MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Lisa Garys Korsland enjoyed a busy lifestyle for years, living abroad in the U.K. and Switzerland, raising her three children and working as an engineer for General Mills.

But it all came to an abrupt end in December of 2010.

A simple twist of an ankle led to a diagnosis of leukemia. She knew it was just a matter of time before she would need a life-saving marrow transplant.

Lisa was one of the lucky ones; her match was anxious to help.

“My donor happens to be German, so we know they looked all over the world,” Korsland said. “This bubbly, smiley face student says, “I was called and I answered.’ And I always say ‘thank you,’ and she said, ‘Why would somebody not do this? I could spend a few days of taking some medicine, I can go in for a few hours and I saved a life,’” she said.

Mary Halet of Be the Match says marrow donation is an easy way to change a life.

“Its ordinary people doing extraordinary things – and you don’t have to wear a cape to be a super hero,” Halet said. “Anybody can make a difference and save somebody’s life.”

Registration involves completing a health history form and giving a swab of cheek cells. About 75 percent of the time, a patient’s doctors requests a peripheral blood stem cell donation, a non-surgical out-patient procedure – similar to donating platelets or plasma.

Lisa is not only on the mend, but she’s almost as active as ever. Her experience sparked her to lead a team, the Mud Bloods, in the Bet the Match Walk Run.

“I can walk Lake Harriet, I can do it under an hour and I’m going to raise some money,” Korsland said.

The Mud Bloods have raised close to $50,000 – money Lisa says can never repay what Be The Match has done for her and her family.

“I feel blessed,” she said.

Lisa hopes to expand her involvement with Be the Match by using her international connections to increase the ethnic diversity of the registry.

Patients are most likely to match someone of their own race or ethnicity.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Some elementary school kids in south Minneapolis got some real show-and-tell this morning.

FFA high school kids from the Morris area brought real farm animals to Risen Christ Catholic School. The idea was to teach city kids where their food comes from, and the big grills were fired up.

Everyone who wanted a burger got one for lunch.

“You ask them questions like, Where does your burger come from? And they say the grill. Where does your pizza come from? Little Ceaser’s. You know, they have all these ideas of the food comes from a grocery store or a restaurant,” said Natasha Mortenson, an FFA advisor.

The Future Farmers of America (FAA) get funding for this outreach from commodity groups, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and others.

By Peter Russell

Reviewed by Farah Ahmed, MD

By Bara Vaida

Reviewed by Lisa Zamosky

By Kathleen Doheny

Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD

The volume foreshadows a long fight should the House brings the bill up on Saturday as planned. The Legislature has until midnight Monday to finish its session, including passage of the next state budget.

The debate on a companion Senate bill stretched 17 hours earlier in the week.

The bill is part of an effort by two service employee unions to organize in the personal care industries. It would set up a possible vote among certain providers.

Supporters say it will give providers greater leverage in bargaining for state reimbursement rates. Critics see it as a grab for union dues.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A lot of Minnesotans love to grill, but it’s an easy way to blow your diet with hot dogs and cheeseburgers.

And the chips and brownies, all the goodies that go along with barbecueing. So with grilling season here, we reached out to Weight Watchers to find out how they recommend staying healthy.

Experts there said it’s about making minor changes and moderation.

Summertime is all about grilling. You see hot dogs, chips and burger, but it doesn’t have to be unhealthy. It doesn’t have to be loaded down. The good news is that grilling is one of the healthiest ways to prepare food.

One of the things we can do is stick with lean protein. You can grill a flank steak and one of the things we can do to keep it healthy is watch the sodium.  Make a marinade that will tenderize the meat and add flavor. Using garlic, ginger, honey-lime and some soy sauce plus some red pepper flakes. Use some spice and get that meat marinated four hours minimum.

Stick it on the grill and you’ll have great flavor.  Adding fresh veggies is also key. You can come up with a wonderful combo that your entire family will enjoy. Make a broccoli salad with a great combination of lemon, olive oil and garlic.  When you talk about flavor, you can put that on almost any veggie.  I’m happy to see carbs on the table. You can have a potato and watch the butter.

Get creative.  A lot of people like salsa as a topping or low fat sour cream. Back 50 years ago, the wine and dessert would be forbidden.  And now you can incorporate that.  Cheers to healthy living.

All of those recipes are from Weight Watchers cookbook that celebrates 50 years with updated recipes from old classics.

According to the CDC, the figures from their tests of polls conducted during last summer’s swim season showed about 58 percent of the samples tested positive for E. coli and bacteria typically found in human feces.

However, while fecal matter was present in the majority of samples, none of the water tested contained the specific E. coli strain that causes illness.

The CDC said their findings indicate swimmers are contaminating the water either through “fecal incidents” in the pool, or because they haven’t showered properly before entering the pool.

The study also showed 59 percent of pools testing positive for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which can cause skin rashes and ear infections.

The entire CDC report is available here.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – With the weather heating up, two Minnesota businessmen hope you fill up on their new sports drink — it’s called Aspire and it comes in three flavors.

Jesse Parker has been busy lately because starting up a new sports drink is a lot of work.

He teamed up with college buddy and fellow businessman John Montague to fill a void they both noticed while coaching their kids’ teams.

“We saw more and more kids drinking the Gatorades and Powerades, Monster energy, you name it,” Parker said. “And if you actually look at what’s inside those beverages, there’s a lot of junk.”

So, they spent a year creating drinks that only have natural flavors, natural sweeteners, and only 25 calories.

“The kids who we wanted to get the junk out of their hands and out of their mouths are our kids, who are between the ages of 4 and 13,” Montague said.

They launched this month in Kowalski’s, Lunds and Byerly’s. They’re going after the big brands by offering less, rather than more.

“No artificial sugars, no artificial flavors, no artificial colors — truly an all-natural sports drink? I believe we are the first,” Parker said.

But what about taste? They spent months testing it with kids, and now give out samples store-to-store.

Customers at Kowalski’s seemed impressed, calling it refreshing and sweet.

There are three flavors — Fire, Ice and Storm.

It’s $1.99 a bottle, and 18-bottle packs are $29.99.

