About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 9, 2024)
4A Weekend Edition-February 9-10, 2024 The Times, Gainesville, Georgia I gainesvilletimes.com LOCAL/REGION Forsyth family shares experience for World Encephalitis Day BY SABRINA KERNS skerns@forsythnews.com Alex Dahlberg had just graduated from Horizon Christian Academy and started his freshman year at Belmont University in Nashville when he came down with what was, at first, a simple case of the flu. But soon after, he contracted mono, and his symptoms became worse and worse in the coming weeks. “He got really sick,” said his mom, Pennie Dahlberg. “He had a headache, and we thought it was dehydration ... And it would hurt so bad that he would throw up.” Pennie and her husband, Tom, decided to bring Alex back home to help him recover. But even then, he wasn't getting better. “He just doesn't want to do anything,” Tom said. “He can't do anything. So I'm like, ‘I'm going to take him out around lunchtime to get some air.' So we went to Smoothie King, and the menu that's up there, he just stared at it for like five minutes. “And then we get in the car, and he couldn't work his fingers to put the seatbelt on. It was really bizarre, and then he was walking odd. I told [Pennie], ‘Something's wrong.'” And he was right. After days spent in the hospital with different doctors and specialists, Alex was diagnosed with encephalitis, inflammation of the brain caused, in Alex's case, by the Epstein- Barr virus associated with mono. The complications that came with his encephalitis completely changed Alex's life. And now, five years after his diagnosis, he and his family are coming together to share his story Photos courtesy of Pennie and Tom Dahlberg Alex Dahlberg wears a World Encephalitis Day shirt years after being diagnosed with and suffering brain damage from encephalitis, the swelling of the brain. and spread awareness for World Encephalitis Day coming up on Thursday, Feb. 22. One way they are excited to be able to do that this year is by working with the City of Cumming to light up the Cumming water tower the day after on Feb. 23 for the entire community to see. Pennie said she hopes the colors will make others in Forsyth County stop and ask, “What is encephalitis? And how can we help those struggling?” Tom and Pennie said they both had no idea what encephalitis was when Alex was first diagnosed back in 2019, and they said doctors in the U.S. still also have a lot to learn about diagnosing and treating it. “[Our doctors] didn't know what to do with Alex, and you feel so lost,” Pennie said. “Even when he was first sick, they didn't know what was wrong with him.” When they first took Alex to Emory Johns Creek Hospital, they insisted that their doctors perform a lumbar puncture to find out from his spinal fluid if there was anything wrong with his brain. After that, hospital staff put them into a room where Pennie fell asleep with Alex. It wasn't until about two or three in the morning that a nurse shook her awake with the results. “She’s like, ‘Is he responsive?"’ Pennie said. “And I said, ‘Yeah, we walked down here. They had him hooked up to fluids and stuff, but he walked down here.’ But he wasn't waking up.” Alex had fallen into a coma, but their doctors Dahlberg relearns how to play the guitar after falling into a coma and being diagnosed with encephalitis. weren't sure what to do next. Pennie said they knew he had brain inflammation but didn't know much more. They ended up transferring him to Emory Midtown Hospital where they were finally able to get a diagnosis. But Pennie and Tom said they really struggled the most in finding doctors that could help with Alex's recovery. The 19-year-old moved to Shepherd Center, a rehab facility in Atlanta, where he had to relearn how to walk, talk and even swallow on his own. But even after getting back on his feet and being able to move his body again, the injury to his brain still lingered. By the time he came home nearly a year after diagnosis, Alex was physically fine, but he started having severe anxiety and panic attacks. “Sound and lights,” Pennie said. “He couldn't watch TV. He couldn't even listen to music, and he's a musician. Everything affected him.” They ended up traveling to John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore where they found one of the only doctors in the U.S. that specializes in encephalitis. It was through him that they also found Encephalitis International, a global nonprofit based out of the U.K. that provides support and resources to families struggling with encephalitis. It was only through that doctor and the nonprofit that they found a treatment that finally helped Alex's anxiety. For right now, though, his parents said Alex is still not quite back to his old self. “Before that, he was an athlete,” Pennie said. “He's our middle child. He was laid back and had lots of friends. And his whole personality