Today I have something very important to tell you about.
Senate Bill 1051.
This bill would allow for VOLUNTARY training for non-medical school staff to administer Diastat, a life saving drug, for seizure emergencies.
What is Diastat? Diastat is a safe and easy to use medication, FDA approved for use by non-medical caregivers such as parents, teachers, babysitters and the like.
Why is this bill important? Well, if a child with Epilepsy is in school and begins having non-stop seizures (also known as Status Epilepticus or just Status) Diastat can be administered via rectal syringe to stop the seizures.
However, under the current rules, only a medical professional is allowed to administer this. Now Soren is lucky in that his school has a full time nurse.
But as we know, many school do not have school nurses on site full time. So in the event of a seizure, they have to call 911. For our kids, by the time the ambulance has shown up, the seizures will have gone on WAY too long and done WAY too much damage. Thus, children with severe seizure disorders, like Soren's friend Camille, cannot go to public school because of this "only nurses" rule.
With the passing of this bill, non-medical staff can volunteer to be trained to give this medicine in school.
Now the nurses union wants folks to believe that only nurses have the skills to administer this. But this is totally bogus! I--who have no medical background--have been "trained." Meaning I read the directions, gloved up, got some lube, and put the syringe up Soren's rectum!
And there is no way to give the incorrect amount because the syringe is set to the appropriate dosage for the child. Frankly, it couldn't be easier!
But to pass this bill, I need your help!
The bill is up for a vote in Appropriations tomorrow (5/27), following difficult, but successful votes in Education & Health. Hundreds of letters from supporters helped lend courage to our elected officials in the face of formidable union opposition.
But now YOU can help by taking less than two minutes to call the Senate President (Darrell Steinberg) and the Appropriations committee chair (Senator Kehoe) to log your support. They will ask for your name, your city and your position on the bill.
I just did it and it was super easy. I called to say I wanted to state my support of Senate Bill 1051. They asked for my name, my city, and my position on the bill.
If YOU are in support, PLEASE call TODAY:
- Senator Darrell Steinberg (916-651-4006)
- Senator Christine Kehoe 916-651-4039
This bill does not impose a fiscal burden on the state and without the passage of SB 1051, thousands of children will be placed at risk of brain damage and death.
There is overwhelming support from the medical community (CA Medical Assoc, Assoc of CA Neurologists, UCLA, USC, Stanford, etc), as well as parents and teachers and nurses who work directly with children in the schools.
If we are successful tomorrow, the bill will go to the Senate Floor for a full vote and then hopefully to the State Assembly.
If you want to learn more, Steve Lopez wrote an article (in LA Times today) which discusses the issue and mentions Soren's two good friends Clayton and Camille.
Please help children like Soren get this life-saving medicine available in the schools!
Thanks!
Amy