People who identify as Native Americans must be a member of a federally recognized tribe to qualify for an exemption to a requirement that all Americans carry insurance. If they don’t, they have to buy their own insurance or pay a fine that starts out at $95 in 2014 and rises to $695 in 2016 as it’s phased in. That stands to be a problem for tribes recognized only by state governments.

Minnesota has nearly 102,000 Indians, many of them in seven Ojibwe and four Dakota tribes recognized by both state and federal governments. Most of the state’s remaining Indians are members of an estimated 60 recognized tribes from across the U.S.

Yet the law is bound to mean changes for at least some of the state’s American Indians and the clinics that specialize in serving them.

Minnesota has at least two self-identified Indian communities that have failed to win federal recognition so far.

The Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Community has over 200 dues-paying members who claim descent from Indians who lived near Fort Snelling, said its chairman, Jim Anderson. He estimated about half meet one common definition of Native American — having at least one-quarter Indian blood. He estimated that easily half of his members don’t have insurance now, but he didn’t know how many might be subject to the mandate to have insurance.

The Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi River Chippewa claimed roughly 90 members when it sued unsuccessfully for federal recognition in 2010. Its chairwoman, Sandra Skinaway, did not return calls seeking comment on the impact of the new law on them. The federal government considers them part of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.

Directors of three major health care providers for Minnesota’s American Indians — the federal Indian Health Service area office in Bemidji, the Indian Health Board of Minneapolis and the Native American Community Clinic in Minneapolis — said they weren’t sure how many patients might be adversely affected by the narrow definition of Indian under the ACA. Dr. Lydia Caros, executive director of the Native American Community Clinic, said the state’s decision to expand eligibility for Medicaid under the federal overhaul should be a “big boon” for the Indian community in general.

But Dr. Patrick Rock, president of the Indian Health Board of Minneapolis and past president of the National Council of Urban Indian Health, said the Medicaid expansion could require his clinic and others to compete harder to keep those patients because they’ll have new options to go elsewhere. And he said the exemption from the individual mandate means clinic like his will have to continue providing a lot of uncompensated care.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — We know how important it is to protect our skin from the sun, but we should also protect our eyes.

Summer can be obstacle course for your precious eyes with allergies, chemicals in pools, and the bright sunshine. It’s always a good idea to take steps to protect both yourself and loved ones.

Dr. Jeff Sanderson, an ophthalmologist for Fairview Clinics, says everyone from babies to grandparents should wear sunglasses while outside.

“Adults are more responsible about it, and kids tend not to think about it,” he said. “It’s difficult to get kids to wear glasses all the time. There are a couple of tips. You can get a strap that they can wear behind their eye. They make child-sized glasses, and you want to make sure that they are 100 percent UV protected.”

If you don’t protect your eyes from the sun, you can develop cataracts or other problems that decrease your vision.

Beyond sun protection, sunglasses can prevent injuries.

“People are outside a lot more. They are using weed whackers and lawn mowers. I really encourage them to wear some kind of protective eyewear,” Sanderson said. “Why not have UV protection in that as well?”

Sanderson says that 90 percent of eye injuries are preventable. He added that it’s important that young athletes protect their eyes for sports with balls like golf balls, baseballs, and so on.

You should check the label of your sunglasses or ask someone at the store for more information. A lot of sunglasses do not have UV protection built in.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Saying they could save hundreds of lives every year, the nation’s highway safety advocates want states to reduce the legal blood alcohol limit for driving by 35 percent — from 0.08 to 0.05.

It took two decades to get every state in America to go to 0.08, and Minnesota was the last state, in 2005.

“By 0.05 there’s judgment impairment, decision-making impairment, sensory-motor impairment,” said Dr. Darin Erickson, an alcohol-prevention researcher and professor at University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health.

According to Erickson, 0.05 would be about one drink fewer per hour than you can legally drink before driving now. So a typical man would be able to drink three beers in an hour, four in two hours, five in three hours.

A 120-pound woman would be able to have two drinks an hour, two-and-a-half in two hours, three in three hours.

If you’re drinking a martini or a mixed cocktail, one drink might be all it takes, Erickson said.

“It doesn’t seem like a lot. A lot of people think, ‘Oh, I’ll have a couple drinks, I’m still fine,’ but in fact there is impairment,” he said.

So does lowering the limit work, or do people continue to drink and drive?

“The data is definitive. When we lowered the BAC across all 50 states it had a dramatic impact on alcohol-related fatalities,” he said.

According to the NTSB, in 1982, 21,113 Americans died in alcohol-related crashes. In 2012, 9,878 died in alcohol-related crashes.

In Europe, researchers studied some of the countries where they cut the limit from 0.08 to 0.05. They found fatal crashes among drivers 18-49 dropped 8 to 12 percent.

In Canada, the federal limit is 0.08, but some provinces are experimenting with issuing citations to people who test between 0.05-0.07.

“It’s treated a little more like a speeding ticket,” Erickson said.

“You lose your license for 24 hours. If you don’t do it again in a year, it goes off your record,” he said, calling that a possible first step to lowering the limit for criminal prosecution.

Erickson said policy-makers are moving in this direction in the United States. In more than 100 other countries, the limit is already at 0.05 or below, including 25 out of 27 of the countries in the European Union.

“I think like a lot of things, there’s a conversation that needs to happen,” he said.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Actress, activist and philanthropist Angelina Jolie revealed in the New York Times she had a voluntary double mastectomy, and said her decision came after learning she had an 87 percent risk of getting cancer.

The actress discovered she had the potentially deadly BRCA gene mutation after losing her mother to ovarian cancer in 2007.

She said the surgeries were successful, and that her chances of getting breast cancer are now less than 5 percent.

BRCA-1 mutation is responsible for about 5 percent of all breast cancer diagnosis and about 15 percent of all ovarian cancers.

“It wouldn’t ensure [Jolie] would have gotten cancer, but it creates a substantial increased risk,” Allina Health Counselor Shari Baldinger said.

Baldinger said patients who are at risk for carrying the mutation should get tested so they can be proactive in their health.

