What are the signs??

Information that was shared via John Tesh's Video for your Life website: Thank you for reaching out to parents!

Parents, you may have already talked to your kids about the dangers of alcohol
and Illegal drugs, but there's a danger you may not even know about. It's called the Choking Game, or Space Cowboy, Cloud 9, and Flat-line. lt's where kids deprive their brains of oxygen by briefly strangling themselves with a belt, rope, dog collar, or bungee cord, and get a temporary high when the blood rushes back Into their head. According to ABC News, kids are drawn to the Choking Game because It's cheap, doesn't Involve Illegal drugs, and seems less dangerous. However, It causes
permanent brain damage, and it kills - mostly boys between the ages of 11 and 16.
So, how can you protect your child? Talk to them! Make sure they understand that suffocating themselves to get high can cause permanent brain damage and death. Get them Into other activities -like soccer, hiking, or learning to cook. Studies show that kids who are involved in extracurricular activities are less likely to try to get high.

Also, keep an eye out for red flags like:
Bloodshot eyes, 
marks or bruising around the neck, 
and frequent ,severe headaches, 
pinpoint spots of blood under the skin of the face, especially the eyelids. 
Or in the clearlining of eyelids and eyes.
Also: Unusual demands for privacy, 
disorientation after spending time alone, 
and wearing
high-necked shirts, even In warm weather.
Other red flags include:
Ropes, scarves, t-shirts or belts tied to bedroom furniture or doorknobs, or found knotted on the floor or in unusual places, and the unexplained presence of dog leashes, choke collars, and bungee cords.

If you believe your child's doing something dangerous, seek medical and psychological help Immediately. Your Intervention could literally save their life. You can find a therapist at Therapists.PsychologyToday.com. Alert the parents of your child's friends. If one kid is doing it, there are probably others, and if an older teen is involved, younger kids in the same family may also be at risk.

Anytime your parental sense that something is wrong or different with your child is like a sign that you need to act and investigate what your child might be doing . Don't ever think "Oh I don't want them to get mad at me, who cares if they get mad, let them be mad, at least they will still be alive. Imagine if you found your child dead, hanging from a rope or belt on their bed, you thought something was just not right about them lately, but you did not want to interfere or "make them mad" now they are dead!!! did it really matter?? No, you can't bring them back now!
So be the parent and do something NOW! Talk to them NOW, they are never to young to talk about youth risk behaviors!!

Wednesday's Angel ~ Kevin Tork~

Every week these posts get harder and harder to do without tears, thinking of each of these children that have suffered or died from a preventable risk taking behavior just breaks my heart. I am sure not as much as these parents have had to endure though, the loss of their child. That is why we her at Ed4Ed4All continue our battle to prevent useless injury and death from deadly youth risk behaviors.
This week's Wednesday Angel is Kevin Tork the son of our dear Ken Tork, and has a special place in all of our hearts just like last week's Angel : Braden did, he was the grandson of Lyndi Trost. So many Angels.............why do they have to die?

 

http://www.forkevinssake.com/Content.asp?KEY=HOME

This is quoted from Ken's blog about Kevin : "For Kevin's Sake" 

Our family experienced a horrible tragedy. We lost our 15-year old son Kevin on a Monday night to a craze that has invaded our children’s lives, called “the choking game”. Before I tell you about how he died I would like to tell you a little about how he lived.


Kevin was the perfect son in every way. He was happy and fun loving and caring, He would be the first to jump in without being asked and help where needed. He loved his family fiercely. He loved to laugh and make others laugh. He was in several plays in school. He loved music, basketball, writing poetry and stories. He loved making swords and models and he was the most honest young man there has ever been. He truly was perfect in every way. We told each other several times a day that we loved each other and we hugged multiple times a day.

Everyone I have talked to has told me how special he was, and you just felt it when you were in his presence. I am just now finding out how truly amazing this kid was. His classmates got to see a side of him I never did because at home he was our baby boy. Home was where he came to be a kid. When he walked out that door every morning he turned into this strong young man that I can now only know through his friends' stories or his journals. His love for other people just reached out to you with out you even knowing it. One of his classmates told us that 5 minutes after she met him she felt she knew him her whole life. 

