Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories

A positive example of the effects of research on children and/or families: 

The story that I am going to share with you today hits home because it is about my youngest daughter Gracie. Gracie is 7 years old and in the second grade. Two years ago, Gracie needed surgery. Her surgeon ordered us to take Gracie for labs, but her labs came back negative. They did not know why at the time so they asked us to take her back to the lab for more blood work. Still not knowing what was going on with Gracie, she became part of a research study that required her to get blood work two to three times a week. I was heart broken, but I knew that it was necessary and we also wanted and needed to find answers. After almost 6 months, they were able to diagnose Gracie with having Factor VII deficiency. Through their findings, they were able to give her the vitamin k and other medication that she needed in order not to bleed out during her surgery. She took those meds weeks prior to her surgery and that helped save her life. Factor VII deficiency has no cure, but knowing what it is, we are able to take the necessary precautions when she gets hurt, cut, or has nosebleeds, which is something that she suffers from due to her condition. We are still going through the process and I got tested 1 year ago and my labs came back fine, but will get tested again to see what genes causes this condition because it is said that both parents need to have it because it is a rare hereditary blood disorder and since I don't have it, they want to compare our genes and see which genes are affecting her since it is believed that she got it by hereditary and did not acquired it during birth. Gracie will be part of this research for the rest of her life since they want to see and learn how her body will react as she gets older, when she gets her menstrual cycles, and when she gives birth if she decides to. Her future husband will also need to get tested so they can learn about the risks if they do decide to have a family. 

This is one of the many reasons that I believe that research, even though sometimes it is tough on people, especially on children, it is necessary and it does have societal benefits. Hopefully the doctors that have seen my daughter are able to diagnose other children and adults earlier on and can help save their lives and continue researching for answers and bring awareness to this rare hereditary blood disorder. There are only fewer that 200 documented cases. I have provided a link if you would like to learn more about factor VII deficiency. 

Factor VII Deficiency: Causes, Symptoms & Diagnosis - Healthline

www.healthline.com/health/factor-vii-deficiency

My Personal Research Journey

My Personal Research Journey

My chosen topic for the simulation is: 

Parental involvement in school life encourages educational success.

I chose this topic because it is very important for parents to be involved in their child's development and school life. When children feel cared for and important, they tend to do better in school and in all areas of their development and we all benefit from their success. 

Parents who are involved in their child's education create a connection between the home and school. Those who participate along with their child are privy to the many aspects of their child's day. At home, they are able to replicate and extend activities that their child experiences in school. An astute parent will pick up where the school left off and have an intuitive sense for what their child may need to work on to increase his competency and confidence. Ideas gleaned from the classroom give the parent inspiration for home activities that coincide with classroom tasks. Involved parents learn the names of various children in their child's class. They have a sense of who their child's friends are, who may be causing them trouble and how their own child is getting along in the group (Peck, 2014).

• My personal experience with this simulation process has been a bit overwhelming. There is so much information and putting it all together on paper has been challenging for me. I know that I will get better as we go. 

• The insights I have gained so far from constructing the research chart and from any other element of this course has been that there is so much information that I was not aware of and I am learning the steps of the research process. I am also learning new terms and learning how to search for literature that is current and valid.

Reference

Peck, A. (2014) The Importance of Parent Involvement in Early Childhood Education. Retrieved March 13, 2017, from livestrong.com