When a child cries, we cannot help but be moved to comfort. When a child laughs, we cannot help but be moved to joy. The Raven Maria Blanco Foundation, Inc. (RMBF) believes that miracles live in these moments shared. It is our vision to hold the hands of the world’s little ones, traversing life’s terrain together. There is no project too big or too small. Every step taken to uplift the hearts and minds of the children is a move towards healing. Each smile is a reminder of the beauty, truth, and wisdom surrounding us, reminding us to affirm life with every passing moment. The time to act is now. We can no longer ignore the call to stand for those forgotten. Instead, we rise up, shoulder to shoulder, and confront life’s obstacles with unfettered love. We hug, we play, we run, and we laugh. We share, we promise, we protect, we do, and we succeed.

In 2007 Raven Maria Blanco, was a normal, healthy, loving child. Her parents took her to the dentist for a routine check-up and cleaning. She never returned home. Instead, under her dentist’s care, Raven’s life slipped away. The medical conditions that led to her death are complex, but this fact remains: when problems developed, the dentist was inadequately prepared to address the crisis.

Those whose lives were touched by this brief burst of joy named Raven were understandably devastated by this loss and experience. In honor of Raven’s memory, her parents and extended family established RMBF with the central objective of raising awareness within the dental profession. The need for better medical emergency preparedness is critical as, sadly, this very lack of preparation which led to Raven’s death is the current state of most dental offices in America.

RMBF is advocating change... This cannot be done alone! We need the help and support of any and all who are moved by our plight. We will transform lives; however, it is we who will be most in awe of the rewards we find in our giving. Join us in our journey to the margins. In this space, dreams soar to realization.

On August 27, 2010 RMBF sent out letters to the American Dental Association (ADA) requesting that they pursue an update of its 2002 guidelines based on current knowledge, make the information easily accessible to dentists, and to commit to regular monitoring of the recommendations to keep them timely.

We also sent a letter to the Ohio Dental Association thanking them for being the first Dental Association in the nation to write a letter to the ADA supporting a symposium to update the guidelines.

Finally, we wrote the other State Dental Associations (SDAs) asking them to also support a symposium. We informed all of the other SDAs of Ohio’s support in hopes they follow their lead.

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In the past four months, FOUR pediatric patients have died in the U.S. after undergoing sedation prior to dental treatment accounting for 21% of pediatric deaths over a period of 14 years...

Since 1996, there have been 19 pediatric deaths related to complications due to dental procedures. This number accounts only for reported pediatric deaths. Shockingly, of the 19 deaths occurring within the 14 year period, FOUR have been within the last FOUR months. Yes, 21% of the deaths have occurred since April - add in Maddoux Cordova, the 22-month old Texas boy who died in December, and 1/3 of the deaths have happened within less than a year! What once may have been viewed as a rarity has clearly become an epidemic.

#	Child's Name		ST		Year of Death
01	Jonathan Walski		PA		1996
02	Benjamin R. Shimshock		CA		1996
03	Javier Villa		CA		1997
04	Rogelio Crespo		CA		2005
05	Dasia Washington		FL		2006
06	Jessena Valles		TX		2006
07	Diamond Brownridge		IL		2006
08	Jonathan Barrera		AZ		2006
09	Jenna Bautista		CA		2007
10	Raven Blanco		VA		2007
11	Jacqueline Martinez		CA		2008
12	Chanel Broomfield		AZ		2009
13	Cory Moore, Jr.		FL		2009
14	Maddoux Cordova		TX		2009
15	John Coleman		MO		2009
16	Jacobi Hill		VA		2010
17	Dylan S. Stewart		FL		2010
18	David Liddell		GA		2010
19	Akasmse Rose Tecumseh		OK		2010

If you are a parent or family member of any of these children and you have not been contacted by The Raven Maria Blanco Foundation (RMBF) please contact Executive Director, Nicole Cunha by sending an email to nicole@rmbfinc.org or by calling 757.222.2876. We would like to speak with you.