“It’s a simple blood test,” she said. “So, physically, it’s not a tough decision. But it’s powerful.”

The tests cost about $4,000 and Baldinger said they are covered by most insurers. If a family member does test positive for the mutation, screening other family members costs $400 to $500.

If breast cancer runs in your family, you can ask your doctor for the test. However, they will know if it’s the best test to determine if you’re at risk for cancer.

Doctors and genetic counselors look at the results and can determine the short-term and long-term risks.

“If you tell a 27-year-old they have an 87 percent risk of cancer, it may not be inaccurate, but then the 27-year-old is going to want her breasts off yesterday,” Baldinger said. “If you point out this is your risk over the next five to 10 years, it may be more manageable. And not as overwhelming. Then we’ll discuss what are the other options.”

Surgery is just one of the treatment plans for BRCA patients.

The first option is to continue screening for cancer. It won’t prevent it, but it can help catch it. The BRCA mutation also increases the risk for ovarian cancer, which can be hard to catch early and it spreads faster.

“Removing tubes and ovaries are less dramatic surgery than a mastectomy,” Baldinger said. “But it has a more significant effect because women go into menopause.”

A hysterectomy is recommended if the woman is younger and done having a family. After understanding the immediate and long-term risks, some patients, such as Jolie, opt for surgery.

Dr. Margit Bretzke, a general surgeon at Abbott Northwestern’s Piper Breast Center, said nationally, a majority of people who carry BRCA-1 or BRCA-2 don’t do a prophylactic or preventative mastectomy surgery.

The third option is chemotherapy prevention, and taking medicine that will lower your chances of getting cancer.

Next, doctors recommend looking at which lifestyle changes you can make to be healthier.

“If it’s good for your heart, it’s generally good for your breasts — except for red wine,” Bretzke said.

Doctors stress that having the BRCA mutation doesn’t mean you won’t live a full, healthy, and happy life.

“There are women who have this genetic risk and live to be 90, and don’t get any cancer,” Baldinger said.

GOP Senator Carla Nelson said it will hurt a lot of people.

“This is going to result in higher costs for parents, lower pay for child care providers, and $8 million for union dues,” Nelson said.

NewsRadio 830 WCCO’s Susie Jones Reports

Jennifer Parrish runs a day care center in Rochester.

“Our state association, Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association, recently conducted a survey and 86 percent of licensed providers said they were opposed to unionization,” Parish said.

Others called it Government over reach, and said it’s not in the best interest of the children.

Those who support the bill said it gives providers more representation, and a voice at the Capitol.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – We all know the keys to being physically fit are working out and eating right. According to the trainers at Fit Body Boot Camp, there’s a third ingredient: accountability.

Every one of their members starts with a nutrition consultation and food plan. Classes run like a team where members face each other for motivation. Students must attend at least three per week. This three-tiered approach to health caters to people’s differences.

“No two people are alike,” said co-owner Sofia Laasarir. “Everything with nutrition is customized per person. The workouts can be intensified and can be decreased in weights to make sure we can accommodate everyone.”

North Loop location co-owners Jon Cookle and Sofia Laasarir make a promise to their clients: access to results, not just equipment.

“We never repeat the same workout,” Laasarir said. “The reason is that if repeat, you’re going to plateau. With 30-second stations, your muscles aren’t going to adapt to that so you continue to get results.”

Rather than spending hours at the gym, each session at Fit Body Boot Camp lasts just 30 minutes.

“Thirty minutes in the new thing,” said Cookle. “An hour is too long. I train for only 30 minutes. If your intensity is high enough, all you need is 30 minutes.”

Cookle feels people fatigue physically and mentally after 30 minutes. Or, if working out for an hour, they coast for 60 minutes.

Member Sarah Swindle started with Fit Body Boot camp just after Thanksgiving. She works out four times a week, and in the last five months she has seen results.

“I’ve lost over 20 pounds and 7 percent body fat, and I feel great,” said Swindle.

Fit Body Boot camp has locations Plymouth, Chanhassen and the North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis. Cost for four sessions is $29 total as an introductory rate.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A big part of parenting is teaching children through lessons you learned as a kid, but for a Prinsburg man, it’s a battle with cancer that’s coming back around.

Lucas Post was cured of a rare childhood cancer, called “Wilms’ Tumor,” about 31 years ago. Now, the couple’s 4-year-old is facing the same fight.

In the comforting arms of her parents, Mia Post is making the rounds at the University of Minnesota’s Amplatz Children’s Hospital. Sitting in an exam room, the tears began to roll down her face as she cries out when the tape holding an intravenous line is pulled from her tender skin.

But the frightening and often painful procedure is necessary for laboratory testing. Fighting cancer is a tough road made all the more difficult when you’re only 4 years old.

Last year, Mia was diagnosed with Wilms’ Tumor, which is a rare childhood cancer that attacks the kidneys. Only about 500 cases of Wilms’ Tumor are diagnosed in the U.S. each year.

Looking at black-and-white images of Mia’s diseased organ, Dr. Emily Greengard said, “this kidney was pretty much destroyed because of the tumor.”

Greengard said Mia’s treatment, a combination of conventional chemotherapy and radiation, is in part due to Mia’s father’s fight with the same cancer 31 years ago.

Lucas was the same age as his daughter when his parents received the same bad news. But what’s so incredible is that he took part in a nationwide clinical trial that led to an eventual change in the way the cancer is treated.

“In that trial we learned that we could use a lower dose of radiation and still get the same outcomes. Because of that, Mia is receiving a lower dose of radiation,” said Greengard.

In the Amplatz exam room, Lucas looks on as his little girl is tended to by a nurse.

“I was so young,” Lucas said.

Lucas recalls feeling the same pain when he was being treated at the University of Minnesota Hospitals.

His parents were asked if they would like to participate in the clinical trial that would change the course of treatment. Little did they know that their son’s own daughter would benefit so many years later.

“In those six days (of radiation), they’re giving her half of what they were giving kids 30 years ago,” Lucas said.

Despite the lower level of radiation blasting the cancer cells, the effectiveness of the treatment remains the same. But the reduction in secondary cancers and damaging effects on other organs that a more intense radiation dose delivers is what makes the change worthwhile.

