UNC-DM December 2011 Newsletter

8/3/2019 UNC-DM December 2011 Newsletter

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V

OLUME3;ISSUE5

UNC-DM alumna Mary Irvine reects

on her experiences with UNC-DM.

Visit uncdm.wordpress.com to nd

out what she has been doing since

graduation.

[GrantRant]A UNC-DM grant provides mothers at

N.C. Childrens Hospital the oppor-

tunity to soothe their newborns in

the hospital.

Community Events committee memberEliza Gunners participation in UNC-DM

is motivated by her brother.

This year UNC-DM recruited the

most dancers in the history ofDancer Recruitment Week (DRW).

Read more about the experience on

page 6.

[Mission365]a year-round effort

[HospitalInspiration]for UNC-DM Dedication

[ZeroedIn]Where are they noW?

Page VI

Page IV

Page VI

Page III

unC-dMs IMPaCt

a hero Who Made hIs MIssIon PossIble

BATTLE OF THE BANDSDECEMBER 2, 9 p.m-12 a.m.Vote for the band you want to seeperform at the marathon. $5 over21, $3 under.

THE LIBRARY FRANKLIN STREET

DODGEBALL TOURNAMENTDECEMBER 4, 2 p.m.-5 p.m.Form a team of six and enjoy a pre-nals stress reliever. $24 per team.

RAMS HEAD GYM

NOODLES & CO. % NIGHTDECEMBER 6, 5 p.m.-9 p.m.

UNC-DM receives 25% of prots.NOODLES & COMPANY FRANKLINSTREET

Moraler and Volunteer

Recruitment WeekJanuary 17-20Sign up to morale or volunteer atthe marathon.

Monthly Social: UNC-DMhosted a zoo and safari-themedsocial Nov. 13. Kids made animalmasks, played Pin the Tail on theJungle Animal and Go Fishing.

Parents Night OutandHealthy Steps continued this

month. Pediatric Playroom: Outreachand Operations committeesvolunteered this month.

I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career.

I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times,

I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot

and missed. I've failed over and over and over

again in my life -- and that is why I succeed.

--Michael Jordan

Fifteen-year-old Darren is on

dialysis for end-stage renal

disease. He was hospitalized

many times last year and his

mother took many days of unpaid

leave to be with Darren.

The For the Kids Fund paid

utility, electric & other bills

until the family was

nancially stable, allowing

them to care for Darren.

for the kIds story
http://uncdm.wordpress.com/http://www.facebook.com/events/166950563402567/?ref=notif&notif_t=event_invite#!/events/258977020820490/http://www.facebook.com/events/166950563402567/?ref=notif&notif_t=event_invite#!/events/258977020820490/http://uncdm.wordpress.com/


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the Predators. He said the best part abouthockey was learning to play the sport. Hismom said it is his favorite thing in theworld.

When asked what he wants to be when

he grows up, Jack said, I have a lotof ideas. The possibilities includereghter, spaceman, vulcanologist, scubadiver and zoologist. Jack is also consideringattending the Naval or Air Force Academy.

Jacks family found out about the KidCo-captain program at a basketball gamewhere UNC-DM was canning, or askingfor donations from attendees. We wereasked to be involved and we were more

than happy to do it, said Jesse Shapiro,Jacks dad.

This will be Jacks second year as a kid

co-captain. His favorite part of last yearsmarathon was the Vermonster. This yearhe is excited to cheer for all the dancers.

UNC-DMs cause is important to theShapiros because of the great care they

received at the hospital. The peoplein the hospital the doctors, the nurses,the volunteers its so clear they care aboutthe job that they do,Jen Shapiro said.

I promised to my son I will always giveblood and do everything [I] can to helpthe hospital, Jen Shapiro said.

We owe beyond words to the hospital,to the facility, to everybody there, JesseShapiro added.

Be on the lookout for Jack at this yearsmarathon. He will be encouraging thedancers with his hockey teams cheers.

Jack Shapiro SetS

hiS SightS high

in thiS monthS

BY MEGAN TURNER

A scar on his stomach is the onlyevidence that shows that Jack Shapiro, a2012 UNC Dance Marathon kid co-captain,was a patient at N.C. Childrens Hospital.

When Jack was seven weeks old, his mom,Jen Shapiro, noticed he was runninga fever. At their local hospital, it wasdetermined there was too much iron in

Jacks liver. Jack was then transferred toN.C. Childrens Hospital.Jack was started on a chelation

treatment to rid his body of the excessiron. Three weeks later, Jack made a fullrecovery. The hospital was just amazing,Jen Shapiro said.