The finality of burying your son:
A headstone was finally added to Kevin's burial plot after 2000 kids were informed by Ken about the Choking Game.

This is KING-5/Seattle's coverage of that April 30, 2011 event:

 

A message from Ken (Kevin's dad)

Please don’t go back to your lives and forget Kevin Tork. He would have sacrificed himself for any one of your children and never thought twice about it. Cherish every second you have with your child. Our world changed on Monday March 30th, 2009 at 6:37pm. Will yours' change? Will one of you be next? Let's work together and stop this deadly, fatal activity before it takes your child. 
Let me leave you with this: I had a customer email me about a conversation that took place in the back of her best friend's car. Her friends daughter was sitting with a friend and the friend said ”Let me show you this neat game I learned today. I put my hands around your neck and squeeze until you get dizzy. Its really fun and it feels good.” Both girls are 7 yrs old. So if you think it cant happen to your child ... think again. 

Educate yourself, Educate your kids, Save a life! Angels need to stay a while here on earth until it is really time (God's time) for them to go.

Wednesday blessings ~~ Our angels

~~~Joshua~~~

10/11/97 - 6/13/11  

Another Angel in Heaven because of the Choking or Fainting game, another kid dead, yes, he is really gone! This does not have to happen, Joshua was only 13 yrs old, his entire life was in front of him. News Article about Josh's death with a video

Each Wednesday instead of a senseless picture posting we will feature one of our Angels, kids that we have lost due to youth risk behaviors, poor choices and lack of knowledge. Hopefully this will be an important reminder to parents, teachers and kids that "games" that involve "risk taking behaviors" such as the "Choking Game" , Pharm or pill parties, Self Destructive or mutilation behaviors, Huffing and inhalant abuse, synthetic drugs such as "bath salts" or K2 are only a road that leads down a "dead end" street. Death is not selective, it can sneak up on you the first time you make a poor choice or the 100th time you do, so why play Russian roulette with your life?
Educate yourself, your kids, your students and save a life. Might even be your child's life.

More information and downloadable free educational materials available on our website here http://ed4ed4all.com 

Ed4Ed's Injury Prevention Program --Update; The 3rd Edition

 Welcome to the 3rd Edition of Ed4Ed’s Injury Prevention Program

The release date of this edition has been significantly delayed because the program has undergone substantial BUT beneficial changes. Lyndi and I had an amazing two weeks in April at her home in Alaska: an extremely productive 14 day think tank. Simplicity is the key to making this program work. Lyndi’s Database and technical skills made all the difference and proved the critical component in the new format of the program. Making the program software work harder—and more efficiently for all of us was our objective. I do believe we have made huge strides in that direction. Our Database is now consolidated and efficiently generating reports that drive statistical data. This ensures updates will be released on time, every time. The delay between the last quarter of 2009 updates and the first updates of 2010, regrettably delayed—but I believe the delay was fortunate. Quantum technological leaps were made at our “Alaska Summit”.

The presentation is complete and ready for use in either Adobe Acrobat format, embedded with flash videos or in PowerPoint—published with more reliable links to videos in MP4 format.   A full and complete Printable Manual, a User’s Guide will replace the former printable “Binder”.  A good instruction manual is essential. We are taking care and time to ensure it will finally be the guide that will make use of the program much easier for all. In the interim this document will assist you: a slide by slide review of the presentation and the basic overview of structural changes. Another announcement will be made when the Ed4Ed Manual, A User Guide is complete.

OVERVIEW & Ed4Ed Share File Links

