Middlef ieldPOST Volume 10 ~ Issue 6
Sept.30, 2015
www.middlefieldpost.com
Neighborly News from Middlefield, Parkman, Huntsburg and Surrounding Communities
DDC Clinic Works Quiet Miracles in Middlefield
Inside ...
By Dave Ruple
T
he DDC Clinic (Center for Special Needs Children) in Middlefield, located right on Madison Road, houses multinational doctors running a state-of-the-art genetics lab, developing research that has been published in scientific journals more than 30 times and impacting the global medical community at large. How did advanced healthcare research like this come to be in Middlefield? “”Determination,” said Patti Gallagher, business manager for the Clinic, proudly. In the early 1990s, the Amish community in Middlefield began to seek the specialized care needed to treat the kinds of rare disorders prevalent in European settlement communities, but much rarer in the population at large. Genetic disorders are common, ranging from things as innocuous as lactose intolerance to life threatening disorders like Hemophilia and Parkinson’s, and depend on the unique blend of ancestral genetic code. Different ethnic populations can see a higher chance of passing along the genes for disorders, and nearly every ethnic background comes with a list of disorders found more commonly in the population. For small groups like the Ashkenazim and Amish, this can be especially problematic; disorders that are otherwise rare did not receive the kind of attention dedicated to other genetic disorders. Specialized testing can run in the tens of thousands of dollars, and take the kind of precious time that many Amish youngsters do not have. JoAnn Brace, who coordinated the Early-Intervention Program at Metzenbaum
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Center, began working with several Amish families whose children displayed mysterious symptoms that were not being satisfactorily explained. Convulsions, seizures, loss of consciousness, and signs of significant brain injury were seen in two families in particular. Despite working closely with doctors, they became frustrated with a largely fruitless search for an answer. During a group meeting with therapists, a mother read from an article in Reader’s Digest about Dr. Holmes Morton,
a doctor working out of Lancaster who had become specialized in treating rare genetic disorders. Because of this specialization, and bolstered by the freedoms of a lowoverhead clinic, Dr. Morton was able to spend the time and testing necessary to root out the causes of mysterious genetic disorders. When the group traveled to Lancaster, Dr. Morton closed his clinic for two days, pulling specialists from John Hopkins to help develop a plan of action. Continued on Page 7
Pot Luck, Entertainment and Socializing
By Nancy Huth
W
hen you live out in the country your neighbors can be quite a distance down the road. Especially when you get older, it’s important to have social
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(above) DDC Staff (back row, l-r) Julia Szekely, Karen Cechner, Patti Gallagher, Valerie Sency, Erica Stewart. (front row, l-r): Blake Andres, Dr. Heng Wang and Dr. Baozhong Xin. Not pictured, Chris Wensel. (above, right) The DDC Clinic, located on Madison Road in Middlefield. (MP Photos/DDC Clinic)
contacts – someone you can call for a chat or perhaps to ask for help. Forty-two years ago the Parkman Chamber of Commerce held a luncheon for seniors for the sole purpose of getting them together to form a club. The first gathering was held at the Congregational Church in Parkman with 33 seniors present. In November 1973 the Parkman 55+ Club was formed with elected officers being Frank Handsel, Bernice Forstall, Ethel Tillinger and Marie Fuller. The dues for the year were only $1. Meetings have continued over the years at the Parkman Community Center on Route 422 across from JD’s Posthouse on the first Thursday of each month, drawing seniors from Garrettsville, Burton, Middlefield, Hiram and Newbury. Everyone looks forward to the delicious pot luck dinner starting at noon. Members bring a variety of Bob D’Aurelio, singer and musician, entertaining at the Parkman casseroles, vegetables, salads, 55+ Club. (MP Photo/ Nancy Huth)
breads and desserts. Dues for 2015 were only $5. The Parkman Community Center, where meetings take place, is a landmark in its own right. Built in 1863, it celebrated 150 years in 2013. It housed a cheese factory until around 1900. At the turn of the century there was a craze for roller skating and a new floor was put upstairs to support the new trend. In 1924 it was redesigned as a Community House with a group called the Mothers Club donating money to fix it. It now hosts a 150-seating-capacity hall for local events, available for rental. In 2006 the kitchen was modernized to current FDA standards. The second floor is still an open floor used as a dancing area. In the 1940s when it was a popular dance hall. Regina Sodo (90) a long-time 55+ member remembers dancing the nights away. The basement today hosts the Parkman Trustee and Zoning business meetings. Besides the annual Christmas party and a summer picnic, today’s 55+ Club officers, Linda Bell, Doris Schwendeman and Chris Hippely arrange outings and trips Continued on page 9