Take A Step in the Right Direction. Visit a Chiropodist FOOT CLINIC Hibbert & Associates NO REFERRALS NECESSARY SATURDAY APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE 331 Sheddon Ave., Oakville 905.815.0971 www.oakvilleclinic.ca amily Footcare and OrthoticsF Helping Families Every Step of the Way! 905.844.WELL ( 9355 ) www.acornhealth.ca drdavis@acornhealth.ca Dr. JennaDavis FamilyChiropractor/Acupuncturist 250 Wyecroft Rd., Unit 15, Oakville, ON Specializes in: Pediatrics Pre and Postnatal Care Naturally Turning Breech Babies Headaches/Migraines Fertility Issues Low Back/Neck Pain Sciatica Posture and Osteoarthritis Wellness care for the entire family! Thistlecreek Health Care Ltd. Caring for Seniors at Home Realize the dream of never leaving home Whatever Your Age, Whatever Your Health Theres No Place Like Home Homemakers/Companions/ Nursing Visits, Personal Support Workers, by the Hour, by the Day, and Live-ins www.thistlecreekhealthcare.ca 905-582-9519 2 1 Thursday, Septem ber 1, 2011 O A K V ILLE B EA V ER w w w .in sid eH A LTO N .co m Oh YES h i f S b kid , t e exc tement o eptem er, s heading off to school, finally back to a routine. Oh NO, the anxiety of the recurring colds and flu. As parents you can either wait until it hap- pens and then treat the symptoms, or you can get proactive. First, let's start with the basics: a daily dose of some cod liver oil and probiotics to provide the fundamentals for good health. With the above, it is also important to have a good diet low in refined sugars and simple carbohydrates. Helping build the bodys immunity is really your best course of action, There are several dif- ferent approaches one can use, such as homeo- pathics, nutraceuticals, or botanical therapies. There are many immune tonics available in various forms for long-term support and build- ing of the immune system. Some of the most common and effective immune supplements are mushroom extracts, astragalus root and plant sterols. Look at supplements such as St. Francis Deep Immune for Kids or Moducare. These can be used on an ongoing basis without a break, to continuously build the immune system. One of the best protocols I have used for several years now is a homeopathic combina- tion of different Dr. Reckeweg preparations. The remedies used are Bio 87, Bio 88, and Bio 93. These three are liquid nosode preparations that help to boost immunity as well as treat active infections. This article provided by Baljinder S. Chhoker, a Naturopathic Consultant and Manager of Nature's Source Oakville. For more information, please call 905-257-1655 or email him at bal@natures-source.com. Stay cold-, flu- & misery-free with Nature's Source Oakville Ad i lvertor a d ld d fl b kAvoi recurring co s an u y eeping your children's immune systems strong with daily vita- mins and minerals. Health By Raveena Aulakh TORONTO STAR Kim and Mike Smyth say David, their 20-year-old son, was one heck of a special fella. Believe them, they arent exaggerating. Last summer, as David lay in a bed at Hamiltons McMaster University Hospital growing frailer as he fought leukemia and awaited a bone marrow match, he realized how lean the Canadian donor database is. He decided to highlight the issue in the media, letting a constant stream of reporters into his room even as he struggled with infections and acute pain. David died on Sept. 3, 2010. Early on, he told us his goal was to see that this doesnt happen to anyone else, says his mother, Kim. That there is a decent bone marrow donor database in Canada . . . so that people have a fighting chance. Through their pain and grief, the Smyths have been on a mission in the past year to spread awareness about the importance of a f larger database. Theyve been to the House o Commons, Queens Park and even the annual general meeting of Canadian Blood Services, the agency in charge of the database. Theyve travelled everywhere on their own dime. The Oakville couple has have helped organize at least 20 donor clinics at universities and in communities across Canada in Davids honour in the past year. The Smyths have trouble wrapping their heads around the fact Canadas bone marrow database is about 300,000, one of the smallest among devel- oped countries. The registry isnt growing as it should, says Mike, an investment banker in down- town Toronto. And in the meantime, people who could have a chance at life, dont get it. The donor test involves a simple cheek swab. Canadian Blood Services will mail the swab kit to those who ask. Why cant CBS spread awareness about it and why cant people get tested the way blood is donated? Kim asks. Swab results are uploaded once a month to Bone Marrow Donors Worldwide, an inter- national database of more than 14 million potential stem cell donors. When a match is found, the donors stem cells are usually transplanted into the bloodstream, a process similar to a transfusion. The likelihood of finding a match increas- es with the number of people in the registry, doctors say. Ideally we need a registry where no one will die looking for a donor, says Ronan Foley, a professor of pathology and molecular medicine at McMaster University and presi- dent of Canadian Bone Marrow Transplant Group. Too many medical issues arise while waiting (for a match). But Foley says he also understands the challenges Canadian Blood Services faces. We have to reach out to the younger genera- tion, connect with them because those are the best matches. Jennifer Philippe, director of OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network, says recruit- ing the right donors is important those with the same genetic marker as a patient, young and preferably male. If you look at survival rate, patients who receive (transplant) from younger males, fare better, says Philippe, adding that about 35,000 donors were added last year and thats the target this year too. The agency is focusing on younger people and ethnic communities, she says. Meanwhile, the Smyths say its been rough since David died. Spreading awareness has given us a purpose, says Kim. Its been one way to cope. Before leukemia hit, David suffered from Shwachman-Diamond syndrome, a rare genetic disease that often leads to death in early teens. Patients risk serious, sometimes fatal complications, including leukemia. Doctors believed David had a less serious form because he was almost out of his teens without complications. Then he was diagnosed with leukemia. The Smyths received almost $20,000 in donations after David died. They gave it to Trent University where he studied and the government matched it for a bursary in Davids name. Bone marrow matches keep David Smyth's flame alive David Smyth