Today, Jack is in rst grade at FarmingtonWoods Elementary School in Cary, N.C.

He enjoys school, and his favorite subject

is Spanish. When his family dines at Mexicanrestaurants, he often practices his Spanish.

Jack loves playing hockey with his team,

PHOTO COURTESY OF JESSE SHAPIRO |The 2012 UNC Dance Marathon will be Jack Shapiros second year as kid co-captain. He is excited to cheer the dancers on.


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used to have seizures becausehis head was so soft. Our momwould have to deal with all four

kids and our dad would haveto take off work while theywent to Quebec, Eliza said.

Since N.C. ChildrensHospital began offering similartreatment for OI eight yearsago, the family has only hadto y to Quebec once a year.Tripp has had success with thenew treatment and has not

broken a bone in two years. Thefamily now has less nancial

strain and has been able tospend more time together.

Tripp is now a 16-year-old

high school student and is ableto live a much less interruptedlife. The high chance of brokenbones has not stopped Trippfrom being active. Althoughhis mother does not allowhim to play football, hefrequently plays basketball.

It makes [our mother] worryas [Tripp] is getting more

intense about sports with age.However, he loves sports so

operationDEDICATION:Brothers disorder motivates committee memberBY EMILY TRACYSince Tripp Gunner was

diagnosed with osteogenesisimperfecta (OI), he has ownto receive treatment inQuebec, Canada, dozens oftimes. He has broken 26 bones,including his femur, which hebroke three times. He also hada full-body cast at age four.

Tripps sister, Eliza Gunner,is a rst-year at UNC. Trippwas diagnosed with OI, alsoknown as brittle bone disease,shortly after he was born. OIis a genetic bone disorder thatcreates defective connectivebody tissue, which resultsin easily broken bones. Thedisease is also well-known

for causing blue pupils.Every two months, foralmost eight years, the Gunnerfamily would y to Quebec soTripp could receive treatment.Tripps mother was in chargeof taking care of the otherfour children while his fatherwould travel with Tripp, whowas taken out of school.

It was a rough couple yearsat the very beginning. He

she lets him play, Eliza said.Eliza and her family have

spent so much time atthe hospital that she wasmotivated to join a UNC DanceMarathon committee thisyear. She is a member of theCommunity Events committee,which plans fundraising andawareness events in thecommunity including anannual benet reception.

I love being on CommunityEvents because it is involvedwith everyone, not just UNC,and brings the communitytogether, Eliza said.

Eliza is involved with UNC-DM because she wants to make

sure that every family hasa great experience with thehospital, similar to the one thatshe and her family have had.

That was one of the biggestreasons I looked into UNC-DMbecause I knew how muchTripp loved N.C. ChildrensHospital, how much easier [thehospital] made it for us, and

how important the hospital isto the families, Eliza said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ELIZA GUNNER | Community Events Committee Member ElizaGunner spends time with her family, who inspired her participation in UNC-DM.


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When I walkaround on campus now, Iwonder is that person a dancer?!because one in nine students at Carolina are taking part in this amazing cause.

from Morale committe chair Maggie

Riddell's POINt of view

The Morale committee was so excited when we found out the dancer total.We turned on our DRW jam we found love and danced around.

Morale encouraged potential dancers to learn moreand get involved rather than just signing up to danceand not thinking about it until Feb. 17th.

6000yers distributed

2030dancers registered

300water bottlesgiven away

32dorms stormed

18pit dances

5loops on the P2P

3 ash mobs

1HOSPITALMISSION

Dancer Recruitment Week (DRW), held Nov. 7-11 this

year, is UNC-DM's major push to recruit dancers for

the marathon. The Morale committee led more than

300 UNC-DM committee members in fash mob dances,

Pit-sitting, passing out fyers, dorm storming and most

importantly, informing UNC students about UNC-DM's

mission, inspiring them to take a 24-hour stand for the

patients and families of N.C. Children's Hospital.

Photos by UNC-DM Publicity committee


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Senior TJ Scott likes to thinkof himself as the interiordesigner of UNC DanceMarathon. Scott is the eventplanning sub-chair of UNC-DMs Operations committee,a position that gives him theresponsibility of ensuring thatmore than 600 banners that

decorate Fetzer Gym duringthe marathon are painted. Hehelps decide what is paintedon the banners and where theyare positioned in the gyms.