The tragedy fallen on these 19 children could happen to any child, at any time, at any dental office in the nation. Adults are not immune to this either. A life-threatening medical emergency could happen at any time. Certainly, dentists and their staff want to be adequately prepared in the case of such an event. In those potential life-saving moments, will the proper education and equipment be available? Will their team have the necessary training to act quickly and confidently? Where can patients place their trust? Every patient and every dentist deserves the best when confronted with a medical emergency. Achieving this means keeping up with courses like the Six Links (see explaination below) and others on a regular basis. Only in this way can we rest assure in readiness. We cannot nor will we ever say that we can predict the outcome of an adverse event; but we can promise preparedness if dentists actively participate with the Six Links.

RMBF is very proud to announce our affiliation with Dr. Larry Sangrik, nationally-known lecturer on medical emergencies within the dental profession and the online dental education website, DentalEDU.tv. Dr. Sangrik will be known as the National Director of Medical Emergency Preparedness with the RMBF. Dr. Sangrik has taken the concept of The Six Links of Survival (created by the Institute of Medical Emergency Preparedness [IMEP] and developed a lecture series devoted to preparing the entire dental team for medical emergencies.

Since 1999 Dr. Sangrik has nationally lectured over 7500 dental professionals on the topic of medical emergencies occurring in dental offices. In a letter to us he wrote "Sadly, I can confirm your suspicion that many dental offices are less than adequately prepared to manage any medical emergency, let alone a life-threatening one." It is because of this that the RMBF is advocating change. We want every dentist to become Six Links compliant in order to prevent further tragedies from occurring.

The six links are:

Educational Links		Physical Item Links
√ Dentist’s training		√ Written Emergency Protocols
√ Staff training		√ Medication Kit
√ Mock Drills		√ Appropriate Equipment

It is Dr. Sangrik's recommendation that a “Basic Medical Emergency Preparedness for Dental Offices (BMEPDO)” program be implemented by State Dental Associations for its members. BMEPDO would provide dentists, on a voluntary basis, the tools and resources they need to truly prepare in all Six Links of Survival. Such a program would not only be a member benefit, but also serve the public by providing a better level of safety during dental care."

"The Six Links of Survival" was copyrighted by the Institute of Medical Emergency Preparedness [IMEP] in 2003. The founders of IMEP have authorized Dr. Sangrik to use the concept in lectures and support him using it with RMBF as a continuing education memorial lecture.

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RMBF is pleased to announce we are a NPM Coalition Member. September is National Preparedness Month!

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RMBF is also in the process of working together with Dr. Ellie Phillips, DDS and author to help promote alternative ways children can care for their teeth in order to keep their dental visits healthy visits. Children who are free from tooth decay are less likely to require sedation.

Dr. Ellie Phillips, DDS has lectured to dental and medical professionals on ways to identify and prevent tooth decay for babies, children, and adolescents. As Dr. Phillips stated on one of her websites “For 35 years I have been teaching people that tooth decay and gum infections are preventable diseases.”


RMBF is excited to be working with both Dr. Phillips and Dr. Sangrik to turn a tragic situation into a positive one. The more we can do to change procedures, educated dentists and prevent pediatric tooth decay the safer our children are.

If you would like to get involved please send an email to Nicole Cunha voicing your interest.

Here are some ways you can get involved:

• Volunteer your time
• Donate Dental Hygiene Products
• Write a letter to Your State's Dental Association
• Write a letter to the Your State's Board of Dentistry
• Write a letter to the American Dental Association
• Help spread awareness by
  • Sharing our site with everyone you know
  • Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Myspace
• Donate to our foundation
• Donate Items that can be used as door prizes for our Charity Ball
• Tell us about other children that should be recognized by RMBF
• Make a suggestion
• Become a NPM Coalition Member

WVEC Channel 13
	Chesapeake man takes on dentistry laws after daughter's death www.wvec.com Raven Blanco died under conscious sedation in March 2007.
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