In the end, that spares the patients’ tiny bodies from the potential harmful side effects.

At the end of a long morning of testing and check-ups, Mia and her parents admire a colorful, animal-filled poster proclaiming 16 weeks of being cancer free.

It’s a big day for everyone, but especially a dad and daughter.

“All I can hope for is that that’s the case for her from here on out,” Lucas said.

Mia has completed her chemo and radiation rounds. She’ll now come to Amplatz every few months for lab work and CT scans to make absolutely certain her cancer is gone for good.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Mothers who want to successfully breastfeed are usually urged to avoid any formula. But a new study shows giving a little formula to some newborns may actually help moms keep breastfeeding.

The researchers looked at 40 babies who were not gaining weight. After three months, almost 80 percent of the babies who received formula were still breastfeeding.

Many new moms have concerns they are not producing enough milk in the beginning for their babies. Researchers hope this study will ease those worries.

“What this study was really looking at is there a role in having some very early limited use of formula in that population of babies as the mother is getting breastfeeding established,” said Dr. Robert Riewarts, a pediatrician.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding exclusively for the first 6 months.

Studies show breastfed babies are less likely to have asthma, allergies, ear infections and respiratory infections.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Allergy season is here: Sniffles, sneezing and runny, itchy eyes. But it’s not just humans suffering. Our dogs are also prone to allergies.

The University of Minnesota Veterinary dermatology team sees at least a dog a day with allergies.

Sandra Koch, an assistant clinical specialist in veterinary dermatology, says allergies are the most common problem in dogs.

Just like humans, seasonal allergies strike most often for dogs.

“Pollens from trees grasses and weeds, house dust mites and also molds — just like in people,” Koch said.

While humans get a runny nose, watery eyes, and more as symptoms, dogs only get one symptom: scratching. Left untreated, scratching can cause baldness, sores and infection.

“As soon as you notice your pet itching, it’s important to bring it to your veterinarian,” Koch said.

Allergies never go away, so the sooner the dog can get treated, the better.

“There isn’t one way to treat allergies, it’s not one size fits all, just like us,” Koch said.

Some dogs have serious allergies that require steroids, but the more common treatments will likely sound familiar: antihistamines, medicated shampoos and even fish oil can help.

When the pollen counts are high, the easiest thing to do is to simply keep your pet inside.

NOTES: Dogs are more likely to have allergies then cats. Sometimes, the pets’ food can contribute to allergies, too.

According to Sen. Franken’s office, the funds are a portion of the $150 million made available to help community health centers via the 2010 health reform law.

Franken says community health centers regularly help uninsured citizens, and the funding will help them to continue their important work.

“Community health centers in Minnesota already provide health care to more than 181,000 Minnesotans and are uniquely positioned to support efforts to get uninsured people in our state enrolled in health coverage,” Franken said. “These funds will help them carry out this important effort.”

The centers may use funds for new hires, training, community outreach and educational activities. They will also help consumers consider their eligibility and options for health care coverage, as well as provide enrollment.

The centers eligible to apply for the available funds are the following:

• Cedar Riverside People’s Center, Minneapolis
• Cook Area Health Services, Inc., Cook
• Hennepin Co. Community Health Department, Minneapolis
• Hennepin County Department Of Primary Care, Minneapolis
• Indian Health Board Of Minneapolis, Inc., Minneapolis
• Lake Superior Community Health Center, Duluth
• Migrant Health Services, Inc., Moorhead
• Native American Community Clinic, Minneapolis
• Neighborhood Health Source, Minneapolis
• Open Cities Health Center, Saint Paul
• Open Door Health Center, Mankato
• Sawtooth Mountain Clinic, Inc., Grand Marais
• Southside Community Health Services, Minneapolis
• United Family Practice Health Center, Inc., Saint Paul
• University Of Minnesota, Minneapolis
• West Side Community Health Services, Saint Paul

It’s part of the Midwestern fight in many towns to slow down the growth of sand mines and production facilities.

Those against the sand mines want lawmakers to step in.

In part four of Inside Minnesota – and our conclusion to the series – WCCO’s Susie Jones talks to a lawmaker about what’s being done to answer citizens’ concerns.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — The Twin Cities is home to one of the premiere children’s mental health centers in the country.

The Washburn Center for Children in Minneapolis helps pair therapists with families and helps schools get kids the help they need to be successful.

One of those kids is Elijah, who’s overcome huge challenges. Now, he’s helping his classmates understand why he’s different.

“I’m here because we want to tell you guys about autism,” Elijah told his classmates.

It wasn’t the usual lesson plan for the group of 4th graders — but it was a necessary one.

Elijah has autism and severe ADHD.

“I would get really mad. I would throw things,” he said.

Now it’s different.

“When I’m mad, I can breathe; I can take a break,” Elijah said. “I can talk about it.”

Lisa Vaupel, a Washburn school-based therapist at Valley View Elementary, said she worked with Elijah to help him calm himself down.

Vaupel works with kids like Elijah who have challenges functioning at home, in the community and with their peers.

“He knew what he wanted to do. He just didn’t do what he wanted to do,” Vaupel said. “When we could slow it down, he was able to do it.”

She used cognitive behavioral therapy to help Elijah understand what he was feeling was OK and how to deal with it.

“So a lot of that was identifying his emotions, and helping to know what his thoughts were,” she said.

Vaupel also helped Elijah understand what having autism means.

“It means your brain works different, and sometimes you get frustrated,” the fourth grader said.

Knowing he likes to draw and write, Vaupel helped Elija write a book.

“We did a lot of things about telling his story of school and his family — things that were hard and things he was good at,” Vaupel said.

And that led to him making a movie for his classmates…so they could understand Elija better, too.

——-

The video explains some of the problems he has to overcome and how he’s just like them.

He’s a star on the soccer field, rides dirt bikes and likes to figure out how things work.

And he says he’s proud to be who he is.

How You Can Help

We’ve got volunteers from Washburn Center for Children ready to take your calls and your donations. All the money raised goes to help kids like Elijah.

