The Berlin
Cit itiz ize en
Volume 16, Number 8
Berlin’s Only Hometown Newspaper
Thursday, Februar y 23, 2012
Cutbacks in high school renovations leave parents dismayed By Melissa Chicker The Berlin Citizen
Concerned parents discussed their feelings about the recent news of cutbacks being made to the Berlin High School expansion and renovation plan. The meeting, held last Monday at the high school, brought out parents as well as Board of Education President Gary Brochu and board member John Richards. The estimate presented to the public building commission in December indicated that building costs would ex-
Original high school, left,to be transformed into a new and improved school for students, right.
See Cutbacks, page 6
Medical epidemic affects Berlin resident Photo by Jadesfight.webbly.com
By Melissa Chicker The Berlin Citizen
“If kids aren’t getting the medication, especially on schedule then bad things can happen,” said Howes. Jade takes a preservativefree methotrexate, most com-
monly used by leukemia patients it has been now hard to come by since last November. It’s known to be less toxic and is injected into the spinal fluid to prevent the spread or recurrence of the disease. Five of the pharmaceutical companies that manufacture the injected drug, have either slowed or stopped making it because of production costs outweigh the drug cost due to cheaper generic alternatives. Ben Venue Laboratories Inc., the largest manufacturer, temporarily closed its factory voluntarily in Bedford, Ohio, last November after federal inspectors said the company had not properly maintained equipment or kept a sterile environment. Hospira, another manufacturer of the medication, is trying its best to resolve the issue.
Thomas Moore, president, U.S., Hospira in a news release.“Methotrexate is an important product for the care of patients with cancer, specifically for children with limited treatment options, and Hospira is committed to
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helping address the supply gap for this key medication.” Nearly 3,000 children and adolescents are diagnosed each year in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institution; 80 percent of children are suc-
See Medical, page 6
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A medication known to cure the most common form of childhood cancer is in short supply and making national headlines. For East Berlin resident Tiffany Howes, the crisis is personal. Howes four-year-old niece, Jade Bemiller, who lives in California, was diagnosed last April with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. According to the International Marrow Donor Program, this cancer is a fast-growing cancer of the white blood cells. Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell that the body uses to fight infections. It is common in children ages two to five. The medication called methotrexate, which Jade takes, has been rationed and in some cases has already run out in hospitals around the country. This could mean a sad outcome for families and the children affected by this epidemic.
“Hospira is working ur-
Jade on her first day back gently to help resolve the methotrexate shortage,” said at school