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February 17, 2009
Today’s Program Heart Stem Cell Research
Dr. Anne Steele
Dr. Ann Steele is a hospital–based Stem Cell
Scientist at All Children’s Hospital. Originally from Canada, she has
been contributing to the care of our children here for 19 years.
In 2002, Ann was one of the first three scientists
who reported the discovery of a cardiac stem/progenitor cell. She spent
the next few years defining this cell and designing and testing stem
cell transplant delivery systems for future transplant applications in
cardiac repair. These efforts gained international recognition.
In 2005, she was one of 8 scientists chosen from
across American to travel to Cambridge University in England and
participate in a British Council stem cell summit with the top stem cell
researchers in the world. In Sept. 2007, she traveled to Greece as the
only American scientist chosen to participate in the Regenerative
Medicine Summit defining new research directions for clinical
application of stem cells in the treatment of disease.
In 2007, following her return from Europe, Dr.
Steele and her Team made their first attempts to extract cardiac
stem/progenitors from the explanted hearts of children in the cardiac
transplant program at All Children’s Hospital. At that time, no one knew
if heart disease had robbed the organ of all its stem cells. Working
through 2008, Dr. Steele obtained stem cells from the heart of every
child in the program and proved that these powerful cells are available
for reparative use but may be simply overpowered by the disease
environment. Once isolated, these precious cells can be grown in culture
to useful numbers for repair. Future clinical therapies hold promise
that a child’s stem cells will be used to heal their own heart!
Dr. Steele’s research is the result of dedicated
co-operative effort….that of her own clinical Team, the professional
expertise and outstanding support of the All Children’s Hospital
Cardiology Practice Cardiologists and Surgeons, the Cardiology
Transplant Nursing Staff, Surgical Staff, the ACH Foundation, Office of
Research……..and the Community partnership and kind support of the
Kiwanis Young Children Priority One Initiative that helped to make this
research possible for the children we serve.
“….because no child should have to live with a
damaged, diseased, or broken heart….” Dr. Anne Steele, 2005
Attending
We
had 54 members and 9 guests attending.
Melissa Dippre, guest of
Dan Nardozzi
Patty Sethick, guest of Ron Holehouse
Audrey Lampe, guest of Doug Lampe
Gayla Davis, guest of Doug Lampe
Tom Mosley, from Downtown Kiwanis Bradenton, guest of Kevin
Kelso
Linda Clifford-Dashney and Ralph Dashney of the Ottawa
Vanier Kiwanis
Hans Sander of the Ottawa Riverside Kiwanis
What’s
Happening
Blues
Festival Volunteers
Bob Piplitz announced that again this
year volunteers are needed for the Blues Festival. The event is March
20, 21, & 22 this year. The line up is
great! Some of the stars include The
Fabulous Thunderbirds, Delbert McClinton, and Irma Thomas. Many
volunteers are needed and no one will be turned away.
The
Lithuanian Open
Al Karnavicius announced that the
Lithuanian Open is back …… into its ninth year of fun and success. The
proceeds go to the children of Lithuania for computers and summer camps.
Call Al to sign up for the tournament (March 5-9, 2009).
New
Member Package
New member Carl Miller was given his
new member package. As soon as he acquires his 50 signatures, he will
give his three-minute speech.
Editor's Note:
It was a great pleasure receiving the news that
our bulletin was voted best in Division 13. This is an honor that must
be shared throughout the club, most notably with Frank Ranieri, the
layout editor, Al Karnavicius, the printer, and Harry Eisnaugle, who
delivers the bulletin to your table every week. And finally, many thanks
to all of you for reading the bulletin and helping to shape the content
with important Kiwanis information and news. Great job all the way
around!
Last Week at Kiwanis
Kiwanian of the Day, Mitch Cochran, introduced our
speaker, Killer Beaz, a stand up comic and radio personality. Killer
Beaz was born Truett S. Beasley, Jr. (Thanks Dad!). Beaz spent most of
his life growing up in Jackson, Mississippi. Later his family moved to
Alabama because “they had money”.
Beaz and his family now have an apartment in
Clearwater, and also maintains a home in Mobile, Alabama. Currently,
Killer Beaz can be heard on local radio station FM WQYK 99.5 from 5
a.m.-10 a.m. weekdays. He said when he signed the contract they forgot
to tell him that he would be getting up at 3 a.m., a time more familiar
to him as bedtime while on the club circuit. Beaz, 55, has been a
stand-up comedian for 27 years.
He told us that he grew up in a funeral home, as
that was his father’s occupation. He says he has always been funny and
was a class clown in school. When he was 17 years old he worked as an
EMT driving an ambulance. As was the custom in 1971, ambulances were
owned by funeral homes. So he worked both as an EMT and the hearse
driver.
He shared with us that he finds drivers are much
faster here than he is used to in Alabama. It seems everyone here is
hurrying somewhere, and they need to be there 30 seconds ago. Two years
ago he lost both of his parents in a car accident involving a drunk
driver. He reminded us how important it is to show our loved ones how
much we care about them on a daily basis. He told us funny experiences
that he has had working. He was the featured entertainment for Dale
Earnhart, Jr.’s Christmas party in Lake Norman, North Carolina, and
following a two-hour wait to perform and free alcohol, he managed to say
the wrong things to Jr.’s mother.
Many members asked questions of Beaz. He shared
answers that included the following:
- As a radio
personality it gives him a forum to do something good for others.
- His favorite
comedian is Steve Martin; he also likes Robin Williams & Jonathan
Winters
- He is a NASCAR fan
and likes Jeff Gordon
- Southern humor can
be across the board, although sometimes it takes a few minutes to
get past the accent
- He has performed
in 48 states, missing only New Jersey and Vermont, with Anchorage,
Alaska, as his favorite tour stop. In fact he likes Alaska so much
he has been there seven times.
- The key to comedy
is the element of surprise, and the first 90 seconds of a show are
the most important.
- Heckling doesn’t
happen unless people get bored. He should know after over 5,000
performances.
- His goal is to do
an upbeat show.
Today’s
Quiz
Last
Week’s Quiz
- A
theory from
Belarus states that the holiday, Valentine’s Day, originates
from the story of St. Valentine, who upon rejection by
his mistress was so heartbroken that he took a knife to his chest
and sent her his still-beating heart as a token of his undying love
for her. Hence, heart-shaped cards are now sent as a tribute to his
overwhelming passion and suffering.
- The St.
Valentine’s Day massacre was in Chicago in 1929.
- There are
189 million roses sold for Valentine’s Day in the United
States, and men buy 65%.
- California
is the state in the United States that grows the most roses.
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