In fact, just $40 is enough to help a child get a year’s worth of therapy.

To learn more, call 1-800-542-9226.

You can also pick up your cell phone and text in a special $10 donation that will be added to your cell phone bill. Just text the word “Washburn” to 80100.

Web Extra: Elijah At Home

Web Extra: Elijah At School

In this installment of Inside Minnesota, WCCO’s Susie Jones talks to two concerned citizens who want to put the brakes on this project.

Listen.

Inside Minnesota: Silica Sand Storm (Part 3)

The latest figures show 197 deaths in Minnesota due to influenza.

The numbers reported from April 28 through May 4 also indicated one more person was hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed influenza in the last week.

Since the start of the season, 3,089 people have been hospitalized, but the weekly rate has sharply dropped off since peaking in January.

No nursing homes and only one school reported confirmed outbreaks of the flu last week.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Sleep is a hot topic these days and we’re finding out how much Americans are not getting.

Honestly, how much sleep do you get a night? Missing out on those precious hours can take a toll on your productivity and your health. Here are some eye-opening statistics about the sleep you’re not getting.

You’ve heard your mother say you need more sleep, and many people have listened, but many others haven’t. According to a new survey, Americans, even the ones who are most sleep-deprived, aren’t doing anything about it. The Centers for Disease Control is calling not getting enough sleep “a public health epidemic.”

The survey shows those who don’t sleep enough are more likely to be depressed, overweight and less productive, and many simply don’t look as good when they’re not getting enough sleep. Officials with the Better Sleep Council said nearly half the people in America said they’re not getting enough sleep, but fewer than half of them take specific action to get that needed rest.

Officials said that could be because many people simply don’t believe a lack of sleep is that bad for you. About 45 percent of men, for example, said that people can learn to live with less sleep. The Better Sleep Council said that’s a myth. About 80 percent of Americans said they get stressed or have trouble concentrating when they’re sleepy, but fewer than half of them believe a lack of sleep can contribute to memory problems, heart problems or diabetes.

So how much sleep do we actually need?

Officials said for children, it’s about 10 to 11 hours per night. Teenagers should aim for at least eight hours per night, and adults should try to get between seven and nine hours.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the promotion of regular sleep is known as sleep hygiene. Here’s a few tips to help you improve your sleep:

• Keep a routine: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day
• Make sure your bedroom is a quiet, dark and relaxing environment that isn’t too hot or cold.
• Use your bed for sleeping and not for activities like reading, watching TV or listening to music.
• Remove all TVs, computers, and other gadgets from the bedroom.
• And avoid large meals before bedtime.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The help of a stranger is bringing a 2-year-old girl with cerebral palsy closer to one day walking.

That stranger is 17-year-old named Allie Kanyetzny, a high school girl with a very big heart.

Lila’s mother is still in disbelief. A long time ago, she’d given up on the fairy tale that wishes were granted when a perfect stranger just appeared.

Then four months ago Kanyetzny walked in.

Lila has cerebral palsy affecting the signal from her brain to her muscles. While 2-year-old Lila has her hurdles, they don’t stop her.

Kanyetzny learned about Lila through her aunt, and immediately decided to make her the recipient of this year’s “Allie’s Wish.”

“I started it when I was 10, around my birthday with my mom,” Kanyetzny said. “I was like ‘I don’t want anything, Mom.’”

Instead of receiving gifts at 10, she decided to give, and she’s been giving ever since.

From feeding the homeless, to charity drives for children in the hospital — Kanyetzny spends upwards of 20 hours a week helping others.

So far, with the help of donations and even a full-blown benefit concert, Kanyetzny’s collected $1,620 for Lila.

Money that goes to a priceless cause. Lila attends weekly hippotherapy sessions with her pony, Lily.

Occupational therapist Janet Weisberg encourages Lila to use her right arm, where her muscles are particularly stiff.

“If I were working with her in a clinic, it would be much, much harder to get her to do some of these things,” Weisberg said.

And the therapy is working. Lila’s first two words together were spoken on a horse, and she can now sit independently.

“She’s just this amazing girl,” Kanyetzny said. “People may say that I’ve given so much to her, but really, she’s given so much to me. She’s given me a different look on life — to not take the small things for granted.”

Thanks to Kanyetzny’s wish, Lila is another step closer to one day walking.

“Even though I have tears in my eyes right now, they really are happy tears,” Lila’s mother said. “Because I’m so darn proud of my kid. And I just know that she can do anything she wants to, and I don’t think I have had so much fulfillment and happiness in my life since having Lila.”

Kanyetzny says she wants to major in pre-med and work in pediatrics. She hopes to then continue “Allie’s Wish” by setting up clinics around the world.

To donate, click here.

To learn more, click here.

Susie went to a mine that’s been in operation for decades where they showed her how St. Charles’ proposed sand mine would work.

Inside Minnesota: Silica Sand Storm (Part 2)

CHANHASSEN (WCCO) – Hundreds of students and faculty members from an elementary school are walking in memory of a special little boy named Mitch.

A group of about 600 students from Chanhassen elementary were on a mission Wednesday morning. They walked from their school to the Miracles of Mitch Foundation to deliver food for a pantry.

The foundation is named after Mitch Chepokas, a student at Chanhassen Elementary who lost his battle to bone cancer in 2003. He was 9 years old.

Staff helped the students carry their dry goods to the foundation, which will go to Mitch’s Pantry at the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital.

Miracles of Mitch Foundation keeps two pantries stocked with food at the hospital Children’s so parents don’t need to leave their sick children in order to eat.

The students walk in his honor wearing his favorite color, orange, delivering enough food to fill the pantry that they had collected over six weeks.

Even when Mitch was sick before he died, he was very positive and shared that with other kids who had cancer — even giving them his savings.

Miracles of Mitch Foundation coordinators say events like this help keep his giving spirit alive and bring encouragement for other cancer patients.

The Minnesota Department of Health cited Hillcrest Terrace for failing to recognize an elderly resident’s health had deteriorated. Paramedics were called when the man was found unconscious and suffering from critically low blood sugar due to diabetes and a urinary tract infection.

