PEOPLE

Mom-Turned-Author Changing Hearts & Minds

Don’t judge a book by its cover” is the message Ashton Miles hopes readers take away from Flower on the Farm, a heartwarming tale of a special calf who is misunderstood by the other farm animals but ultimately discovers how unique we all are.

It is the same struggle Ashton’s daughter Kaedence has faced as a child with nonverbal autism. “With her getting older, we do come across a lot of judgment sometimes. People will see how she acts and you can tell judgment is placed,” Ashton says.

Raising 6-year-old Kaedence alongside her twin sister and 8-year-old brother, who are not neurodiverse, has been difficult to navigate. “It’s definitely been a struggle trying to differentiate the way I react and treat them and how we co-exist as a family,” Ashton explains. Kaedence’s sensory issues prevent them from doing typical family activities like visiting the park, and communication involves letting her choose between foods and activities by showing her pictures of her favorite foods and movies.

Writing a story about Kaedence’s unique identity and struggles was never part of the plan. “I wrote it one day and it just kind of happened,” Ashton says. Her favorite part of writing Flower on the Farm has been bringing Kaedence to life on the page. “Flower has zero shame in who she is and so does Kaedence,” she says.

Even though the book is for kids, she says the message is for all ages. “Maybe we shouldn’t be so judgmental and quick to assume how people are. It doesn’t even pertain to someone with autism. We should be welcoming to everybody.”

Flower on the Farm is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Your

Friendly Dentist in Jarrell

Dr. Alan Katende

Sonterra Family Dental Opens This Month

With family roots in East Africa, Dr. Alan Katende remembers being told the harrowing story of his father having a tooth pulled as a child, without anesthesia. “Knowing his experience at the dentist, I am excited about how far dentistry has gone and that I am able to provide a modern, stress-free dental experience for my patients,” he says.

He is especially excited to bring that experience to Jarrell soon.

New York native Dr. Katende attributes his passion for dentistry to a dentist who was also his basketball coach and mentor. “After school I’d go over and shadow him. I got really excited about the profession and the fact that dentists do something different every day, whether creating a beautiful smile with veneers, getting a patient out of dental pain, or replacing people’s teeth so they can actually chew their food,” he says.

What sets him apart from other dentists, he says, is an education that led him from Washington University in St. Louis to the College of Dentistry at Howard University in Washington, D.C. He then completed an oral surgery fellowship at Columbia University in New York, which certified him to perform oral surgeries like dental implants and wisdom teeth removal.

After training in New York City, he and his wife Yasai moved to Texas to raise a family. Dr. Katende opened his first office in Harker Heights in 2017 and remembers starting the practice with no patients. “Now we’re at the point where we see over 90 new patients each month,” he says. That growth inspired him to consider a second office location, and his search was brought to a quick end when a Jarrell patient told him she wished he had an office closer to her.

“The population of Jarrell is exploding and there is high demand for dental services. I am also excited to open a practice in a community that has a small-town feel.”

Residents can look forward to a full range of dental services at Sonterra Family Dental, including root canals, crowns, dental implants, dentures, whitening, and Invisalign orthodontics—all in an office that provides a homey atmosphere. “It’s not your typical dental office. My wife intentionally designed it without that sterile look associated with most doctor’s offices,” Dr. Katende says.

Sonterra Family Dental opens this month at 11720 N I-35, Unit 800 next to Mike’s Chrome Shop and across the highway from Jarrell Town Center & Food Court.