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7/13/12 blog post

the right voice in Washington

Dayton Children’s is busily preparing for our annual trip to Washington, D.C. to meet with federal legislators to discuss with them the importance of protecting pediatric health care. The pediatric patients at Dayton Children’s will be well represented by this year’s ambassadors.

Nine-month-old Amelia Cutter and her family will join nearly 30 other child patients and their families traveling to the nation’s capital to help bring to life the importance of adequate funding for pediatric care as part of the Children’s Hospital Association’s Family Advocacy Day, taking place July 23-25, 2012. The event includes one-on-one congressional visits, a congressional luncheon, a tour of Washington and a celebratory dinner to honor the child patients known as Family Advocacy Day “All Stars.”

The Cutter family, from Liberty Township, knows firsthand the value of quality pediatric care. Just days after birth, one of Amelia Cutter’s nurses noticed the first episode of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), which is a very rapid heartbeat. The baby was rushed to the special care nursery where her mother delivered and it was determined Amelia’s heart was racing between 250-300 beats per minute.

After a quick consult with one of Dayton Children’s pediatric cardiologists, Amelia was quickly transferred to Dayton Children’s Regional Level III Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Michael Ralston, MD, one of the Dayton Children’s pediatric cardiologists caring for Amelia, noticed a small anomaly on Amelia’s EKG (electrocardiogram) that is consistent with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW), which can cause the SVTs Amelia was experiencing. WPW is a congenital heart condition in which the heart has an extra electrical pathway, and is one of the most common causes of fast heart rate disorders in infants and children.

Amelia is now thriving, steadily gaining weight since going home. The Cutters manage the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome by using the heart monitor at night and giving daily beta blockers to control Amelia’s heart rate. Amelia has monthly appointments with the cardiologists at Dayton Children’s.

“We feel incredibly blessed for the specialized care and attention Amelia receives from the pediatric specialists and specially trained nurses at Dayton Children’s,” said Sara Cutter. “Timely access to pediatricians and specialists for all children is critical. We’re taking our story to Washington to help our leaders recognize the need to protect and preserve quality health care for kids all across the country.”

Follow this blog as the Cutter families travels to Washington D.C.