The 3rd Edition’s most significant change is the elimination of duplication. Through improved use of technological features, navigational aids in PowerPoint, there is now only one presentation which does the work of all four of the presentations in the 2nd Edition.  In brief, within the presentation are two navigational slides referred to technically as “Touchstone Slides”. When in active presentation view mode the foot notes at the bottom center of each slide will return the user to the first Touchstone Section Slide. The second “Touchstone Slide” is accessed through the first one using the video link. Using the hyper link navigational features the user can jump to the desired section of the presentation and easily select videos. Again, in an active presentation view, the presenter by using the left footer at the bottom of each slide, by selecting it with a right click of a mouse, will activate a pull down window allowing complete slide by slide navigation, allows the presenter to also switch programs and launch videos, or access any other open program the presenter wishes to use in a customized work. It is no longer necessary to know how to edit and re-design custom slides and create custom presentations, copying and pasting slides from Ed4Ed. Simply switch the view and proceed. Planning and selecting sections and individual slides is made easy using the slide by slide guide.

File Download Links:

• ED4ED COMPLETE @ BOX.NET:  https://www.box.net/shared/ov7inpeqye

• POWERPOINT PRESENTATION: HTTPS://WWW.BOX.NET/SHARED/CJQXOXA4HC

• ADOBE ACROBAT PRESENTATION: HTTPS://WWW.BOX.NET/SHARED/STATIC/J9Z3EMQ09O.PDF  

• RESEARCH & RESOURCES: HTTPS://WWW.BOX.NET/SHARED/2RN9O0C0UO  

·Ed4Ed Interim Guide Read Me File.pdf
[Contains Slide Guide & More Information about recent changes]:  https://www.box.net/shared/static/evyixhithr.pdf

·        Ed4Ed 2010 Update Announcement – Single Page:  https://www.box.net/shared/static/rn4cu8ghqm.pdf

Carrie Draher, Ed4Ed Program Director

cdraher@sbcglobal.net

Ed4Ed ~~Who are we, and what do we do?

First, thank you for being your child’s champion! Your community is indebted to you for your interest in keeping others aware in your community so that they too can destroy ignorance, saving and protecting young lives through education about little known (to adults) youth risk behaviors as they evolve and change (program currently covers "The Choking Game"; OTC & Med Abuse "Pharm Parties"; "EMO", normal youth counter-culture groups that can deviate & involve self harm; Atypical Inhalants). You are the most critical component in this grassroots intervention/prevention campaign. Ed4Ed is a unique virtual community organized to serve you, the injury prevention advocate with research and resources. The main communications hub is Ed4Ed at yahoo health groups: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Ed4Ed.

Here you will join us in collaboration with educators (lay and professionals) here in the US, Canada & Europe, through many organizations [primarily linking with GASP http://www.gaspinfo.com/ for USA and Canada and via APEAS of Paris, France http://www.jeudufoulard.com/ - the hub that links us with 6 other countries] across the world.

Ed4Ed is a sub-set of this larger collaborative. Ed4Ed is set apart, in that is exists for one purpose alone – to support the advocate via communication in simple but effective networking. We pool our resources and share our experiences, improve our effectiveness.

I serve you as a moderator at the communication sites, contribute a curriculum I authored, Ed4Ed – Teaching The Essential Elements of Youth Risk Behavior to Today’s Youth, host and maintain the “cloud storage” where this program is available for all, and where I reserve room for you to create, upload and share your work with your co-associates here. You also have the option of sharing and distributing not only the Ed4Ed program, but also your unique works wherever and with whomever you wish (create internet links on your websites, Facebook pages, YouTube Accounts, educational forums, blogs, internet sites you access, etc.).
You are welcome and encouraged to join us and to invite others to join us, but access to the program is not contingent on membership or participation in support offered.
In addition to me all Ed4Ed Associates are supported by three other key administrators and can assist you there. They have administrative privileges identical to my own and serve to assist you in all capacities.

• Lyndi Trost, Ed4Ed Network Director, A retired computer programmer, with years of experience in database and web design, handles all our computer tech matters here and in our “cloud storage” web site). Lyndi & I began this journey together in 2007. Lyndi’s Grandson’s Memorial web page is: http://braden-erickson.memory-of.com/About.aspx
