Month: September 2021

PEARLAND, Texas – While cancer is considered rare in children, it is a daily reality for the Baker family. After the fight of her 4-year-old daughter Nova against brain cancer, Bobbie Baker made it his mission to illuminate not only the cause, but also a supernova.

“Nova is a perfect mix of princess and grit,” said Baker. “She spent a time during her toddler years when she only wanted to wear large ruffled princess dresses, and even in those dresses she would look for worms.”

As a toddler, Nova wore one of her favorite princess dresses with ruffles. (Bobbie Baker)

In 2019, a seemingly innocuous event turned the world of the Baker family upside down.

“Nova’s eye went in and I knew immediately that something was wrong because she didn’t know how to do it,” said Baker.

Baker made an appointment for Nova with an ophthalmologist, where they discovered that something was putting pressure on Nova’s brain. After consulting with a pediatric neurosurgeon, Baker received the dire news.

advertisement

At age 4, Nova was diagnosed with pineoblastoma, a rare type of brain tumor. (Bobbie Baker)

“Our pediatric neurosurgeon came to tell us that our daughter has pineoblastoma. It’s a very rare type of brain tumor, ”said Baker. “It was like being in an elevator that just descends.”

Baker and her family had two days to grapple with their reality and prepare for Nova’s surgery.

“I just told Nova to be brave. Come back to us and you know I pray. I prayed, “said Baker.

The operation was a success with almost 100% resection of the tumor. Unfortunately, their journey for the Baker family was just beginning. Nova was scheduled for another operation to prepare her for radiation treatment, of which she received 30 doses in addition to four rounds of chemotherapy.

At age 4, Nova was diagnosed with pineoblastoma, a rare type of brain tumor. (Bobbie Baker)

“It’s like we practically lived in the hospital,” said Baker. “You see other families and children go through the same thing, so you know you are not alone. It’s just a completely different world that I never knew existed. “

advertisement

But for Baker, one of the most incredible aspects of the whole experience was seeing the strength and resilience of her four-year-old daughter.

“She always tried to be positive. That kid in between it all was still trying to be a four year old, ”Baker said.

At age 4, Nova was diagnosed with pineoblastoma, a rare type of brain tumor. (Bobbie Baker)

Now Baker is committed to raising awareness and funding for pediatric brain cancer.

“I am so grateful, and I feel that gratitude is an action,” said Baker. “My dear friend Lauren and I are co-chairs of Houston’s first Starry Night event, which we are very much looking forward to.”

She hopes people will realize that childhood cancer is not as rare as it seems and that everyone has the ability to do something.

Nova pictured with her father Justin (left) and mother Bobbie (right) on their last day of chemotherapy. (Bobbie Baker)

“What you do can make such a big difference in the future,” said Baker. “Starry Night is a perfect opportunity for you to support our children and families and to collect donations to make a difference.”

The Free Starry Night Houston Virtual Walking Tour on How to Cure Childhood Brain Tumors will take place on Saturday, October 2nd at 6:30 pm. KPRC 2′s Sofia Ojeda will moderate the event. Guests are asked to take part alone or in small socially distant groups. The Foundation for Pediatric Brain Tumors is supported with donations.

advertisement

At age 4, Nova was diagnosed with pineoblastoma, a rare type of brain tumor. (Bobbie Baker)

For the full story, watch the video above. For more information or to register, click here.

Copyright 2021 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.

Recruitment of dismissed employees with disabilities, instead of providing reasonable accommodation, federal agency fees

WASHINGTON-TrueBlue, Inc., a Tacoma, Washington-based human resources company with offices nationwide, has broken federal law by discriminating against an employee because of her disability in the office of its subsidiary PeopleReady, US Equal Employment, in Manassas, Virginia has indicted the Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in a lawsuit filed today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, the employee was working as a marketing coordinator and had to take leave due to a psychiatric disability. TrueBlue denied the employee’s request and fired her when she was medically cleared to go back to work after a hospital stay. The lawsuit further alleges that workplace comments were made in which the employee was described as a “problem child” and thrown into the “cloister bin” in relation to her need for inpatient care.

