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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories More snow likely en route to local passes Two people die in weekend crash on Highway 140 10 things to know for Monday Since You Asked: Crater Lake Avenue road sign confuses motorist Britt upgrades to be re-examined after state land-use ruling Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Two people die in weekend crash on Highway 140 Missing girl's family, friends, want more info from police Emergency Services Emergency Services Suspect in high-speed chase still unaccounted for Politics and Elections State certifies recount showing failure of GMO-labeling measure Time running out for O&C funds GMO vote recount still shows little change GMO labeling votes recounted under careful watch in Jackson County Kent Bush: First Amendment doesn’t mean what you think it means Education Traveling artist sets the stage for Ruch School amphitheater Ruch school class focuses on the natural environment Bethel Church helps families at McLoughlin Middle School Logos may offer students 'fifth year' at RCC or SOU St. Mary's plays host to youth robotics tournament Environment Monument expansion expected to increase tourism, protect resources Biologist resigns over LNG reporting failure Bird flu discovered in Winston backyard flock Jackson County holds back on enforcing GMO ban for now No fish, no funding for problem dams State News Oregon missionary deported back to U.S. faces molestation charges Poverty rate in Oregon schools jumps since 2007 Northwest poultry producers fear bird flu outbreak may hurt exports John Day loggers, conservationists cut a deal to save a mill Seaside man accused in child's death Nation - World Obama makes Maduro’s ‘insolent Yankees’ line harder to sell Obituaries Patricia Ann Burton Alan Leslie Kenmoen Sharon Kay Boldt David A. Schneider Dovie Mae Stout Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Sports Latest Stories Barry, North heat up in win Reyes scores 28 to power Crater Panthers pull away Pistons rout Cavs, elicit boos from fans Matthews sharp from long range in Blazer win Varsity 541 College Sports Beavers' Andersen hires offensive coaches No. 10 Beavers fall to No. 8 Vols UCLA isn’t looking back after Kentucky shellacking No. 1 Kentucky holds off No. 4 Louisville Winston is in his 'sanctuary' at Rose Bowl Pro Sports Pistons rout Cavs, elicit boos from fans Matthews sharp from long range in Blazer win Harbaugh, 49ers agree to part ways Raptors halt Clippers' home streak NBA’s trading season has started early Community Sports Keeping Fit: Runners need to do more than run to stay in shape Business Latest Stories Ride & Drive: 2015 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Silvio Calabi: Infiniti Q50 offers business-class driving LNG project: Where the gas would flow, so would the money Southern Oregon Surrogacy Center opens in Medford Silvio Calabi: GLA250 is a Merc for the masses Real Estate News Rental owners group reports 2.48 percent vacancy rate More sales, but no change in residential housing median price People In Business People in Business, Dec. 3 Transportation Falling gas prices help spur travel at Medford airport Agriculture K-BAR ignites agriculture boom beneath Table Rocks Southern Oregon wine industry had a robust 2013 Opinion Latest Granlund cartoon: New Year Late Night Granlund cartoon: New Year's predictions Granlund cartoon: Russian economy Letters to the Editor, Dec. 29 Our View: Council is barking up the right tree Editorials Our View: Council is barking up the right tree Other Views: Roseburg VA director sets the right goals Our View: Thanks to four departing leaders Other Views: Yes, Virginia ... Our View: Small post offices no longer practical Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Dec. 29 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 28 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 26 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 25 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 24 Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Loved one chose death with dignity in Oregon Guest Opinion: Forest thinning means water for the future Guest Opinion: Suit threatens family farms and democratic vote Guest Opinion: SOU pool decision short-sighted Guest Opinion: It's time for biologists to let OR-7 go dark Lifestyle Latest stories Marketta Gregory: Turn to God in your quest to feel healthier Marketta Gregory: Take time to declutter as a new year begins Ride & Drive: 2015 Volkswagen Jetta TDI It Is What It Is: For the new year, resolve not to resolve Jeff Vrabel: A bustling day at the funeral home Food Food for Thought: Wintertime wining and dining Kitchen Call: The comfort of creamy soups Community blog: Baking contest finalists combine cookies, candies Community blog: 'Cookbook Book' digests genre's past 300 years Community blog: Liver pat� an easy nosh for Hanukkah and beyond Home and Garden Dear Monty: Can a rookie real estate agent be a good choice? Bathtub or shower: What’s best for you? Home Help: Home safety tips for a safe and happy winter season How NOT to install drywall Dear Monty: Siblings dispute inherited real estate Health Community blog: Why New Year�s Resolutions Don�t Work and What to Do Instead Community blog: I Get It. Took a While. Health Watch: Small diet changes can make a big difference Community blog: Removing Barriers Is Good Insurance Health Watch: Change up your treadmill workout Hiking Biking Faith (No heading) Churches, synagogs host seasonal events Bethel Church helps families at McLoughlin Middle School Milestones and Achievements Pear Blossom queen has open heart surgery Hundreds enjoy Christmas dinner, gifts at St. Vincent de Paul SinceYou Asked: SBA would work with Mt. Ashland Ski Area about loan Fans, friends and family welcome home victorious SOU team at airport Wedding: