoning is the number one cause of injury-related deaths in the U.S., according to a 2019 report by the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC). More than 2 million cases of human poison exposure in the U.S. were reported in 2017 alone. While less severe poison exposures have decreased in recent years, more serious exposures have been on the rise, according to the AAPCC annual report. Since 2000, serious cases have grown by 4.44 percent per year, ranging from moderate severity to death.

This alarming trend reveals the importance of greater awareness of the full range of substances that pose a risk to children and adults alike. As would be expected, children under the age of six disproportionately account for 45 percent of all poisonings. Yet more serious cases of poisoning are often among teens and adults.

Be aware of these top toxins. Then, take precautions to protect your children, pets, and yourself from these substances that are commonly found in the home.

The following list of substances, cleaning products, and medications often result in the most poisonings each year in a family’s household, according to the AAPCC.

Painkillers and fever reducers are found in nearly every home, and most people use them from time to time. These include aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen, among others. As a result, they’re among the top causes of poisonings.

When administering analgesics to a child, pay close attention to the recommended dosage. Also, make sure everyone in the home knows the exact time your child took the last dose to avoid the risk of an overdose. The best method to prevent such errors is to keep a written log of the time and dose given. Also, keep containers without child safety caps locked up.

Of particular note, children shouldn’t take aspirin because it increases the risk for Reye Syndrome.

Analgesics can also be poisonous to pets, particularly smaller animals. So, don’t give your pet analgesics without talking to your veterinarian first. It’s important to protect fur babies, too!

Adults can also accidentally overdose on analgesics. The risk is particularly high when combining them with cough and cold medicines because these sometimes contain ibuprofen.

These toxins result in poisoning through ingestion, inhalation, or coming in contact with the skin or eyes. The National Safety Council recommends paying close attention to the labels of all household products and following all safety precautions to protect both yourself and family members from accidental exposure.

If pets or children are in your home, keep these products stored out of reach or locked up. Use particular caution with paint, markers, glue, cleaners, and furniture and floor polish.

A danger young children are particularly vulnerable to is laundry and dishwasher packets. Infants and toddlers are attracted to these colorful little packets because they resemble teething products, candy, and toys.

Most people think of these items as relatively harmless since we use them on our bodies daily. Unfortunately, children tend to use them for purposes for which they aren’t intended. Ingestion of cosmetics and personal care products can cause mild to severe reactions, including severe burns in the esophagus or mouth. Children also sometimes get these products in their eyes. This can cause severe pain or even damage.

These products can also be unsafe for adults. For example, the FDA has warned of high mercury levels found in some cosmetics manufactured overseas that are illegally sold in the U.S. So, check labels for “mercurous chloride,” “calomel,” “mercury,” “mercuric,” or “Mercurio.” The FDA recommends that you immediately discontinue your use of the product if one of these appears on the label.

Sedative and hypnotic poisonings are most often associated with suicide attempts, according to “SedativeHypnotic Toxicity” on Medscape. Still, ample accidental poisonings from these medications occur each year–poisonings from these result from accidental overdosing to adverse reactions that can occur even when taken as directed.

These drugs are particularly toxic to children and pets and can result in death. Store them someplace inaccessible to kids and pets.

Teens and adults are the most common victims of antidepressant poisonings. These drugs are also often the choice for suicide attempts. But antidepressants can also result in accidental poisoning. This occurs by accidentally or even knowingly taking a dose higher than prescribed. Certain classes of antidepressants, tricyclics, in particular, can be deadly if overdose occurs.

Antidepressant poisoning can also result from interaction when combined with certain medications. As with all drugs, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before combining these drugs.

Although antidepressants aren’t among the top 10 poisonings for children under 13, these drugs, like any other, can be toxic to children if not prescribed for them or if they take too high a dose.

The following are among the top 10 most frequent exposures to poisoning within various age groups. If children or pets are in your home, make sure these hazards have child protective caps and/or are locked up and kept out of reach. For adult safety, always read labels carefully and only use them as directed. -Antihistamines -Anticonvulsants -Hormones & hormone antagonists -Cardiovascular drugs -Cough & cold medications

The following are also among the top 10 poison exposures for various age groups. Take extra precautions. -Pesticides -Alcohols -Stimulants and street drugs -Vitamins and supplements -Foreign bodies–toys, etc. -Plants ■