Lebanon Co.
When you hear words like
“lung-damaging disease”
you tend to think of smog
bound cities with narrow,
treeless alleys and factories
belching smoke. But that’s
not necessarily the case.
Amid the farmlands of
southewestern Lebanon
County, not far from historic
Umberger’s Mill, lives
seven-year-old David
Umberger. David was bom
with cystic fibrosis, an in
curable hereditary disease
which affects the lungs and
the digestive system.
David, the younger of two
sons of Donald and Florence
Umberger of R 4, Lebanon,
CLICK'S
Distributor for
ROOFING & SPOUTING
BAKED ENAMEL TIN ROOFS
Colors: Turquoise, Red, White
ALSO BAKED ALUMINUM
Colors: Green, White, Tan, Red.
FULL SERVICE DEALER
SALES & INSTALLATION
SAMUEL B. CLICK
R.D.I, Kinzer, PA Ph. (717) 442-4921
Please call before 7 A.M.
or after 6 P.M.
25% Jwkson Farm & Home Supply Co. 25%
w** l STORE-WIDE CLOSE OUT SALE "f®"" 1
THROUGH OCTOBER • DAILY HOURS: 7 to 5, SATURDAYS 7 to 12
FARM EQUIPMENT
16’ Portable Elevator
Aluminum
19’ Portable Hay Conveyor
21' Portable Hay Conveyor
Grain Augers
Rotary Cutters
Rear Tractor Blades
3-Point P.T.O. Cement
Mixer
3 Point Hitch Accessories
Hydraulic Pumps
Hydraulic Fittings
Stock Tanks
Hog Feeders
Hog Waterers
Mineral Feeders
Calf Crib Feeders
Sprayer Parts
Wagon Gears
Implement Tires
- Panel Gates
Jackson Farm & Homo Supply Co ■
We are closing out our store during month of October and DISTRIBUTOR OF* CENTRAL TRACTOR PARTS CO*
relinquishing, also, our Central Tractor Parts Company poijtp • pa i 7twt7
Distributorship - which will be assumed by a local company, to be ROUTE IP 3 MYERSTOWN, PA. I 7067
announced in future advertising. PHONE: (717) 933-4151 OR (717) 933-4152
ALL inventory must be sold by October 3ist. locution; Follow signs olong Route 645, three miles north of Myerstown, Po.
has been selected as the 1975
poster child for the Central
Pennsylvania Chapter,
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
with headquarters in
Harrisburg.
As the poster child, David
recently participated in a
proclamation signing
ceremony in the governor’s
office at the capitol in
Harrisburg. Governor Shapp
went down on his knees to
greet David, and the two
chattered face to face, ap
parently oblivious to the
confusion and milling people
all around them. The
governor took the occasion to
call upon all citizens of the
Anti
Oil and Filters
Carburetors
Sleeve Assemblies and
Overhaul Sets
Brake Parts-
Clutch Parts
Water Pumps
Tune Up Kits
Rebuilt Magnetos
Rebuilt Generators
Rebuilt Starters
Front Tires
I & T Shop Manuals
boy selected C.F. poster boy
Commonwealth to give
recognition and support to
the worthwhile efforts of the
Cystic Fibrosis Foundations.
Cystic fibrosis is the
number one genetic killer of
children in the U.S. today.
Children are born with the
disease when both parents
carry the C-F gene. It has
been estimated that nearly a
quarter million persons in
the U.S. carry the gene, but
as yet there is no sure way of
testing for the defect.
The Umbergers learned
that their son had cystic
fibrosis when he was just 27
months of age. A series of
respiratory infections led
them to a specialist who
made the diagnosis. He sent
the family to the Cystic
Fibrosis Clinic at Harrisburg
Polyclinic Hospital, one of
only three such facilities in
Pennsylvania. The other two
are at Philadelphia and
Pittsburgh.
For about a year, the
Umbergers took David up to
Harrisburg to the clinic
every week. Then it was
every month, then every
other month. Today, David
visits the clinic once every
three months. Thanks to
modern medication and
therapy techniques • the
result of Foundation
research - David’s disease is
presently under control.
A day in the life of a child
with cystic fibrosis is a day
iii which concentrated effort
is expended merely to keep
breathing. Upon arising,
during the day and before
retiring, David receives
inhalation therapy and
ERIES
ir, Truck
actor
postural drainage therapy
for about 15 minutes per
session.
David has an aerosol mist
machine with a face mask.
The 'machine pumps
medicated mist which
David inhales deeply into his
lungs. There, the medication
works to break up the thick
mucus which clogs the air
passages.
For about ten minutes at a
time, David’s mother gives
him postural drainage
therapy. This involves
David’s lying face down,
with pillows piled beneath
his stomach and waist, so
that the lung and chest area
is lower than the rest of his
body. Mrs. Umberger then
firmly taps David on the
back and sides, in the lung
area, with cupped hands.
This helps to loosen the
mucus in the lungs so that
David can cough it up and
breathe more freely.
At night, David again
breathes the medicated
mist. He sleeps within a
plastic tent, into which the
mist is pumped throughout f •
saKyrayfua women s convention
much of the night, coughing
and wheezing and gasping
for breath.
Although to the casual
observer the Umbergers
might seem to have reason to
be depressed, the family is a
cheerful, optimistic group.
“We are fortunate,” says
Mrs. Umberger, “that David
was born in 1968. If he had
been bom 10 or 15 years
earlier, we might not still
have him with us. Back in
Lancaster Farming, Saturday. Oct. 4.197&
the 1950'a, when the Cystic
Fibrosis Foundation was
first organized, children with
OF usually did not reach
school age.
"Now, because of the
research and education
functions of the Foundation,
many cystic fibrosis children
are reaching 18 and 20 years
of age.
“The Foundation,” she
declares earnestly, "is
buying time for children with
cystic fibrosis and other
lung-damaging diseases.”
Mrs. Umberger works
hard for the Foundation. She
is a member of the board of
directors of the Central
Pennsylvania Chapter,
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
She is currently serving as
Rural Southwestern
Musical
“Them There Guys,” a meeting, awards will be
local musical group, will be presented for best local
the featured entertainment society scrapbooks, at
at the Berks County Society tendance and safety
of Farm Women annual programs. Attendance is
convention to be held Oc- expected to total over one
tober 4, 1975 at the Kutztown hundred fifty including
Grange Hall. Another part of many presidents from
the program will be a talk on counties throughout the state
flower arranging by Audrey and state president, Mrs.
Ann of Fleetwood. In ad- Ruth Richards,
dition to the annual business
Lebanon County Chairman
for the Breath of Life
Campaign to raise funds to
support the Foundation’s
activities.
The Umbergers and other
parents of cystic fibrosis
children are working
diligently to help raise funds
to aid in research which may
result in a cure for the
disease. Eventually, the
Foundation hopes to be able
to trace the gene which
causes the disease and to
wipe out cystic fibrosis
completely.
In the meantime, through
research and education, it is
helping to keep children
breathing and living -
whether they live in crowded
cities or in a sunny Lebanon
County.
group
featured at
31