Boldt-Mahon Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Ring in 2015 at a New Year's celebration near you Dobra Tea menu offers hundreds of brews SugarBeats headline an all-ages dance party at Historic Ashland Armory In the Pocket releases 'I Got News' Live Music in Local Clubs Theater ACT presents reading of 'The Quality of Life' Meet the real Jacob Marley This Nutcracker ballet will have a superhero twist Plumbing the depths of meaning TMTO presents 'A Christmas Carol: The Musical' Music Ring in 2015 at a New Year's celebration near you SugarBeats headline an all-ages dance party at Historic Ashland Armory In the Pocket releases 'I Got News' Live Music in Local Clubs Southern Oregon Repertory Singers present 'The Holly and the Ivy' Community Events Celebrate winter solstice with the Bad Film Society Tomaseen Foley's "A Celtic Christmas" returns to the Craterian Theater Stefan Baumann and Eugene Bennett highlight Third Fridays Dancing People Company celebrates the solstice Dance to the Southern Oregon Jazz Orchestra Dining Dobra Tea menu offers hundreds of brews Food for Thought: Wintertime wining and dining Coffee shops roll out holiday-inspired drinks Over Easy serves 'pop-up' brunch Sundays Ooblies Artisan Waffle Sandwiches Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW More snow likely en route to local passes ... Two people die in weekend crash on Highway 140 ... Our View: Council is barking up the right tree ... More snow likely en route to local passes ... Two people die in weekend crash on Highway 140 ... Our View: Council is barking up the right tree ... Pear Blossom queen has open heart surgery Comment By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 26, 2014 @ 2:00 am Updated Dec 26, 2014 at 2:57 AM By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 26, 2014 @ 2:00 am Updated Dec 26, 2014 at 2:57 AM » Social News Reigning Pear Blossom Queen Shawntell Michalke is counting her blessings rather than feeling sorry for herself after enduring emergency open heart surgery. The 18-year-old Southern Oregon University freshman was walking across campus on Nov. 18 when she collapsed face first to the ground, unable to breathe or speak. Her boyfriend called paramedics, who rushed Michalke to Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford. Michalke, a South Medford High School graduate who was crowned Pear Blossom Queen in March, suffers from a rare connective tissue disease that causes her blood vessel walls to be dangerously thin. An initial CAT scan of her head at the hospital showed she hadn't suffered a stroke. But a second chest scan showed her aorta had split. Blood was leaking into her body cavity instead of reaching vital body parts. Just 30 minutes after the chest scan, Michalke was undergoing open heart surgery. Her medical team stitched and glued her aorta back together during the six-hour surgery. "The whole hospital was so amazing, from the nurses to the surgeons to the ultrasound technicians," said Rhonda Drake, Michalke's mom. "Everyone was a team. They saved her life." Now on the mend, Michalke is prepping to take the finals she missed at SOU because of her medical emergency. "I still have my heart set on being a nurse and helping people," she said. "I think people have to go through something traumatic to understand and have compassion for what a patient is going through. That's one of the positives coming out of it." Michalke said she was grateful she was walking with her boyfriend, who knows about her health issues and was able to communicate with paramedics when she couldn't speak. "It happened the best possible way it could have," she said. Michalke said she is thankful she didn't have a stroke. Doctors initially thought she would lose the function of one kidney because of the blood loss, but both kidneys are doing well. Michalke said she knew going into the open heart surgery she could suffer severe complications. Her father, Henry Michalke III, suffered a split aorta when he was 27 years old. He emerged from his surgery paralyzed from the diaphragm down. Further complications led to amputations. He died in November 2013, one year before his daughter suffered her own split aorta and open heart surgery. During the Pear Blossom Festival Scholarship Pageant, Shawntell Michalke spoke movingly about her father's dedication, determination and positive attitude. She has been involved in numerous activities and groups, including the Rogue Regional Medical Center junior volunteer program, Relay for Life, Festival of Trees and Operation Christmas Child. Drake said her daughter is a compassionate, caring person. In the days before her aorta split, Michalke had been experiencing numbness and tingling in one arm and her face. A doctor thought the symptoms were due to a viral infection that had been going around. "The day after surgery, she said she was glad it wasn't the flu and she couldn't give it to anyone else. That's how Shawntell has been her whole life," Drake said. Drake said her daughter always has confronted her medical problems straight on. "She's never complained. She's always asking the doctors the hard questions. The answers are not easy things to hear. It's a horrible disease and she's seen the things it can do," Drake said. "She's said, 'It's OK, Mom. I'll get through this.'" This holiday season, Drake and Michalke said they feel grateful Michalke was in the right place with the right people at the right time when her aorta split. "This time of year, everyone thinks about what presents they'll get," Drake said. "This year, I'm just glad I have my daughter." Reach staff reporter Vickie Aldous at 541-776-4486 or [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/VickieAldous . By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 26, 2014 @ 2:00 am Updated Dec 26, 2014 at 2:57 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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