Such alleged conduct violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation for workers with disabilities and prohibits employers from making employment decisions based on an individual’s disability. The EEOC filed its lawsuit (Civil Claim No. 21-cv-01098) in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia after initially attempting to reach a pre-trial settlement through its voluntary arbitration process. The EEOC calls for financial relief, including back payment and compensation and punitive damages for the employee, as well as injunctive relief to prevent future discrimination on the basis of a disability.

“It is the employer’s responsibility to know its obligations under the ADA,” said Debra M. Lawrence, EEOC Philadelphia regional attorney. “The EEOC will stand up for victims of discrimination in the workplace.”

Mindy E. Weinstein, director of the EEOC’s Washington Field Office, said, “Regardless of a worker’s disability, visible or invisible, employers must comply with federal protections for people with disabilities.”

The EEOC’s Philadelphia District Office is investigating allegations of discrimination and pursuing cases in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, parts of New Jersey, Ohio and Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

The EEOC promotes job opportunities by enforcing federal laws that prohibit discrimination in the workplace. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov.

A man arrested two days ago for attempting to rob a store in Arlington had just bailed out Monday in Fairfax County for another arrest.

Karim Clayton, a 44-year-old DC resident, attempted to steal electronics from a pharmacy in the Buckingham neighborhood on Tuesday, according to Arlington County police. On Sunday, an officer with the Fairfax County Police Department said he was arrested for assault and assault and held on bail for $ 2,000.

He left bail at 3:10 p.m. Monday, the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office confirmed. The office said it has no information on how he paid off his loan, nor is it public information.

After his release, Clayton attempted to rob the CVS on the 200 block on N. Glebe Road at 3 a.m. on Tuesday, according to an Arlington County Police Department criminal report.

“[The] male suspect entered the store and allegedly started putting electronics in a shopping cart, ”the report reads. “The suspect then tried to leave the store without paying for the items and was confronted by an employee. The suspect walked past the employee, grabbed a few items from the car and escaped on foot from the scene before the police arrived.

An officer dragged Clayton a few blocks while attempting to drive away and arrested him “without incident,” the report said. He was held without bond.

The charges cited for this incident are, according to Arlington court records, complicity in the robbery.

Meanwhile, Clayton was due to appear before the Alexandria General District Court yesterday (Wednesday) on a grave theft charge he faced there. However, it appears that he could not be found as the courts marked Clayton on the “Refugee Record”.

A tipster described Clayton as “a one-man petty crime in Northern Virginia last year.”

According to Fairfax County Police, he was released from Arlington on the 8th.

On June 11, Clayton tried to escape police and while escaping the police, he crashed into a parked car and drove on, the FCPD said. State troopers chased him on I-66 until he crashed near N. Ohio Street in Arlington.

Clayton has been charged with grievous theft, theft with intent to sell or distribute, speeding to avoid law enforcement, hit-and-run and driving without a license.

He was charged in Arlington only for escaping the police and sentenced to 180 days in prison with 171 days probation according to court records. His license was suspended for 30 days and he was fined $ 572. The fine is now overdue, along with three others filed in the Arlington General District Court in the last year or so, records show.

Prior to his alleged attempted robbery on Tuesday, he was charged with five theft charges.

He has been found guilty three times so far and proceedings are pending. In these cases, he was sentenced to two 180-day prison terms, each with 135 days probation and one to 90 days full probation.

He is next on trial on November 15th on the latest robbery charge.

Annetta Catchings is vying to become the first African American female mayor of Alexandria, VA, and the first female Republican mayor of our lives.

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia., September 30, 2021 / PRNewswire-PRWeb / – Anetta catches vies to be the first African American mayor of. to become Alexandria, Virginia, and the first Republican mayor in our lifetime. As with so many of our historic cities everywhere The United States, Alexandria faces growing challenges – especially with an aging and maintenance-intensive infrastructure. Parts of the city are constantly flooded and are submerged in every major storm. This has left many of the city’s residents frustrated with both the current mayor and the status quo. In a city where the average home price is $ 700,000 with one of the highest residential tax bases in the area, one would expect better support from the city.