changed. Like having a stroke. But anytime we had a question for a doctor or needed help with, ‘What should we do next? Is there a behavioral place? Should he be seeing a neuropsychologist?' The only resource we had was not the neurologists here. In fact, if you try to get a neurologist appointment, you're on a waitlist for six or seven months. But we could at least call Encephalitis International.” It was through connections they made with others in Encephalitis International that they decided to send Alex to a specialized school in Utah where they hope he can gain back important executive functioning and social skills that he’s still missing. In the meantime, though, Alex and his family are excited to be able to share their story and spread awareness of encephalitis, which is much more common than they said people might imagine. “The whole point of the tower lighting up is just really special,” Pennie said. “That’s what Encephalitis International wants is to make everybody aware of encephalitis and all the problems that come along with it.” The Cumming water tower will be lit up in red on Friday, Feb. 23, and Pennie and her family plan to put on World Encephalitis Day shirts and go out to the tower that day to celebrate. Pennie and Tom’s youngest daughter is a senior at Horizon Christian Academy where the students will also be wearing red that week to show their own support for their family and all others impacted by encephalitis. “We’re just so excited,” Pennie said. For more information about encephalitis or for more on how to donate to Encephalitis International, visit www.encephalitis. info. FROM 1A Port interstate, but now they're just going to go to the port,” Hazell said. “... if it's 400 units per train, that means they could bring 400 units up — but they need to go out — so another 400 units go on. Technically speak ing, that's 800 trips (trucks a day)...a lot of that is going to be new traffic.” He went on to say that “if you look at other ports around the country,” new development often flocks to the area for closer proximity to the terminal, which could bring even higher volumes of traffic, a growing popula tion and greater demand for workforce housing to Hall and surrounding counties. “The ones that we've seen in North Carolina have seen at least a fivefold increase in the businesses that are ser vicing the port — because it's now available online,” Hazell said. “That is where they locate to, and that is what Hall County is trying to program for (Ga.) 365.” McCurry ultimately acknowledged the potential for increased traffic as activ ity at the port rises, stating, “It certainly stands to be a magnet for some increased traffic, and that's why traffic studies and road improve ments are done. But it's not like, day one, you flip a light switch and it happens that way ... I don't think there's any way to diagnose, roadway by roadway by roadway, regardless of size, exactly what might happen. You have to look at it on a regional basis.” ‘Even more dangerous’ The splash of the Inland Port could cast ripples well beyond the borders of Hall County. At least $24 million for future road improvements is planned in anticipation of the port's arrival, according to Hall County officials, and it's not the only government bracing for the potential impact. Baldwin Mayor Stepha nie Almagno is convinced traffic on Ga. 365 could become “even more dan gerous” if nothing is done along that route by the time the port is up and running. Baldwin, located about 20 miles from Hall Coun ty's border and positioned between the two major arteries of SR 365 and U.S. 441, continues to plan ahead to account for the heavier traffic, a booming popula tion and the need for more housing the port could bring to the city of just over 3,500 people. About two years ago Alm agno and other city officials toured Murray County — a community of about 40,000 people in northwest Geor gia — for insight on how the Appalachian Regional Port has influenced growth and development there. The Northeast Georgia Inland Port, once complete, will be much larger than the Appalachian Regional Port — a 42-acre terminal which moved 35,000 containers on and off rail last year. In com parison, the 104-acre Blue Ridge Connector will start at 26,000 before eventually moving 52,000 container lifts by rail on an annual basis, according to the Geor gia Ports Authority. During the tour, led by Murray County's Sole Com missioner Greg Hogan, offi cials saw an up-close look at the regional port and its effect on the ever-changing landscape. Lining the roads throughout the county, Almagno said, on what was once farmland now stood development: corporate buildings, warehouses, dis tribution centers and new housing for an expanding workforce. “There were big housing developments and these big warehouses,” Almagno said. “We’re going to need work force housing in northeast Georgia ... Baldwin has been pushing this