Orleans reports suspected H1N1 flu death

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.thedailynewsonline.com/articles/2009/12/12/news/doc4b22892de4165437852986.txt

Orleans reports suspected H1N1 flu death
Victim was under 18, with underlying health conditions
By Brittany Baker
bbaker@batavianews.com

Saturday, December 12, 2009 2:22 AM EST
ALBION ? The Orleans County Health Department is reporting that it suspects a minor died this week from complications due to the H1N1 virus, the county?s first death connected to H1N1, said Public Health Director Paul Pettit.

He did not identify the person suspected with H1N1, citing privacy laws.

A 16-year-old from Holley, Tim Barbato, died Tuesday from pneumonia. He had contracted H1N1 and had been Strong Memorial Hospital?s pediatric intensive care unit for about three weeks, his family wrote on the Caring Bridge Web site.

CaringBridge.org helps keep family and friends informed when a loved one is fighting a serious illness. Family and friends receive updates on the patient and they can leave messages of support.

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Tim, a senior at Holley High School, contracted H1N1 despite getting vaccinated, his family said on Caring Bridge.

Pettit said a sample has been sent to the Wadsworth Center, the state Department of Health?s laboratory in Albany. That test should reveal if H1N1 was a factor in the death.

Pettit urged county residents to consider getting the H1N1 vaccine. The county Public Health Department is offering the vaccine during a clinic today from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Health Department on 14012 Route 31 West, next to the nursing home.

The vaccine is open to anyone in the county. About 1,500 Orleans County residents have already been vaccinated at five previous clinics.

Pettit also urged residents to wash their hands frequently and take other precautions to avoid contracting H1N1.

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Orleans reports suspected H1N1 flu death

Recalling student who 'changed our school'
JOY: Tim Barbato played soccer with a league in Rochester for people in motorized wheelchairs. Barbato, a quadriplegic since birth, stayed very busy. He died Tuesday from pneumonia.

By Tom Rivers trivers@batavianews.com
Wednesday, December 9, 2009 12:07 PM EST
CLARENDON -- Tim Barbato, 16, refused to be defined by his physical disabilities, to have his motorized wheelchair be his lasting impression on others.

Tim, a quadriplegic since birth, won over his Holley classmates and teachers with his smile, his determination and his sweet spirit. Tim died Tuesday from pneumonia after three weeks in Strong Memorial Hospital's pediatric care unit.

"It's just terrible," said Penny Cole, the secretary at the Holley guidance department. "I just can't believe it."

Tim stopped by the school's office every morning to see Cole. He loved to socialize with her and the students. She nicknamed him "Hotness."


"I love all the kids at Holley, but Timmy was special to me," Cole said Tuesday night. "He taught me to be a better person. He was always so up and so happy. He was such a lovely person."

He was a senior at Holley Junior-Senior High School, where he maintained a 96 average and was a member of the National Honor Society. About 400 students on Tuesday signed a memorial banner, filling it with messages to Tim and his parents, Scott and Donna Barbato of Clarendon.

"He changed our school just by being there," said his friend Mark Heath, a Holley senior. "He improved our student body and our community."

Tim was a regular performer in school talent shows. He had an angelic voice and a great sense of humor, and he combined them in his raps, even winning grand champion at one talent show, said Cole, whose son Matt is also a senior at Holley.

Tim traveled to New York City with the Spanish Club two years ago, and ascended to the top of the Empire State Building. He was in Holley's production of "High School Musical," played percussion using a mouth stick in the school band, sang in chorus and took challenging courses at Holley. He started an internship last summer with the Center for Disability Rights in Rochester. He has been traveling by public transportation to the city at least once a week.

He wrote a blog for the center and he often shared his experiences about accessibility at Rochester area college campuses. Tim was particularly critical of Geneseo State College and how difficult the campus was to navigate for a person in a wheelchair.

He wanted to be a social worker and he intended to go to Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester this fall.

Tim was home-schooled until the fourth-grade. Heath was in that first class with Tim back then. It didn't take Tim long to become well-liked by his classmates, to get them to look beyond his wheelchair and focus on his personality.

"You couldn't help but to see his smile and smile back at him," Heath said. "He was so unselfish in trying to help everyone."

Heath and Tim quickly bonded in the fourth-grade. They hung out at each other's houses and went to see "Monsters Inc." and "Jimmy Neutron" together at the movie theater. "He was still a kid who had passions," Heath said.

Scott and Donna Barbato adopted Tim when he was an infant. When Tim was born June 30, 1993, he wasn't breathing. A little ball of fatty tissue was lodged in his spine. The ball included a clump of his nerves that weren't functioning. Those nerves needed to work for Timmy to have control of his arms, legs and torso.

When Tim's unwed mother received his diagnosis -- permanent quadriplegic with dependence on a ventilator -- she put him up for adoption.

The Barbatos were open to adopting a son more than 16 years ago. They had already adopted sisters Nicole and Sandy. Scott and Donna heard about Tim when he was an infant. They were initially reluctant to adopt a child with significant physical disabilities. But they said they felt God leading them to Tim, urging them to take him as a son.

Scott and Donna said they never regretted that decision. They believe God had a plan for Tim, using him to encourage so many other people.

"He was always kind, no matter what," his mother said in the kitchen at the family's home Tuesday. "He had such a pure spirit. He was a gift from God."

Tim never complained about his physical limitations, his parents said. He found ways to experience his passions. Tim barely had use of his arms and hands so he used his mouth stick to type on the computer. He typed 20 to 25 words a minute, a faster pace than is father. He loved rap and hip hop music and he and his father loved to jam with a turntable at their home.

Tim also played in a soccer league in Rochester for children and adults who use motorized wheelchairs. He visited elementary classrooms in Holley, explaining adaptive use equipment. He urged the students to not fixate on his wheelchair. He said people with disabilities want to be looked in the eye.

When Tim was 7, he was featured in The Daily News. His upbeat qualities were apparent in that news article. His parents wondered then if Tim would keep that positive attitude during his teenage years. They worried he would rebel and become angry and frustrated with his physical challenges. But Tim never did rebel, never talked back to his parents and delighted in serving God, his mother said.

"Tim lived a full life," Mrs. Barbato said. "He was a great inspiration to everybody. There was no one who didn't like Tim. He was truly of God."

Mr. and Mrs. Barbato both thanked the Holley community for accepting their son and "looking out" for him.

Mrs. Barbato challenged Tim's friends to continue his legacy.

"You can be like Tim Barbato," she said. "You can choose to be kind. You can choose to put others above yourself."

http://www.thedailynewsonline.com/articles/2009/12/09/news/6264300.txt

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Orleans reports suspected H1N1 flu death

H1N1 death in Orleans County

Chris Swingle ? Staff writer ? December 18, 2009

The death of an Orleans County adolescent who had an underlying medical condition has been linked to H1N1 flu, the Orleans County health department reported Friday based on lab testing.

This is the first death in Orleans County linked to <NOBR id=itxt_nobr_1_0 style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 100%; COLOR: darkgreen">H1N1</NOBR>. Monroe County has reported four adult deaths related to H1N1, and Ontario County has reported two. Wayne and Genesee counties have each reported one child death linked to the virus.

Flu cases have been declining and most people with flu have mild to moderate symptoms and recover at home without medical <NOBR id=itxt_nobr_2_0 style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 100%; COLOR: darkgreen">treatment</NOBR>. The state?s flu hotline is (800) 808-1987.

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20091218/NEWS01/91218025/H1N1-death-in-Orleans-County