• Ken Tork, Ed4Ed Outreach Coordinator, has been an Associate Member of our team since April of 2008. He is in a unique position to travel as he owns his own company and sets his own hours. He has offered to take the work out on the road. Like many of the advocates he chooses to speak publicly, presenting educational programs. In November he accepted the challenge of taking the Ed4Ed Program out to others, instructing users how to get the most out of the program and add it to their “war chest” of injury prevention education tools. Ken’s blog site is http://forkevinssake.wordpress.com/
• Leslie Block, RN CEN Ed4Ed Injury Prevention Specialist joined us in January of 2010. She will serve us with 20+ years of injury prevention work and expertise gained in her work as a certified Emergency Room Nurse for 20+ years too. She is the “go to gal” for medical questions, anatomy, physiology, etc. She is also our key liaison with medical professionals. Leslie is also the creator and author of another blog that is dedicated to the prevention of injuries in adults and children http://ernursescare.blogspot.com/ .
When you join us you (all members of this group) become an Ed4Ed Associate. We are all educators seeking to reach other educators, aligned to effect prevention/intervention of accidental injury and deaths due to asphyxial activities, and other emerging youth risk behaviors masquerading as “games”. [All risks currently covered are outlined in the Instruction Manual and the Presentation Binder in the links below]. It is a pleasure to reach out to you, shake your hand and express my appreciation that you have chosen to join us.

Access All Our Materials Via Our Cloud Storage : http://www.box.net/shared/ov7inpeqye (BOX.NET - See Link On Page).

Begin with the Interim User's Guide at http://www.box.net/shared/m4cu8ghqm and I suggest downloading the Adobe Acrobat Presentation format first http://www.box.net/shared/akts57aee1
With your membership (to Ed4Ed Yahoo Health Groups Support Network) you will automatically receive this guide. Should you wish to access the materials independent of the group’s support, please make this your first stop in your exploration of “cloud storage”. This will be the gateway to unlock the materials that are stored there for convenient, online access.

*Note, The Interim Guide is a “work in progress”. As the author of the curriculum, I am probably not the best person to write the instructional manual. It is difficult for me to see the program through a new user’s eye. (Ken, Lyndi and Leslie are taking point on this process and I invite you to help us with your reviews.) I have been working with the program for three years, familiarity that hinders an objective review for instruction purposes. As it evolves the notification of updates will be sent via the communications networks. *Note, ADOBE FILES [“.pdf” and “.sfw”] require current Adobe Software [Acrobat Reader and Adobe FLASH player]. If you do not yet have this free Adobe Software, download it from the Adobe Website, http://get.adobe.com//. (They also have great new user tutorials if you are not familiar with these formats.)

Many of the advocates you will meet here, including myself, Lyndi and Ken, are family members who have been personally and profoundly affected through the death or injury of their child or loved one to “The Choking Game”. We have become aware of other risk behaviors and now take on education about them too. Leslie has been deeply affected by countless youth she attends in the ER that fall prey to ignorance about a wide array of risks, which makes them victims requiring medical aid. Every Ed4Ed Associate here has been, in one way or another so deeply affected that they have sprung into intervention advocacy action at the grassroots level, motivated to bond together and push for change in a growing grassroots movement.

I am a full time volunteer advocate here to serve you. We exist solely to serve you! Please do not hesitate to contact us. Again on behalf of all Ed4Ed Associates, I welcome you to this network. Your presence is proof of your passion! I am quite fond of a quote with which I close this letter of introduction, stating eloquently the power of passion.

Les passions sont les seuls orateurs qui persuadent toujours. Elles sont comme un art de la nature dont les règles sont infaillibles; et l'homme le plus simple qui a de la passion persuade mieux que le plus éloquent qui n'en a point.

“The passions are the only advocates which always persuade. They are a natural art, the rules of which are infallible; and the simplest man with passion will be more persuasive than the most eloquent without.”
- François de La Rochefoucauld

Sincerely,
Carrie Draher, Ed4Ed Program Director
cdraher@sbcglobal.net