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YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 10, No. 39
Ally undergoes second transplant by Ruth Roberts Staff Writer To describe the last 12 months of Ally Jenkins’ life as a Year of Miracles might seem an overstatement. But for the Oakley 15-year-old who has undergone not one but two double lung transplants since October of 2009, there’s no other way to describe it. “I realize how lucky I am, knowing that my life has been saved twice,” said Ally. “I’m feeling great and I can breathe better than I ever have. I’m really excited to have my life back.” Ally returned to her Oakley home from UCSF Medical Center this week, just eight days after undergoing her second double lung transplant. According to her mother, Vickee, the difference in Ally’s recovery from the first transplant to the second is like night and day. “We’re just amazed at how different this (transplant) was from last time,” said Vickee. “Last year when she woke up from her transplant, she could walk maybe six steps with a nurse on each side holding her up. But this time she pushed herself off the bed with no one helping her and did four laps around the (hospital) floor. She’s doing really great.” Ally’s journey began in July of 2009,
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Oakley’s Ally Jenkins came home this week after her second double lung transplant. when the Freedom High School freshman was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension, an incurable disease that hinders the flow of blood from the heart to the lungs.
A double lung transplant was the only remedy. In August of that year, a donor was found and Ally received her transplant, but it was rough going from the start. “When she came home in November it was just one thing after another,” said Vickee. “She had pneumonia four times and developed a rare bacteria in her lungs that took nearly a year to treat, and she had lots of aspiration (breathing) issues. All the promises of going back to a normal life just never happened.” In April, Ally went into chronic rejection and was immediately placed on 24-hour oxygen. When she was finally admitted to the hospital in July she was told she would remain there until a donor was found. Throughout her months of waiting for a second donor, Ally has continued to be supported by her friends, family and a community that has not forgotten. “The community, everyone, has really rallied around Ally, and it’s something that has never stopped,” said Vickee. “We are so grateful for the support. It’s really kept us going.” And now that she’s home, Ally intends to get herself going as soon as possible. And the first order of business?
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September 24, 2010
This Week House that O’Hara built
Leave it to our readers to solve a history mystery involving a man who’s a household name in Oakley. Page 6A
City on kids’ security alert A third recent strangerdanger incident has provoked heightened vigilance. Page 3A
Falcons liquidate Pats
see Ally page 26A
East County schools’ test scores soar by Ruth Roberts
API Scores
Staff Writer 848 +19
840 +31
850
829
809
800 732 +16
750
735
747 +12
779 772 +7
797 795 +2
716
700 650 600 2009
Antioch Unified School District
2010
Brentwood Union School District
Liberty High School District
Oakley Union School District
Knightsen School District
Byron Union School District
Despite ongoing budget cuts, the elimination of school programs and increased class sizes, California’s schools have managed to raise their Academic Performance Index (API) scores again for the eighth year in a row. “It’s certainly good news all around,” said Donald Gill, superintendent of the Antioch Unified School District, which earned a 16 point API increase to 732. “In our district we tripled the growth of the past five years. It puts things on a real positive note.” API is the cornerstone of California’s Public Schools Accountability Act of 1991. It measures the academic performance and growth of schools through a point-based system determined primarily by the results of the California
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see API page 26A
Macro ministry
Oktoberfesting
Community chaplains take the work of the church beyond the sanctuary.
The Byron Delta Lions will bring Bavaria to East County in a seasonal bash.
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They didn’t earn any style points, but the Falcons eventually got their aquatic act together and earned a W. Page 3B
Plus: Business .............................25A Calendar ............................ 23B Classifieds ......................... 16B Cop Logs ............................19A Entertainment ................. 11B Health & Beauty ................ 8B Milestones ........................ 14B Opinion ..............................18A Sports ................................... 1B
FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A
Show-offs
go to multimedia/videos The daring hot dogs at an air/water show delivered on flash and splash.