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FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013
A second chance at life
Bellevue girl’s liver transplant brings dramatic turn for better BY KEEGAN PROSSER
Ideas pitched in online forum
BELLEVUE REPORTER
Today, life is pretty normal for 14-yearold Kaitlin Burns. She likes playing tennis. She's learning to ride a bike. She bickers with her little sister, Maddie. But just over a year ago, that wasn't the case. When Kaitlin was just two weeks old, she was diagnosed with propionic acidemia – a rare, inherited disorder that prevents her body from processing certain parts of proteins. The condition - which affects only 1 in 100,000 people – kept Kaitlin sick. "The problem with most kids that have this condition is that, at nine months, they have no desire to eat," said Kaitlin's mother, Michelle. As such, Kaitlin received sustenance through a feeding tube for most of her life. By the time she reached age 13, Kaitlin had the cognitive abilities of an infant, could barely speak and was bound to a wheelchair. "Because of the toxin levels in Kaitlin's body, she was always in a haze," Michelle said. "Like she was drunk." That all changed in January 2012, when
Kaitlin Burns is able to be an active participant in her class. COURTESY PHOTO Kaitlin underwent liver transplant surgery. The biggest problem about Kaitlin's condition is that there is no cure. And while many in the medical community believe the disease can be treated through diet and medication, for Kaitlin, that
wasn’t enough. When Michelle heard about another child with propionic acidemia who had received a liver transplant with great results, SEE KAITLIN, 6
Two Bellevue residents die in crash involving bus
Reporter Newspapers
Passengers on the bus called 911 at around 9:30 p.m. to report the bus had hit an SUV, according to Washington State Patrol trooper Julie Judson. Some of the bus riders were reported to have injuries. "One was transported [to the hospital] but the rest had minor injuries and were treated at the scene," Judson said. The bus finally came to a stop on the carpool on-ramp to southbound 405. The bus driver told authorities that his breaks failed or had mechanical failure. Judson said that he was being "very cooperative" with the investigation. Judson said the cause of the accident is still under investigation.
with undisclosed injuries. All three were wearing their seat belts.
Matt Phelps: 425-822-9166, ext. 5052; mphelps@kirklandreporter.co
BY MATT PHELPS REPORTER NEWSPAPERS
A car accident involving a Sound Transit bus and an SUV left two Bellevue residents dead Monday night at an Interstate 405 Kirkland exit. Robert H. Rotta, 76, died at the scene when a Sound Transit bus, exiting northbound 405 in the carpool lane, slammed into the 2010 Ford Escape, in which he was a passenger. The accident occurred on the Northeast 128th Street overpass, according to the Washington State Patrol. Elizabeth E. Rotta, 75, who also was in the SUV, died from her injuries early Tuesday morning at an area hospital. A third passenger in the SUV, Kirkland resident Kendall L. Rotta, 51, was transported to Harborview Medical Center
This SUV was struck by a Sound Transit bus Monday night on the Northeast 128th Street overpass in Kirkland. Two Bellevue residents in the SUV were killed. MATT PHELPS,
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Time to invest in some more ‘third places?’ The city should consider encouraging more vibrant gathering places or “third places” such as the Crossroads Bellevue shopping center. That notion is the leading vote-getter so far in a “Bellevue’s Best Ideas” online forum. The forum, launched May 1, gives residents and others a chance to share and vote on suggestions for how they would like to see the city develop over the next 20 years. Other top vote-getters so far include a suggestion that the city hold quarterly televised discussions on important issues and that downtown streets be more bike- and pedestrian-friendly. In the early stages of an effort to update the Bellevue’s bedrock document – the comprehensive plan – the city wanted to take crowdsourcing to a new level. Participants are eligible to win prizes, including gift certificates for local retailers. Ideascale, used by the White House as well as businesses and state and local governments, presents posted ideas. Visitors to the site, bellevuesbestideas.ideascale.com, can vote on whether they agree or disagree. Or they can post their own ideas. The ideas with the most “agree” votes will show up at the top. “We’re certainly making use of traditional means of engagement, including forums with the city’s boards and commissions and presentations for residents,” noted Planning and Community Development Director Chris Salomone. “In this day and age, it only makes sense to use social media to encourage participation too.” The city is giving the comprehensive plan a 10-year update, in a process expected to wind up next year with the City Council’s approval of a new document that will guide development here through 2035. The Best Ideas campaign will run through July 4. All ideas submitted will be added as public comment in the comprehensive plan, and some may be included with amendments to the plan. Complete information about the comprehensive plan update is available at bellevuewa. gov/comp-plan-update.htm.