Scott loves his job organizingbanner painting and assuringthat the walls of Fetzer lookgreat for the marathon. Heespecially enjoys getting tointeract with those on othercommittees as they come topaint banners. I get a uniqueopportunity as a sub-chair tointeract with every committeemember that not many others,if any, get to do, he said.Each committee member ofUNC-DM is required to attend

at least one banner paintingmeeting throughout the year.As a sub-chair, Scott also

assists with the logistics ofthe marathon and helps planthe dodgeball tournamentthat the Operationscommittee organizes everyyear. This years tournamentwill be held Dec. 4.

Scott has been involved withUNC-DM since his rst year at

UNC, when he was a dancer.The next year, he joined theOperations committee and hasbeen involved with it ever since.This year, he has taken on moreresponsibilities as a sub-chair.

Scott said the commitments of a sub-chair are muchdifferent from those of acommittee member, but hispassion for the cause makes itall worth it. When you spendyour time doing something youcare about, other things justseem to fall into place, he said.

UNC-DMs cause hits homefor Scott. His uncle was bornwith spina bifada and visitedN.C. Childrens Hospital for

his treatments and surgeries.This was before UNC-DMexisted, but Scott sees his

unC-dM sub-ChaIr

I have always

had a special

attachment with

kids, and seeing

a child smile is

one of the most

rewarding parts

of UNC-DM.

TJ Scott, senior

involvement with UNC-DM asa way of repaying the hospitalfor all it did for his familywhen his uncle was born.

Scott also sees his workwith UNC-DM as a way tomake a life-long impact forthe patients and familiesof N.C. Childrens Hospital.

Through UNC-DM, I knowthat I can make the largestdifference, and that is whatwill keep me involved inyears after I graduate in May.I have always had a specialattachment with kids and

seeing a child smile for meis one of the most rewardingparts of UNC-DM, Scott said.

BY JORDAN SUTTON

PHOTO COURTESY OF TJ SCOTT

Senior TJ Scott dries paint brushes after

a Sunday afternoon of committee

banner-painting. Scott is the event

planning sub-chair of UNC-DMs

Operations committee.

Te Inside Scoop

thanks for VotIng!

With your help, UNC-DM won

$10K through Pepsis RefreshEverything program.


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Last spring, UNC Dance Marathon funded

a grant that has had a lasting effect onthe Newborn Critical Care Center (NCCC)at N.C. Childrens Hospital. The grantcovered the cost of providing the centerwith new rocking gliders. These glidersgive parents a place to rock their newbabies, a comfort that is often takenaway when conned to the hospital.

The health care practitioners in theNCCC treat about 750 newborns every

year, meaning many of these newbornscannot be taken home right after theyare born. The workers at the NCCC

encourage parents to spend as much

time as possible with their infants whilethey are in the hospital, but to also becautious of the risk of spreading infection.

UNC-DMs grant for the rocking glidershas provided parents with the specialopportunity to sit by their babysbedside and comfortably rock them,according to Carol Manenti, a clinicalnurse in the NCCC. This is something alot of our babies miss doing, she said.

Workers in the NCCC will bring the rockinggliders to the babies bedsides, allowingmothers the chance to spend much-needed

time with their newborns. The moms are

really happy with them, Manenti said.The grant replaced old gliders that hadbeen in the center. According to Manenti,the new gliders help reduce the rateof infection because the material theyare made of can be easily wiped down,unlike the old ones that were cloth.Now, workers in the NCCC can wipedown the chairs after each mother usesthem, making it safer for the newborn

babies, while still allowing them tospend quality time with their mothers.

GRANT RANTPEDIATRIC NURSING: ROCKING GLIDERS |BY JORDAN SUTTON

UNC Housing

Snowmen and bunny rabbits dodg-ing pogo sticks in the Pit? It must

be time to sign up for UNC DanceMarathon! Are you registered yet?

November 10 at 1:30pm

If nothing else, UNC-DM

taught me to nd something

that makes you tick, to

gure out what it is that

you enjoy and do well, and

to put your mind to it.

Visit our blog www.uncdm.wordpress.com to nd out what Mary has donesince graduation.

AUNC-DMflash

backfrom

2007Fundra

isingProje

ctsChair

MaryIrvine

BY EMILY EVANS

in january's issue:

-Grant Rant: Newborn Critical Care Center (NCCC)sParent Support Luncheons-Morale committees kid co-captain social at the

Scrap Exchange

If you have any questions,

comments or concerns, please

contact 2012 Publicity Chair

Olivia Barrow at

[email protected].

Correction: Last months dartboard article

was written by Emily Tracy.

Documents

UNC-DM December 2011 Newsletter