County Attorney Mark Rubin issued a news release saying the incident has been properly resolved at Hillcrest and no further action was necessary.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

MINNNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — When something doesn’t feel right, many go online to search for information on what their symptoms might mean.

But some patients are over diagnosing themselves, and doctors are diagnosing this phenomenon as its own condition: “Cyberchondria.”

Cyberchondria is a growing trend in which a person spends hours online reading health websites, self-diagnosing, and stressing out.

According to Dr. Chris Balgobin of Fairview Clinics, one of the hardest parts of his job is to convince people that they don’t have what they think.

“You need a healthcare professional to break it down for you — that’s what we are trained to do,” Balgobin said. “Yes, there are delayed diagnoses. Finding that right provider that will listen to you and help engage you in an active discussion about your health. A physical exam is a huge part of this, too.”

According to Dr. Balgobin, some people spend so much time reading about symptoms that they report having those symptoms when they don’t actually exist.

“Their mind is a powerful thing. It controls everything in the body: nervous system, mood, thyroid. When your mind is overly stressed about what you have, you start symptomizing where you create your symptoms. You start feeling this pain. ‘Wow, it’s tingly over here. I must have a stroke.’ And you go down this road of anxiety building,” Balgobin said.

If you want to check on your symptoms before seeing your doctor, Balgobin says make sure you look at credible websites, such as Fairview.org, Mayoclinic.org or webMD.com. But you should never use the internet as your only opinion or second opinion.

If symptoms persist, Balgobin says, you should see your doctor. Though your symptoms may match something you read online, Balgobin says that symptoms need interpretation. Bring that information to your appointment. Doctors have context and a background knowledge to properly diagnose.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Maybe you remember Joe Mauer’s batting average, but forget your boyfriend’s birthday. Or you always remember a face, but never remember a name.

We are bombarded with millions of pieces of information every day, so why do we remember some things and forget others?

“It’s extremely complicated,” said Dr. Michael Rosenbloom, a neurologist and the director of HealthPartners’s Memory Clinic in St. Paul.

It all starts in the frontal lobes.

“The front of the brain also decides what’s important, what’s not important, what can we forget,” Rosenbloom said.

That’s where the working memory makes the first decision. But that short-term waiting room only has a couple seats.

“Seven pieces of information, plus or minus two. If it’s more than that, basically, it decays with time. This is one way the brain filters information and lets us hone in on the most important stuff,” he said.

The next stop is the temporal lobes and hippocampus…where memories get stored. Some memories are stored in the part of the brain dealing with visual memories, or verbal.

“It has to do with genetics. And a lot of times our experiences influence how good our memory is. For instance, I find artists have really good visual memories. For people who teach or are writers, their verbal memories are better,” Rosenbloom said.

Finally, the memories go to long-term storage in the cortex.

“There’s eventually a process called consolidation. When that happens, information is sent via a neural network to the cortex,” Rosenbloom said.

What’s fascinating is that this process is playing out constantly, and fairly efficiently.

But if the brain is filtering out unimportant stuff, how does the brain know what’s important?

“That’s a good question, and we could spend hours talking about that,” Rosenbloom said. “Somehow my brain has figured out how to hone in on what’s important to my life.”

The more connections the better. If you can attach a name to a face and link those with an emotion, it’s more likely you’ll remember that name.

Rosenbloom said there are several types of memories. Episodic memories are the day-to-day events and conversations of life. Working memory is that short-term processing place.

“There’s a different type of memory called semantic memory – which is more encyclopedic knowledge. ‘Who was the President during World War II?’” Rosenbloom said. People tend to retain that knowledge most relevant to their own careers and interests.

The strongest memory seems to be the procedural memory, the kind that lets us ride a bike or drive a car.
What kind of things can make your memories harder to retain?

Most commonly, insomnia affects memory. And if you’re not paying attention, it doesn’t make it to the rest of the brain, Rosenbloom said.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A WCCO story about germs at indoor playgrounds has led to a new state resource for parents.

The report showed high levels of bacteria on every surface tested at three different indoor playgrounds.

That doesn’t necessarily mean a child will get sick, but the higher the number of bacteria, the better the chance.

Republican State Senator Mary Kiffmeyer hoped to pass a bill regulating the cleaning of indoor playgrounds, and while it didn’t go to a vote, but the Department of Health has created this web site.

The biggest lesson is simple — wash your child’s hands before and after they use the playground.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A parent’s love for their 5-year-old son has taken them half way across the world in search of a second chance.

Five-year-old Omar Hassan-Ahmed was born with problems in his urinary system. These problems led to the failure of his kidneys. Since Egypt has no kidney donor program, his family head to the United States.

WCCO-TV shows how one Minnesota hospital and the help of generous strangers are giving Omar a fighting chance.

Omar is like most 5 year old’s. He’s good at numbers, asks a lot of questions and has trouble sitting still.

“He asks about everything he sees — why this Papa happen, why this, I want to be like this,” Omar’s father Hesham Hassan said.

There’s just a couple differences. First, he’s extraordinarily thoughtful.

“I told him pray our God that he heal you, so I’m listening to him … he saying, ‘Oh my God, help all people.’ Not just himself,” Hassan said.

Secondly, Omar’s undergone more than most adults.

The Mayo Clinic first answered Hesham Hassan’s call for help six months ago. In the last three months, Omar’s family has transferred to the U of M Amplatz Ronald McDonald House. Omar goes to the hospital for dialysis every other day, sitting for hours at a time.

The family’s raised $120,000 based strictly on donations, but they need $90,000 more before Omar can receive a transplant.

“It’s challenging and hard. Two faces: hard and a lot of times, I am crying but nobody see me and other times, it’s challenging because this is my son’s life,” Hassan said.

The Hassans say Omar’s clock is ticking. The longer their 5-year-old is on dialysis, the harder it is for his system to take, causing potential problems with his heart.

“I will not leave America unless my son be very good, this is my challenge … and I will do it,” Hassan said.

As for who will donate the kidney, Omar already has a few options. There are already seven matching donors who’ve contacted the family through their website.

If you’d like to help the Hassan family, visit www.cotaforomara.com or https://www.facebook.com/omarhesham2012.