“Our city suffers from delayed maintenance problems of the infrastructure, our first aiders are undercompensated with one of the highest fluctuation rates in the region, our high school ranks in the lower third of the United States of America, State and region while local crime increases, “says Anetta catches, Candidate for mayor. “I am running for Mayor of this great city to change direction to become a citizen-centered leader focused on results, not rhetoric. Report that we rank 227th out of 319 schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia with a completion rate well below the median for Virginia secondary schools. “Catchings continues,” My 4 pillars of achievement are a yardstick that focuses on safety, infrastructure, education and representation. These four pillars represent the key to the success of our city, one that is centered on our citizens and is a citizen-centric leader. “

The story goes on

# # #

Above Anetta catches
Anetta catches running for mayor of Alexandria, Virginia. She is currently the director of a nonprofit called the Elite 10s and Education Foundation. Focused on teaching the fine skills of tennis, providing a quality environment for learning and mentoring, and a mother of two.

Media contact

Bill Cleveland, Annetta Catchings Campaign, 703-403-2338, annetta.catchers@gmail.com

SOURCE Anetta Catchings Campaign

VATICAN CITY – Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory of Washington ordained 21 men from the Pontifical North American College to diaconate in St. Peter’s Basilica on September 30th. Among the newly ordained was Deacon Mauricio Portillo of the Diocese of Arlington.

Hundreds of family members, friends and students attended mass at the altar of the chair in St. Peter and watched the joyous liturgy full of symbolic tradition.

The concelebrants of the Mass included Cardinal James Harvey, Archpriest of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, and Cardinal George Pell from Australia, former Prefect of the Vatican Economic Secretariat. Also present were US Cardinal Edwin F. O’Brien, retired Grand Master of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher and former Rector of the US seminary in Rome, as well as several US bishops.

Two of the new deacons entering college are Australians; one was consecrated for the Archdiocese of Sydney and the other for the Archdiocese of Melbourne. The 19 Americans were ordained for 15 different dioceses in the United States, three of them from the Archdiocese of Washington.

Cardinal Gregory, who was called to the College of Cardinals by Pope Francis 10 months ago and who took possession of his titular church in Rome at the end of September, gave the sermon.

“The Church has always set very high standards when it comes to choosing those she calls to holy orders,” he said. The diaconal order is an important “moment of transition” for those who will continue to prepare for the priesthood, and it is an important opportunity to grow in Christ and humbly serve God and his people.

The office of deacon is associated with “the service of charity,” he said. A deacon must be “a man of charity, (with) genuine and sincere compassion and care for the poor, neglected and marginalized of our world. A deacon without a heart for charity will be a hollow and worthless son.”

“Deacons are called to visit the sick, to work for justice, to work for immigrants, to comfort the grieving, to help the hungry, to find food, bare clothes, and to find homes for the homeless,” said the cardinal. “Deacons are never far from them whom the Lord Jesus has identified as the least of his sisters and brothers. “

However, their ministry is much more than “mere social work” because they are filled with the grace of their office by the Holy Spirit, he said.

They can offer the bread of eternal life from the Lord’s altar and preach the gospel by sharing God’s invitation to seek his kingdom.

“As you become a preacher today, please do so in faithfulness to the truth of the gospel and the tradition of the Church,” Cardinal Gregory said to the new deacons. “People are looking for inspiring preachers who will challenge them, encourage them to deepen their faith, and help them discover God’s presence in their lives.”

He urged them to “be attentive celebrants of the liturgical life of the Church, to carefully examine the details of the rituals, so that people may be erected by the worship of the Church and sanctified by the sacraments and prayer of the Church” and never by ” too loose “distracting or too obsessive.”

Their assumption of celibacy is less burdensome, he said, if they live like Christ with transparent modesty and great simplicity and draw strength from constant prayer and conversation with God.

“When your prayer life is strong and faithful, when your lifestyle is devoid of too many possessions, conveniences, and distractions, your life and loving will reflect the same look that Christ himself created for people who like his teaching and ministry found compelling, ”said the cardinal.