Thousands of Dollars Raised for Cameron Miller During Invitational Soccer Tournament (VIEW VIDEO HERE)

June 8, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Twelve soccer teams took to the field Saturday at Northside Elementary School to help raise funds for 14 year old Cameron Miller, a soon to be high school freshman, who is fighting leukemia and searching for a donor to allow him to undergo a bone marrow transplant.

The Cameron Miller Invitational Soccer Tournament, organized by Cameron’s DeKalb Middle School Soccer Coach Justin Nokes, April Coronado, and the Center Hill Soccer Club  generated thousands of dollars for Cameron and heightened awareness about the need for bone marrow donors.

Cameron was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia on April 5 and has been in treatment at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital receiving Chemotherapy. Although he is out of the hospital now, Cameron will soon be undergoing more therapy.

Joined by his parents, Billy and Kate Miller and brother Bill Miller, Cameron was on hand for the benefit soccer tournament Saturday.

“Cameron has been in and out of the hospital since being diagnosed but he is doing very well and is in good spirits. He is looking for a bone marrow transplant and we are trying to raise awareness for that. We have had a bone marrow match going on today called “Be the Match” to get people to register in becoming a donor,” said Cameron’s father Billy Miller.

“The next step he will go through is Car T cell treatment and then a bone marrow transplant. Hopefully that will be the end of it. Cameron has a way to go and he has some time to do in the hospital at Vanderbilt but hopefully in the next three or four months he will be through this thing and rid of it and back on the right track. With the help of everybody and the good Lord he is going to be okay,” said Billy.

“We just can’t express how much we love our community and how grateful we are to live in Smithville and all the support that has been shown from the school system, our friends and family, and our soccer family. It’s just been very overwhelming and we really appreciate all the support,” said Kate Miller.

“This is a very nice tournament and we really appreciate them putting it on. I think it’s good for our small town. We’ve been shown great support and small town love here and we’re very grateful for the community we live in and the people we are around. Thank you so much,” added Billy Miller.

You could hold the key to a life saving cure. For patients with blood cancers and other blood diseases, a donation of blood stem cells from a genetically matched donor can be a cure.
Donation is safe, free, and confidential.

Be the match. Learn how you can save a life at http://Join.BeTheMatch.org/Camo

June 8, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Summer has arrived and kids don’t have starting back to school on their minds but it is important for parents and caregivers to make sure students receive their required immunizations before returning to the classroom in August.

The DeKalb County Health Department will be hosting a Kindergarten and 7th grade Immunization Clinic. The clinic will be on Tuesday, June 11, from 4:00 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. at the Health Department. No appointment is needed. Parent/Caregiver must bring all immunization records and insurance card. Help make sure your child is ready for Kindergarten or 7th grade.

“We want Tennessee children to be in school, learning in a safe and healthy environment, so it’s extremely important students are vaccinated against diseases that can spread easily in the classroom or elsewhere,” said TDH Chief Medical Officer David Reagan. “I encourage parents and caregivers to protect their students, their families and those around them by getting the vaccines they need to stay healthy.”

In Tennessee, children enrolling in school for the first time and all children going into seventh grade must provide schools with a state immunization certificate before classes start as proof they have had all the required immunizations. Additional immunizations are required for students at Tennessee colleges and universities.

“We strongly urge parents to be sure their children receive all recommended vaccines on the immunization schedule. Certain vaccines are also required for school because they help keep children safe in the classroom and on the playground,” said Kelly Moore, MD, MPH, director of the Tennessee Immunization Program. “Take this opportunity to talk with your health care provider to be sure your child is fully immunized, and make appointments now so your child won’t miss school because he or she hasn’t had needed vaccines.”

Requirements for school vaccinations in Tennessee:

•Kindergarteners and other children enrolling in a Tennessee school for the first time must provide schools with a complete, official Tennessee Immunization Certificate before classes begin. The certificate must be signed by a qualified health care provider or verified by the state’s Immunization Information System
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•All current students entering seventh grade are required to give the school a limited official Tennessee Immunization Certificate showing they have had a booster shot for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. The HPV cancer vaccine and first meningococcal meningitis vaccine are recommended at this age and can be given at the same time as the required Tdap booster.
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•Immunization requirements for college entry vary by institution, but teens who have had all recommended vaccines including their meningitis booster shot after they turn 16 will be sure to have met any college’s requirements.Immunizations required for school are readily available from most health care providers across the state, including county health departments. Children younger than age 19 may be eligible for free vaccine if they have no insurance, are enrolled in TennCare, have private insurance that does not cover vaccines or are American Indian or Alaska Native. The complete list of Tennessee child care and school immunization requirements can be found at www.tn.gov/health/cedep/immunization-program/ip/immunization-requirements/childcare-12thgrade-immunization-requirements.html. Local schools and school districts can provide information about when and how immunization certificates need to be provided.

June 7, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

A longtime local physician will be ending his practice in DeKalb County soon to become a medical director at Erlanger in Chattanooga.

Dr. Steven Cooper, a member of the team at the Family Medical Center, will be taking on the new position next month. His last day here is June 30.

Dr. Cooper received his medical degree from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years.

“I wanted to thank the citizens of DeKalb County for the last nineteen years of entrusting me with the honor of serving as one of your physicians. I have truly enjoyed my tenure in Smithville and will miss each of my patients dearly. I am leaving my practice at the Family Medical Center at the end of June to begin a new chapter in my life. I am accepting a position as a medical director at Erlanger in Chattanooga. Please know that you are welcome to stay within our practice, if you so desire. You may choose another physician (Hugh Cripps, MD; Doug Hooper, MD; Jack Rhody, MD; Will Sherwood, MD; or Kevin Rhody, MD) or nurse practitioner (Natalie Gilley, APN; Andria Keith, APN; or Brenda Tramel, APN). Thank you again for your patronage, and I wish each of you the very best,” said Dr. Cooper.