KENNEWICK, Wash. – The Tri-Cities have been hit with frigid temperatures. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, death rates due to cold weather have risen between 8 to 12 percent in winter months. The cold can also worsen pre-existing medical conditions. One family whose daughter has a rare blood disorder has to find fun inside activities to keep their child safe.
Our bodies are already working hard to stay warm. According to the Centers for Disease Control, extreme cold can pose several health risks, such as Hypothermia and Frostbite.
Shane Vacek and Shay Maddon are being extra cautious about their daughter, Raelyn Vacek.
According to Maddon, Raelyn has Hemolytic Anemia. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, this is a disorder where red blood cells are destroyed faster than the body can produce them.
“Raelyn already has a lower immune system due to her blood disorder,” said Maddon. “So being out in the cold can actually weaken her immune system ever more, making her even more susceptible to illness and hypothermia.”
Vacek and Maddon said they try to keep her indoors out of the cold by doing activities at home.
“We have a ton of board games,” Maddon said. “We like to play board games. I think it’s a good way to spend time together as a family.”
According to Boys Town Pediatrics, when the weather is 30 degrees or higher, it’s the safest time to play outside. Parents should pay extra attention to their children if the weather is between 20 to 30 degrees. When it’s below 20 degrees, stay inside.
Families like Raelyn’s, looking to stay inside during the cold, some indoor activities could be arts and crafts, making a fort, watch movies, make food, or read a book.
Raelyn said she likes to draw and listen to her dad play the guitar.
“Metallica, she loves it when I play Metallica songs,” Vacek said.
Vacek said each person in the house has a hobby they like. He plays music, Maddon likes to cook and do arts and crafts and Raelyn’s favorite thing to do is use her imagination.
