By Miriam Raftery

October 20, 2021 (San Diego) – East County Magazine interviewed Dr. Mark Sawyer, infectious disease specialist at Rady Children’s Hospital and an advisor to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on COVID-19 vaccines for children and booster shots.  He also serves on an advisory commission for the Governor and advised County Supervisors on COVID-19 issues. 

We asked him to address concerns raised by parents and others over vaccine mandates, to assess the safety of COVID vaccines compared to risks of COVID-19 for children and teens, and discuss the likely timetable for approvals of vaccines for young children and boosters for adults.

Dr. Sawyer revealed that hundreds of children have been treated at Rady Children’s Hospital for COVID-19, including 75 treated in the intensive care unit and another 75 diagnosed with multi-system inflammatory disease, a rare but serious complication of COVID-19 in children.  “To say that COVID is not serious in children is underestimating the virus,” he said.

East County News Service

December 5, 2018 (San Diego) – 2014 Veteran of the Year for the 71^st District of San Diego and Award-winning Author Karolyn Smith announced that her nonprofit, 3 Paws Up, has teamed up with Rady’s Children’s Hospital and will attend this year’s Rady’s ”Holiday Toy Drop Off” event on December 14^th from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. With a gracious donation from the Julian Arts Guild, 3 Paws Up will be donating 25 copies of “Sophia the Bionic Cat” to Rady’s kids.

East County News Service

October 8 2018 (San Diego's East County) – The 14 Chick-fil-A restaurants in San Diego County are partnering with local law enforcement agencies to host a “Local Hero Family Night” fundraiser for the annual San Diego Regional Law Enforcement Teddy Bear Drive benefiting Rady Children’s Hospital - San Diego. On Tuesday, Oct. 9, from 5 to 7 p.m., San Diego Chick-fil-A restaurants will donate 15 percent of event sales to law enforcement officials to purchase new teddy bears and stuffed animals for children receiving care at Rady Children’s Hospital. Chick-fil-A restaurants in the East County are located at 8200 Fletcher Parkway, La Mesa, and 9418 Mission Gorge Road, Santee.

July 1, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) - Spring Valley resident Gabriella Martinez, 7, who goes by Ella, recently received a special haircut and found a way to give back to children needing hair replacement.

By Miriam Raftery

March 28, 2015 (Ramona)—A 4-year-old boy drowned in a swimming pool March 21^st at a neighbor’s home in Ramona.

November 6, 2014 (San Diego County) - Help brighten the holidays for a sick child at Rady Children's Hospital.  The San Diego County Sheriff's Department and Probation Department are co-hosting this year's San Diego Regional Law Enforcement Teddy Bear Drive. The public is invited to join in on Tuesday, Nov. 18 from 5-7 p.m. at Chick-fil-A Sports Arena, 3570 Sports Arena Boulevard.

By Miriam Raftery

September 13, 2014 (San Diego) – A virus suspected of sickening hundreds of children in the Midwest this summer is spreading across the nation, with 80 cases confirmed, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports.

June 20, 2014 (San Diego)--Rady Children’s Hospital is staging a “Safe Kids Day” program on Saturday, June 21, at the Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor Center from 9:30 to 2:00.  The emphasis is to keep children safe while exploring and enjoying the outdoors.  All activities will take place at the Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor Center. 

November 9, 2013 (La Mesa) – The La Mesa Police Department is hosting a toy drive on behalf of the City of La Mesa to support Rady Children’s Hospital. The collection box is located in the La Mesa Police station lobby and they will be collecting toys until November 14, 2013. The La Mesa Police Department will transport the collected toys to AJ’s crane on November 15th. All toys must be new and sealed in their original packaging.  Rady Children’s Hospital also asks that no toys include guns, religious themes, or violent games.

A child can drown in just two inches of water, experts warn