According to the health department’s study, analysis confirms that some residents were exposed to PFCs in their drinking water.

“Participants who drank unfiltered water for more years had higher PFC blood levels,” the health department reported. “Also, the more water a person drank, the higher their PFC levels were. These results confirm that drinking water was a major source of exposure in East Metro communities and that efforts to reduce this exposure were key in bringing down blood levels between 2008-2010.”

PFCs were used for decades at 3M’s Cottage Grove plant to make things like Scotchgard, non-stick cookware and firefighting foam. The PFCs were found to have contaminated groundwater and drinking water.

3M has said in the past that they believe there are no adverse health effects caused by PFCs.

More details will be released during a community meeting on Wednesday, May 15.

Prosecutors say James and Cynthia Hood, of North Oaks, made false statements in order to receive county, state and federal benefits and assistance for their disabled children.

Authorities say the Hoods received hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical assistance payments, despite a family net worth in the millions. Sixty-nine-year-old James Hood has been sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison and ordered to pay a $200,000 fine on mail fraud, health care fraud and theft of public money.

Fifty-five-year-old Cynthia Hood was ordered to serve 3 years of probation and pay a $300,000 fine. The Hoods were also ordered Monday to pay about $480,000 in restitution. Prosecutors say they did not object to probation for Cynthia Hood because of her role in caring for her two children.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Experts say 40 percent of Americans snore when they sleep. Then there are those who have to sleep next to a snorer. And then there are those of us who are in denial.

I was convinced my wife Amelia was imagining it, so I went to a sleep clinic to find the truth.

I packed up my pillow and checked into the sleep lab at Hennepin County Medical Center.

Torre Giller wired me up, and humored me.

“You’d be surprised at the number of men we get here. ‘I don’t have a problem, it’s all my wife’s fault,’” Giller said.

It took about an hour to get all the wires and sensors set, and then Torre wanted me to try out the CPAP machine just in case they saw any signs of sleep apnea – which happens in about two-thirds of their sleep studies.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a dangerous condition that includes loud snoring. The snorer’s airway gets constricted, they actually stop breathing and even wake up from it.

It causes fatigue and can contribute to high blood pressure, heart disease and even stroke.

It’s scary stuff, but since I don’t snore, I wouldn’t have to worry about it – or so I thought.

While I slept, Torre and our crew listened, and probably laughed. It turned out I was snoring loudly while on my stomach.

I was in for a rude awakening when I met with Dr. Michele LeClaire to go over my results. She examined me, took my medical history and then broke the news. I didn’t really believe it until she showed me the tape, the graphs and all that snoring.

Fortunately, I don’t have sleep apnea. My snoring is only dangerous for Amelia. And there aren’t many solutions.

I don’t smoke or drink much, and I’m not overweight, which can all contribute to snoring. I don’t need medicine to avoid congestion, and I don’t sleep on my back – so I can’t use their t-shirt trick.

“What we tell people generally is get a tight fitting t-shirt that has a pocket sewn on it. Stick a tennis ball in there and sew it shut. Wear it backwards so the ball’s always digging in your back every time you get on your back,” LeClaire said.

My only chance might be a special mouthpiece, fitted by a dentist.

“Crank this out so it starts to distract the bottom jaw forward in order to alleviate the obstruction that’s happening in the back of the throat,” she said.

But they can run $1,200, and although insurance often covers them to treat sleep apnea they usually aren’t covered for the rest of us snorers.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Conventional wisdom has been to clean a baby’s pacifier using soap and water. But new research shows another method — that’s somewhat unconventional — could have unexpected benefits.

“If I have a sink on hand I’ll rinse it off in the sink or I’ll use a water bottle to sort of rinse it, but otherwise I’ll put it in my mouth and clean it that way if I have no other option,” said Katie Civitano, a mother.

Even though it sounds unsanitary, new research shows Civitano could be helping her child develop fewer allergies.

New research in The Journal Pediatrics looked at 184 kids, and found children whose parents sucked on their pacifiers to clean them had a lower risk of developing both eczema and asthma.

A parent’s healthy bacteria can pass on health benefits to baby.

Most experts say if your baby’s pacifier falls on the floor in your home, you should run it under hot water.

Pediatricians also say to throw a pacifier away if it has cracks or tears because those are perfect places for bacteria to grow.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The simple act of breathing is something many of us take for granted. But for the 30,000 people dealing with cystic fibrosis (CF) in the U.S., taking a breath can be a task in itself.

The University of Minnesota, considered a leader in cystic fibrosis research, has played a big role in the clinical trials of a new drug that’s helping CF patients breathe easier.

Any runner will tell you that a long jog can leave you winded. But for Chelsea Votel, breathing and exercise have never been so easy.

Her daily jogs are no longer slowed by her CF, a genetic disorder where the body produces thicker mucus, often making it hard to breath.

“It’s very different than what it used to be. It was a challenge before,” Votel said.

A recent checkup at the University of Minnesota Medical Center shows her lungs are now at near-normal capacity. For the last year, Chelsea has been taking a new drug to treat cystic fibrosis called Kalydeco.

“I think my quality of life has just improved overall,” she said.

According to her physician, Dr. Jordan Dunitz, Kalydeco is the first drug to treat the actual disorder, targeting the gene deficiency rather than treating the symptoms. Dunitz has been part of the clinical trials at the U since the beginning.

“It’s amazing,” Dunitz said. “There are very few breakthroughs that have this kind of impact on any disease that we see.”

Chelsea isn’t the only one who’s showing promising results. Dunitz has seen the quality of life of other patients improve with the drug.

While cystic fibrosis could at times be a fatal condition, Dunitz believes that could soon change.

“From everything we’ve seen, it’s going to make it a very different disease,” he said.

For Chelsea, the pill has given her more than the ability to breathe easily. It’s given her the chance to plan for her future.

“When I was younger, I didn’t know if I would have a full, healthy life,” Votel said. “Now I can set goals that are 30 years down the line and not just 5-years out.”

