Project:

Continued From Page 1 volunteer EMS building - is undergoing renovations and could open as early as the end of the summer.

Some projects relating to the township’s waterfront location include a design of the reconstruction of the “T”-dock at Windward Beach Park, a structural evaluation of the Ocean Beach 3 concession building, new floating docks at the township-owned Traders Cove Park and Marina, and a large-scale dredge project for the boat slips there.

The proposed capital budget also includes technology requests such as a redesign of the township website and placement of the video recording system and microphones used to record meetings.

Also, funds are requested for Building and Grounds to continue installation of ballistic glaze in public offices including the tax collector, the tax assessor and Land Use.

Ballistic glaze, commonly called bulletproof glass, is made of transparent materials designed to resist the penetration of bullets.

The Department of Public Works (DPW) has requested funds for Building and Grounds to install air conditioning in the dispatch shed behind Town Hall, even though the secondary dispatch location will be moved to the new building. The shed will remain the location for the township servers. she knew, who advised her to speak to the pediatrician about them. The nurse suggested James might be experiencing sleep apnea, which is generally more common in premature babies.

Also, the budget includes four, 40-yard roll-off containers for the yard at DPW, a new roll-off truck for sanitation, a new sidearm garbage truck for sanitation, and a new patch truck for the road crew. The department is also asking for a utility truck and brush hog for parks.

Police capital requests include a dispatch radio console upgrade, and five workstations for the temporary dispatch center in the Special Operations Building. The $1,057,881 building was included in the 2022 capital budget. The pole-barn style building, measuring 7,240 square-feet, is being constructed behind Town Hall/police headquarters and will be used to protect various police vehicles.

As part of the 2023 capital budget, an HVAC system is also included for the new building including office and garage heaters, a fire alarm, and everything else needed for a complete interior buildout.

The police department is also asking for a new drone.

Emergency Medical Services has requested two Stryker power cots to replace cots that are nine years old. Additionally, the department has requested 10 new portable radios, which is part of the radio upgrade project to replace portables that Motorola no longer supports or repairs.

Members of the council unanimously voted in favor of the bond ordinances. A final vote will take place after a public hearing, which will take place at the next council meeting on May 23 at 7 p.m.

What followed was an incredibly alarming event. Upon checking on James after putting him to bed, Kristy was terrified by what she saw. No longer was it just a matter of her baby boy’s lips being slightly discolored. Instead, Kristy now observed with horror that James’ entire head had turned grey.

Kristy had already begun researching infant apnea based on her discussions with her nurse friend. She remembered what she had learned about assisting a baby in recovering from an apneic episode and put her knowledge into action.

“I was blowing on his face and tapping on his feet,” Kristy said. “He wouldn’t come out of it; he was just frozen.”

All of a sudden, James began to cry, and Kristy hugged him close to her body. James wanted no part of nursing and fell back to sleep for the entire night.

Kristy recounted the incident to her nurse friend, who emphasized the importance of seeking prompt medical attention for James. The nurse warned Kristy that the situation could worsen to the point where it might be difficult to intervene, leaving James in a precarious position.

As both parents attempted to come to grips with the fact that something could be wrong with James, they initially downplayed their initial fears. Jeremy and Kristy wanted to believe the issue was nothing more than a case of gas interfering with their newborn’s sleep. The couple was confident that everything would be fine.

Nevertheless, doctors admitted James to the hospital for two days and ran a battery of tests. Finally, they sent James home with an apnea monitor to capture his sleep patterns. Unfortunately, the answers didn’t start to make sense until after Kristy was able to video James during one of the episodes.

“He was three months old, and it was just before Christmas,” recalled Kristy. “He was asleep in his stroller like a new baby and suddenly woke up.”

James appeared to be mouthing something as he looked to the side, almost as if he was trying to communicate. Then, out of nowhere, James began crying from a deep sleep, and Kristy attempted to soothe him. Although she couldn’t pinpoint the exact problem, Kristy sensed something was off, as James seemed unusually lethargic.

Once concerned that they might be overreacting, Jeremy and Kristy wanted answers.

A call to the pediatrician landed them in Jersey Shore Medical Center’s emergency room. A neurologist called for a consultation, watched the video, and determined that James had had a seizure.

James began his first course of anti-seizure medication that worked for a few days. Jeremy and Kristy became so hopeful – until the seizures broke through. Moving on to the next anti-seizure drug required weaning from the first, as many of these medicines

Epilepsy: Continued From Page 1 (Epilepsy - See Page 9) are addictive, and James could not be abruptly taken off them.

Each medication came with its side effects, from potential heart damage to peripheral vision loss. Some drugs could only be obtained from off-label pharmacies. Nonetheless, both parents felt desperate – they were willing to try anything.

“I couldn’t even count the number of ‘episodes’ as we called them back then,” Kristy said. “There were times there were over 100 in one day.”

“They needed to give him intravenous drugs to knock him out,” added Kristy. “To kind of calm his brain down.”

Medical consultants at the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania were equally puzzled why none of the medications would work. So when James was six months old, doctors suggested genetic testing to see what they could learn.

The tests revealed that James’ seizures were not caused by a genetic condition he inherited from his parents. However, James did have a form of epilepsy caused by a spontaneous gene mutation.

KCNT1 epilepsy is a rare and severe form of epilepsy that can cause developmental delays and other health problems. Its resistance to anti-seizure drugs is one of the key characteristics of the disease. The diagnosis finally explained why none of the medications given to James could halt his seizures.

“After the doctors determined the diagnosis, they knew there was an old medication that would help James,” Kristy shared. “He was the second one to try it, and the seizures started to dissipate.”

Kristy said she preferred not to release the name of the medication and added that the drug could have a potential adverse side effect on the heart.

Researchers believe that KCNT1 mutations caused James to experience malignant migrating partial seizures of infancy. James began showing evidence that he was developmentally delayed as a result at a young age. For example, he did not reach for toys or meet typical milestones as he grew older. At 8 years old, James is non-verbal and unable to walk. A school bus takes him to the Lehmann School in Lakewood, where he has both therapies and learns at a slower pace.

“They work on seeing if he can make eye contact in a field of two,” said Kristy, “And maybe look for a letter or listen to songs. He’s got aides who just help him along. The school also gives James some socialization.”

When he’s around his family, there’s no doubt that James is particularly happy. He has an infectious giggle, almost instantly triggered when his little brother makes silly noises.

Jackson, age 6, took his mom by surprise when he opened up about James. Usually somewhat reserved, Jackson admitted he liked pushing his brother’s stroller and enjoyed pulling pranks on the nurses who sometimes visit.

“He takes James in stride,” Kristy shared. “Jackson is really the sweetest thing to him, and I can tell James really likes it when he’s with his brother.”

The Salkewicz family has two dogs, a black lab named Indy and a yellow lab