conver sation for a couple of years now.” Hogan said he’s wit nessed Murray County transform since the Appa lachian Regional Port came online in 2018. He told The Times in December that it’s “hard to prepare for some thing when you've never seen anything like this,” and he confirmed there's been a significant increase in trac tor trailer traffic in the last six years. Though it's diffi cult to quantify, he said, “it's definitely an increase.” “I know it's an increase,” Hogan said. “I can look out my office window right now and see a container truck going north or south.” Since its inception, the Appalachian Regional Port has generated between 2,000-2,500 jobs from new development, according to Hogan, as well as heaps of additional revenue from new business and invest ment. Land that was once a hayfield, for instance, is now home to multinational conglomerate General Electric — which Hogan said generates more annual revenue than the land alone would produce in 20 years. “That's where you really gain there — the revenue,” he said. The U.S. Census shows Murray County's popula tion climbed by 636 peo ple since 2018, but Hogan believes that figure is much higher. “They're building every day here — apartments, condos, single-family resi dential housing,” Hogan said. “We've seen subdi visions go up and subdi visions coming. That's a challenge ... is not enough housing. When you get all these factories and things coming here, you have to have people to work in them. It's growing every day.” With a sudden influx of people in the workforce, Hogan noted the rise in demand for affordable housing in Murray County — something he said gov ernments and municipalities in North Georgia should be prepared for as the Inland Port nears completion. “The Inland Port is going to be a big grower for them over there to serve that northeast part of Georgia,” Hogan said. “It's going to boom, and you better be ready.” Hall County officials said an estimated 9,682 new jobs “supported by port activity” already have been created in recent years, and that “additional businesses and development” in the area is anticipated as the county continues “to shape the northern corridor to encourage natural expan sion through investments in infrastructure ...” Through its comprehen sive plan, County Admin istrator Zach Propes said Hall County continues to identify areas ideal for addi tional housing to accom modate a growing future workforce. “Hall County is currently discussing areas where workforce housing would be feasible as it relates to the comprehensive plan,” Propes said. “We antici pate requests for workforce housing within the proxim ity of the Inland Port - but do not believe it would be adjacent to the 365 corridor.” Vice President of the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce Tim Evans said Hall County will continue to be a magnet for jobs despite whether the port surges demand in the local labor market. He called the Blue Ridge Connector a “huge benefit” forbusiness- to-business connectivity and the economy in north east Georgia. “I see our job growth con tinuing to grow at around 2-3% a year,” Evans said. “That’s where we’re grow ing now and have been for the last decade ... I think we’re going to continue on that growth rate. The Inland Port terminal gives a lot more value to those busi nesses already here that are connected globally.” Like Baldwin, the city of Lula stands in the path of future development and increased traffic expected from the port. Resident Robert Grizzle fears other outcomes could be higher crime and more casualties on 365. “My biggest con cern is the tractor trailer traffic, and with that comes crime - whether it be pros titution, drug sales,” Grizzle said. “Traffic is going to be extremely dangerous ... between the Jefferson exit and Banks Crossing (in Commerce), it’s death val ley — and it’s because of the tractor trailers.” “We’ve got too many crossovers (on 365),” he said. “If they were going to bring the Inland Port in, they should've done more controlled access points. We've got uncontrolled access (for) up to 800 trucks a day ... there's going to be more accidents. It's dangerous.” ADOPT A FRIEND Meet Cleo, a 3.5 year old boxer mix. She loves to run and play in the bark parks with her doggy friends. She is working on her leash manners and her basic commands. If you are looking for a hiking buddy Cleo is the girl for you! Meet Gummy, a shy 3.5 year old male cat. He is learning how to trust people, but once he gets to know you he is very sweet and loving. If you think he sounds like the perfect match for you, come meet him this week at our shelter! If you cannot adopt, but would still like to help you can donate $50 to our food bowl fund to feed one rescue for an entire month! We’re sponsored by: NORTH GEORGIA tef Cremation'S 770-540-2078 0O HUMANE SOCIETY OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA E5T. 1913 770-532-6617