Kalydeco only helps 5 percent of patients living with cystic fibrosis. A new drug is in clinical trials that could help 50-90 percent of CF sufferers.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — If we ever get out of winter, it’ll be sidewalk patio season. Heidi Jensen in St. Paul wondered: Can restaurants just put chairs and tables wherever they want?

Heidi sent me a picture of a sidewalk café, which she said was difficult to get around when she tried to push a stroller by.

I called the city of St. Paul, which said there are restaurants that can just put out tables without a special license. And they are all located in downtown St. Paul.

Everywhere else in St. Paul restaurants need a sidewalk cafe license, and it costs $86.

By law in St. Paul and Minneapolis, restaurants have to leave a clearance of 48 inches so a wheelchair can get through.

The place Heidi sent a picture of had a license. But an inspector went out to make sure they had enough clearance on the sidewalk.

—

You’ll see it in the sale papers on Sunday — he ads for Target or Best Buy. Cody Nelson wanted to know: Why does new music only get released on Tuesday?

Cody, it used to be random, but then some record stores got an advantage. If you got the album first, you got all the sales. So the record companies set up a street date. It used to be Monday, but then if there was a shipping problem, there was no chance to correct it.

Now it’s set to arrive on Monday. If something goes wrong… it can be overnighted for Tuesday.

—

Marie and Quinn in Litchfield wondered: Why is your elbow called your funny bone?

Nothing funny about it, it’s also not a bone.

Inside your elbow is the ulnar nerve. When your humerus bone rubs the ulnar nerve, it hurts. The nerve provides pinkie and ring fingers with feeling, and that’s why it tingles when you hit your funny bone.

MINNETRISTA, Minn. (WCCO) – With fresh snow on the ground in many areas, it’s hard to think about growing vegetables. But across the Upper Midwest, CSA farms are not only thinking about it — they’re planting.

CSA stands for community supported agriculture. In the spring, you can purchase a share of the CSA, which gets you get a bag of fresh vegetables and fruits every week for about 19 weeks.

At the Gale Woods Farm in Minnetrista, broccoli was being planted Thursday, and CSA shareholders like Tammy Wenning and Kathy Norton couldn’t wait to get their weekly bags of produce.

“Brussels sprouts, onions, potatoes — anything that you would grow in a Minnesota garden,” Wenning said.

Norton added that she likes knowing where her food comes from and who grows it.

A CSA share at Gale Woods is $575, and all the 2013 shares have already sold out.

“I think the value is definitely there,” Norton said.

Many others agree. CSAs are surging in popularity.

Shareholders can often pick up their weekly bags of produce at central drop off points, which are often local co-ops like the Linden Hills Co-Op in Minneapolis.

Maia Campbell, the manager at the Linden Hills Co-Op and a longtime CSA shareholder, says her CSA share forces her to try new recipes and even new vegetables.

“There’s so many fun things that you get to do with these new produce, like…kohlrabi. I mean, I never knew anything about Kohlrabi,” she said.

CSA farmers say that despite the late start, their produce will be just as fresh and tasty this season.

Tim Reese, the farm supervisor at Gale Woods Farm, said the farm is a week or two behind schedule due to the wintry weather. But he has hope that long days of sunshine are here at last.

If you’re interested in signing up for a CSA, click here.

Leaders of the group Minnesotans for Compassionate Care said they are not expecting action on the proposal until the 2014 session. The current session is due to conclude in a few weeks. The bill could face an uphill push given long-standing opposition from Gov. Mark Dayton and law enforcement groups.

The measure dictates the amount of marijuana someone can possess, the types of health conditions that would permit use and the rules medical professionals must follow when issuing prescriptions. It would continue to bar smoking of marijuana on school buses and school grounds, on public transportation, in the presence of a child and while operating vehicles, boats or other transportation equipment.

Rep. Carly Melin, DFL-Hibbing, said her bill “strikes the appropriate balance between compassion, health and safety.” She said she hopes to persuade Dayton to keep an open mind as the legislation proceeds.

Patients who are prescribed the drug would have to get a special identification card, which would carry a fee ranging from $25 to $100. They would be allowed to carry 2.5 ounces of marijuana at a time. Qualifying debilitating medical conditions include cancer, glaucoma, AIDS and other serious illnesses.

Joni Whiting of Jordan, whose daughter used marijuana illegally in the final days of a long bout with cancer, said the drug was the only thing that reliably eased the pain.

“I would rather have spent the rest of my life in prison than deny her the medicine that helped her live for 89 more days,” Whiting said at a news conference, where she taped a picture of her late daughter, Stephanie, to a podium. She added, “I saw with my own eyes that for medical purposes, marijuana works.”

Marijuana dispensaries would have to pay a $15,000 registration fee, and there would be limits on the number that could operate in any county dependent on population.

Boosters have bipartisan support in both chambers, though considerably more Democrats are signed on as co-sponsors.

Minnesota lawmakers approved a medical marijuana bill in 2009. But then-Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty vetoed the measure. Dayton has voiced opposition to legalization of marijuana for any use and said the medical protections have sometimes been a backdoor way for users to get access.

Rep. Bob Barrett, R-Lindstrom, said the state shouldn’t encourage drug use by making marijuana legal for medical reasons.

“The legalization of medical marijuana in Minnesota would only serve to make this gateway drug more accessible to our younger populations,” he said.

The state’s main law enforcement associations have long opposed any efforts to loosen the state’s marijuana laws. Dennis Flaherty, executive director of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, has called legalized drug possession “a regulatory and enforcement nightmare.” Flaherty said he hadn’t read the latest bill so he withheld reaction.

Democratic Rep. Dan Schoen, a Cottage Grove police officer who worked the narcotics unit for 4½ years, is a co-sponsor of the legislation. Initially a skeptic, he said watching a grandparent battle cancer helped change his mind on the issue. He said he believes the new proposal contains some of the strictest regulations in the country.

“If I see this vary in any way, shape or form to the point of full legalization, I will stand up in opposition,” Schoen said.

Medical marijuana is legal in 18 states plus the District of Columbia, and similar efforts are underway in many more. Last month, the Illinois House narrowly approved a bill establishing a four-year pilot project; that bill awaits Senate action.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)