Congrats to the Newest addition to the Nest~!

Sherri Slagle Ebert '99 and hubbie Jason welcomed thier second little boy on November 23, 2009 at 11:53am. He weighed 8 pounds 13 ounces and 19 inches long. He joins very proud big brother Brody who is two.
Here is the little cutie pie.

Brennan Slagle Ebert

Nice work Sherri and Jason, cannot wait to meet the little man!

Do you have updates, tell us what going on in your life! Send me an email at emilyreplogle2004@yahoo.com and I would be MORE than happy to post for you!

Send pics, stories, anything really... would love to hear from you!

Go see "Paranormal Activity" starring our very own Ashley Palmer!

If you haven't already heard, Owl Alumna Ashley Palmer '00 has a role in the breakout horror flick, "Paranormal Activity."

Read up here (on CNN and everywhere else!). And then go see the movie!

WAY TO GO, ASHLEY!

A new Owl baby joins the nest!

Lizz ('98) and Josh Caton welcomed Baby #4 on July 8th! A sweet little boy 8 pounds 11 ounces and 22 inches long. Craig Robert Caton is lovingly welcome by big sisters Violet 4, Drew 3, and Lainey, 1. Mom and baby Craig are doing great, if anyone would like to volunteer to bring a meal or just stop by and help out a bit (4th baby, Lizzie, I am so impressed!) just drop me an email and I would be more than happy to coordinate it. emilyreplogle2004@yahoo.com
CONGRATS to the Caton Family! We love you guys!

PLEASE READ~Kerry Jean Friend

Ladies, one of our sisters is currently going through very difficult times. Please read, this was forwarded to me on Facebook and I want to get the word out as much as possible. Please read, forward on, do anything you can. If you cannot attend, please spread the word.
Love to you all sweet sisters.
Love N Hoots,
Emily

Here is the message from Facebook:
Kerry Jean has Aplastic Anemia and will need a bone marrow transplant. Her immediate family has been tested, but are not matches.

The Leesburg community/churches are holding a bone marrow drive in the hopes of finding a match for Kerry Jean. Please spread the word to other churches, groups, family and friends! And, of course, continue to PRAY!

If you are matched to someone in need, the process of donating is not nearly as painful or difficult as has been portrayed by Hollywood so don't let that scare you off! You can find more information on the process on the website link below.

Lunch and homemade ice cream will be served- freewill donation. Cheek swabs for ages 18-60. Each donor pays $25 tax deductible donation, a national bone marrow organization will pay the rest. Don't let money stop you from donating- the local community/churches are raising money to help cover the costs.

Can't participate in the cheek swab or donate marrow? You could sponsor someone who can!!
Kerry Jean Friend fund set up at
Leesburg Federal Savings Bank.
45 E Main St. Leesburg, OH 45135
(937) 780-2431

You can register/donate ahead of time online. If you can come the day of the event, please do so and allow out-of-towners to register via the web, but sign up here on this event page so we know how many swab kits we'll need to have.

General sign-ups on the web are for at home swab kits. Once the kit arrives, please return promptly in the postage paid package.
Directions:

1. www.bethematch.org

2. “Join the Registry”

3. “Join Now”

Follow subsequent directions until “promo code” is asked. The “promo code” is DUEFTMOH. (You may or may not need to input this as they site is running another promotion for free sign up right now)

Finish answering the next steps and click for the swab kit to be sent.

Questions? Email bonemarrow@psbc.org. or call 1-800-366-2831 (1-800-Donate) Ext. 1897

A useful fact is that the most desirable donors are young, healthy MALES. This is because they don't have the antibodies that women develop during pregnancy. However, many women have been bone marrow donors. Women shouldn't be discouraged from donating but they should definitely encourage the men in their lives to donate.

Another thing you can do in support of Kerry Jean is donate blood or platelets. There are multiple donation locations in the Cincinnati area. To make an appointment to donate platelets, please call the appointment center at (513) 451-0910. Kerry Jean has been getting blood and platelet transfusions up to twice a week so resupplying the bank is a great way to honor your friendship with her.

Please come out and donate!! Pass this along to everyone you can think of!! Kerry Jean needs us!!!!

Also, donors who are not Caucasian have less of a chance of matching Kerry Jean BUT the donor bank is currently 75% Caucasian so there is a great need for people of other ethnicities to enrich the bank and improve the chances that someone with a similar background will find a match. I have been told the government pays the full processing cost for non-Caucasians.

