European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 11, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday May 11. 1989 the stars and stripes Page 5 2-year-o/d first to get expandable ribs san Antonio a a 2-Ycar-old boy born without ribs on his right Side is the first person to be Given expandable titanium ribs designed by a Texas doctor that will help him live a Normal life doctors said tuesday. Christopher Cardenas was on a Respirator for his first seven months until pins and a plastic Sheath were implanted to keep his organs in place. The specially designed ribs were implanted last month. Or. Robert Campbell a paediatric orthopaedic sur Geon at Santa Rosa children s Hospital who devel oped the expandable rib. Led a three member team during the six hour operation april 13. Two expandable ribs were inserted vertically andean be expanded with minor surgery when the boy begins to grow Campbell said. He said two were sufficient. We Hope he will be absolutely Normal. He is running playing and falling Down with the rest of the children Campbell said at a news conference. Doctors waited nearly a month to make the announcement 59 they could Monitor the child s Prog Ress said Hospital spokeswoman Terrie Carter. Christopher was born with virtually no ribs or Muscles on his right Side and part of his spine also was missing. There were Small ribs at the neck an the Waist but seven ribs in the Middle of his Chest were missing. Christopher s parents. Gus and Monica Cardenas went to doctors at Santa Rosa children s Hospital in August 1987. The baby s organs were shifting and causing the spine to curve so Campbell and or. Melvin Smith a podiatric surgeon implanted two 3-Inch-Long Verti Cal pins and a plastic Sheath to hold Christopher s organs in place. Campbell said he knew a replacement would have to be inserted so he began designing a new implant. It Cost about $20,000 to develop the ribs said Dave Martinez an Engineer with tech Mudica inc., a Camarillo Calif based artificial joint firm that worked with Campbell. The expandable ribs were attached to the Small ribs at the neck and Waist said Campbell. Resembling expandable wrist watch bands the ribs can be extended when needed As Christopher Monica Cardenas holds her 2-Ycar-old son Christopher As or. Robert Campbell looks on at news conference. Grows and then locked in position. Campbell said titanium is stronger than steel and the ribs will be totally Safe. The primary design Factor was safety he said. I have five kids myself and i knew they fall so i designed this for maximum safety and combat con  Christopher who attended the news conference with his Mother appeared shy at first but was run Ning around the room by the end of the session. Mrs. Cardenas said she and her husband had gone to doctors in san Antonio Austin and Houston and were told that a Respirator would be part of her son s life. Then they talked to the Santa Rosa physicians. Sven we ran into these Guys we were very grateful because All Hope was about gone mrs. Cardenas said. She said her son is a pretty typical 2-Ycar-old. He s afraid of doctors and  Campbell said he has been contacted by other physicians who have patients with similar rib difficulties but did not know when he would perform More implants. It. Bill bans car air conditioners using chemical Montpelier it. A Vermont is becoming the first state to ban car air conditioners that use a chemical linked to destruction of the atmosphere s protective bronc layer. Car air conditioners Are the single largest source of the . Contribution to Ozone depletion according to scientists and Testi Mony before legislative committees. Gov. Madeleine Kunin has hailed the Bill passed May 2 and which she is expected to sign within the next two weeks As landmark  we arc a role Model and we May be a role Model for the . Congro a she said. Starting with the 1993 Model year the legislation would ban the Sale or registration of cars equipped with air conditioners that use chlorofluorocarbons or rfcs for coolant. Car air conditioners were singled out partly because they use cfci2, consid ered the most damaging Type of Csc to the Ozone layer. Home refrigerators use a Dif Ferent Type of Csc. When Csc molecules Rise in the Atmo sphere they damage the Ozone layer is to 20 Miles up. Scientists say that lets in extra radiation that increases incidences of skin cancer and Eye disease and damages plants and animals crucial to the food Chain. The connection Between rfcs and the Ozone layer is not being debated anymore said state rep. Curt Mccormack the Bill s major sponsor. The argument is when can you have air conditioners without  rfcs. Developed As a refrigerant in 1930 by a general motors chemist were consid ered Ideal chemicals because they arc non toxic and non combustible. The chemicals Are widely used As Cool ants and As propellants such As in Spray cans. Under Vermont s Bill the Sale of Csc propelled noise makers and plastic party streamers As Well As non commercial or Industrial uses of rfcs for cleaning photographic or electronic equipment would be banned next year. Supporters of Vermont s legislation say it is the most far reaching of any of the two do in Ozone Protection Bills introduced in state Legislatures this year. Only Legislatures in Vermont and Hawaii have passed Ozone Protection measures. Hawaii s governor is expected to sign a Bill that would ban the Sale of Csc cartridges for recharging car air conditioners. Virtually the Only opposition to ver Mont s Bill was from a representative of general motors Mccormack said. Legislators were told that alternative coolants being developed by the Dupont co. Were not As efficient As those now available and that new coolants will require development of compatible lubricants and seals. Sands of time in the stars and stripes 40 years ago foday. May 11, 1949 the soviet Union offered to Call off the East West newspaper War in Germany and permit free circulation of Western licensed papers and periodicals in the soviet zone of Germany. 30 years ago foday. May 11, 1959 the House space committee recommended that the United Stales take the Lead in formulating a world policy for the exploration of outer space and ignore the soviet Boycott of a new initiative at the United nations. 20 years ago foday. May 11. 1969 aides to Gen. Charles do Gaulle announced that the former French president had flown to Ireland for a vacation and would remain there until his successor was installed in office. 10 years ago foday. May 11, 1979 president Carter appealed for Public support of the new arms limitation treaty with the soviet Union arguing that its rejection by the Senate would be a massive blow to world peace. Country Singer Whitley Dies of alcohol overdose Nashville. Tenn. A country music Singer Keith Whitley known for wrenching Honky Tonk style ballads that embraced pain and Joy was found dead at his Home tuesday after overdosing on alcohol officials said. He was 33. Whitley was found fully clothed in his bed by his brother in Law. Lane Palmer said la. Harry Bell of the Good Casville police department. An autopsy showed the Singer died of an accidental overdose of alcohol said medi Cal examiner Charles Harlan. The Singer s blood alcohol Content was .477, almost five times the amount to be declared intoxicated in Tennessee Harlan said. The Sandy Hook ky., native s alcohol problem had plagued him for years. In an interview last october he said his heavy drinking had nearly killed him and that he had quit in 1987. Whitley had just recorded an album in Nashville to be released in the fall. Whilley s latest album Don t close your eyes has had three no. I singles since it was released last year including last month s i m no stranger to the  the album and title song were nominated by the Academy of country music for song and single record of the year. Whilley s wife lome Morgan a grand old opry Singer was on a tour heading toward Alaska when her husband died. Besides his wife Whitley is survived by a son and a daughter