By Rachel Cavanaugh
Editor, The Sentinel
Around one o'clock in the morning last Thursday, phone lines lit up throughout Klickitat County. Bedroom lights flickered on, cell phones vibrated, and text messages went flashing on and off.
There was good news: Karlee Jenkins had gotten her heart.
The three-month-old, who was born with a rare condition called Left Ventricular Non-compaction Disorder, had been intubated at the Seattle Children's Hospital since New Year's Day.
Time had been growing short and for months, family and friends had been praying around the clock.
On Thursday, it seemed their prayers were answered.
"My heart was pounding, my body went cold," recalled her mother, Devon Jenkins. "I was smiling, I was crying - I began to sweat all over."
"Then it set in that my prayers [had] been answered."
Devon said she had been asleep when the transplant coordinator called her around 12:45 a.m. Her mother was in the same room and her husband Ryan was working in Yakima. She called him at 12:51 a.m. and nine minutes later he was out the door.
She then called her father and sister in Goldendale. Ryan's mother and sister-in-law rode with him.
Around 4 a.m., a sea of people descended upon the Seattle waiting room and at 7:42, doctors wheeled Karlee into the operating room. Devon said the waiting was one of the hardest parts.
"Time slowly ticked away," said Devon. "The new heart did not arrive to the hospital until noon."
"I kept telling my family that I was waiting for a big punch because we have been living this roller coaster for so long that I have learned to expect let-downs."
However, not long after the heart arrived, Karlee emerged from surgery and was off bypass within one hour. By 2 p.m., she was back in her own room.
This time, Devon said, it was not a let-down.
Although the heart was slightly larger, doctors were able to get her chest closed.
The mother said it was not until after seeing how pink Karlee was with her new heart that she realized how sick she really was.
"I just can't get over the difference in her color," said Devon. "We knew she was sick, but literally she was so sick."
Since the operation she has been awake several times, which Devon said gives them a chance to "see her pretty eyes."
The infant is still swollen and has an incision line running from her throat to belly. She is on a ventilator and hooked up to nitric oxide.
"It will take time," said Karlee in an online journal entry. "Her lungs now need to heal because of all the trauma from her poor heart."
Doctors are currently finding the right medications to regulate her blood pressure, keep her sedated, and insure her body does not reject the new heart.
"She will be on medication for the rest of her life," said Devon. "As each day goes on, Ryan and I are learning more and more about the future...the doctors have said the first year is crucial for her to stay healthy, so that is our main goal."
Devon and her husband will be able to view Karlee's old heart, which was "spongy" due to development from her condition.
She said it will be a long road to recovery, but one the family will walk down together, alongside Karlee.
"We have a new hope that she will be able to go home one day," said Devon. "We will still be in Seattle for several more months, but we are just one day closer to the time we are all together as a family."
DOL to close by summer
Goldendale branch is latest in budget cuts
By Rachel Cavanaugh
Editor, The Sentinel
A local Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) office has become the latest entity in Klickitat County to be hit by the budget deficit.
Last week, the department announced it will close its Goldendale branch by late spring or summer.
The move will mean drivers who need to visit the office in person will need to go to White Salmon.
Selena Davis, communications consultant for DOL, said it is part of a bigger plan linked to Governor Christine Gregoire's "21st century government reform package." The idea, she said, is to come up with new and innovative ways of operating to cut costs.
"This is definitely in reaction to the budget shortfall the governor is dealing with right now," said Davis. "By doing this we're estimating we're going to save $4 million in this coming biennium."
She noted 55 percent of DOL functions at the Goldendale office can now be done online. If drivers opt to renew their licenses this way, most will only have to go in person every 10 years. It is only for offenses like Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or people in certain age groups that have to go more often.
Furthermore, she emphasized only driver's licensing will be affected - vehicle licensing and tag renewals are separate.
The decision to keep the White Salmon office open instead of Goldendale was based on heavier traffic through White Salmon, according to a DOL fact sheet.
Last year, for example, there were 8,043 transactions out of White Salmon, as opposed to the 2,147 in Goldendale.
Beyond that, costs have been higher.
In Goldendale, for instance, it costs $15.48 per transaction to stay open, whereas the White Salmon branch only costs $11.45.
The Goldendale closure is estimated to save more than $35,000 in the upcoming biennium from reduced lease and building maintenance costs, equipment, armored car expenses, utility, janitorial, travel, and per diem expenses.
Goldendale is one of 25 offices to close statewide. Others are: Auburn, Bellevue, Bothell, Chelan, Coulee Dam, Davenport, East Seattle, Ephrata, Forks, Friday Harbor, Greenwood, Morton, Newport, Olympia HLB (limited), Oroville, Othello, Port Townsend, Poulsbo, Republic, Vancouver (limited), South Bend, Walla Walla, West Tacoma, and Yakima (limited).
Although officials have not set an exact closure date for Goldendale, it is scheduled some time between May and July of 2009.
Newhouse appointed ag director
State representative Dan Newhouse has been appointed the new director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture.
Newhouse, who has represented Legislative District 15, accepted the position and began work with the department Wednesday, Feb. 18.
"I am excited about this opportunity to bring a farmers perspective to this agency, as well as a diverse point of view to the governor's cabinet," Newhouse said in a written statement. "My commitment is to do what I can to ensure that we, as a state, provide an opportunity for agriculture to be a successful industry."
According to Sarah Lamb, of the House Republicans Communications, the local Republican party and county will now appoint a replacement.
Rep. Bruce Chandler, his seatmate in the 15th District, said the move will benefit the state.
"Dan's new position will be a great thing for Washington agriculture and for the Yakima Valley," said Chandler. "I know he will provide wise counsel to the governor, and I hope she will listen.
"He is not afraid to stand up for what he believes in, but he does so with respect and as a true statesman. I know his father, former Representative Irv Newhouse, would be proud of him.
"I have really mixed feelings about Dan's departure," continued Chandler. "This is a great move for him and will benefit agriculture, but it also means we lose another farmer's voice in the Legislature during a very challenging time. Dan has been a close friend and a great partner, which is a very rare thing to find here in Olympia.
Newhouse is a graduate of Washington State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture Economics and completed an Agriculture and Forestry Leadership program. He currently operates a 600-acre farm in the Sunnyside area, where he grows hops, tree fruits, grapes, and alfalfa.
Currently serving his fourth term as a state representative, Newhouse is a past county board member and county president of the Washington State Farm Bureau. Newhouse has also served as president of the Hop Growers of Washington and the Hop Growers of America.
According to a press release, Gov. Gregoire has directed Newhouse to focus on developing "strategies to expand international markets for our state's agriculture products." The governor has also asked the former state representative to work with the state's Department of Ecology to identify new water sources for Eastern Washington communities, farmers and fish.
"Dan is a great person who is a strong leader in the state's agriculture community," said Valoria Loveland, former Department of Agriculture Director. "He is familiar with the legislative process and very aware of the issues our state's famers, producers, and processors face, and is a perfect choice to lead the department."
Washington's Department of Agriculture is charged with assuring the safety of the state's food supply, ensuring the safe and legal use and disposal of pesticides and fertilizers, protecting the state's natural resources, and facilitating the movement of Washington's agriculture products in domestic and international markets.
Newhouse lives with his wife Carol and their two children, Jensena and Devon on their family farm. His appointment takes effect February 18. He will be paid an annual salary of $122,478.
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