From Nellda Friend (Kerry Jean's mom)
Brief background of Kerry Jean:
Kerry Jean has been working as a youth and children’s director of a church in High Point, NC where she also became certified in different areas of aerobics. She moved to a house the church renovated for her the week before Easter. She also doubled up on exercise classes that week in order to take a few days off and come to Leesburg the next week. I was in North Carolina that week (holy week) to help her move.

The mirrors in the gyms revealed bruises on arms and legs. A clinic visit, following advice from a retired doctor, sent her for blood work. I came home on Good Friday. The day after Easter, she called saying the blood work showed a likelihood of leukemia. I flew back to NC Tues. morning.

A bone marrow biopsy Tuesday was gratefully received because it showed no leukemic (cancer) cells, but indicated nearly NO cells – APLASTIC ANEMIA.

The preferred treatment is a bone marrow transplant from a sibling; however, neither brother matched, so she was hospitalized at Winston-Salem Wake Forest Univ. Baptist Hospital for ATG treatment.

For each of 4 days she received 8 hours of a substance made from horses’ blood along with other drugs to “tie up” her bad blood cells that were destroying each other. She continues at home with the drugs which continue to suppress her cells (her immune system). The hope is that her body will eventually make new (stem) cells without being killed by the “bad” cells.

We need to have ready another action if this treatment does not work, and that is the purpose of this drive – to find a non-related bone marrow donor. This drive may produce a match to save Kerry Jean.

However, there are many people throughout the nation/world who need a bone marrow transplant and are looking for a match. By signing up to help Kerry Jean, you might be providing life giving marrow to a special someone you don’t even know!

Thanks a whole bunch and thanks for all the love and support from Leesburg!

Love, Kerry Jean and me – her mom!

Owl Update~ Ash Reynolds Babbitt "91

Our beloved Owl Advisor! Here is the latest with her and would you LOOK at this baby, I do not think Owl Ladies can make anything but cute kids~! You did good Ash, he is gorgeous. Loved to hear from you!

Here is what Ash had to say:
After three years of trying and hoping and praying - including a year of fertility treatment....Geoff and I were thrilled to welcome Colin Lyle Babbitt into our family on April 3 at 11:53 a.m. He came in at 10 pounds, 11 ounces (via c-section - thank God) and 21 3/4 inches long. Thankfully - he looks and acts just like his dad - very quiet and laid back - not a feisty Irish temper like his mom. At just a few weeks old - he's quite the fan of Owl girls....including his honorary aunt Wendy Pietila Watson '92 who supported me every step of this incredible journey! Geoff, Colin and I live in Galloway, Ohio, and I'm staying home with Colin for now and hope to do some freelance communications work from home.

Ash Reynolds Babbitt '91 (ashrey123@gmail.com)

We have a new Owl baby to love! Tricia and Scott Arthur....

Welcome baby Sullivan Scott Arthur!! Here are the details from Tricia's blog, she promised pictures to follow:) Congrats to the Arthur family!

"Sullivan Scott was born Friday, March 20th at 1:04pm. He is a perfect 7lbs 7 ozs and 19 inches long. Real shots to come, but for now, picture dark hair and small little scrunched up features.

And he is precious and darling and peaceful and adorable and cuddly and cute and OURS!!!"

Feel free to check out Tricia's blog for more details:) http://arthuradventure.blogspot.com/

Owl Update~ Maya Gangadharan

Look what I stole from her Facebook account, an actual Owl Composite shot~! What a beauty. Here she is now in NYC! Love those shoes, you go girl!

Here is a message I got from FABULOUS MAYA on Facebook! Keep your eyes out for this one, she is going places!

I am currently living in NYC, having moved from Detroit on December 29th. I love it here, I have tons of friends and I just found the perfect apartment in Park Slope, Brooklyn. My current "day job" is as a free-lance automotive sales trainer for clients such as Toyota, Honda and Acura. I've been working in the automotive industry since I graduated from Otterbein. I also did on-camera a voice-over work in Detroit and I'll be starting the search for an agent here in NYC soon. I also came here to pursue my TV talk-show, Everyday Goddess which you can check out at my website, www.everydaygoddess.tv.

I met a producer here back in August and we'll be moving ahead with a pilot and pitching to syndicators and networks starting in the spring. I am currently single. I was married for three years in early 2000 and I have no kids, pets, or hangers-on.

xo

Maya
Everyday Goddess ~ There's a Goddess in every one of us...it's time to let her out! ~