LK
LAWRENCE KIDS
SUMMER, 2014
Coming soon: www.lawrencekidsmagazine.com
CONTENTS SEASONAL ESSENTIALS SEASON’S READINGS VIEWPOINT THINGS WE DIG HEALTH TIPS FROM THE DOCTOR MAMA D’S FUNNIES H E A LT H Y K I D S THE TAIL END
FOR THE KIDS: COOPER’S CAUSE LAWRENCE ALL-CITY LACROSSE LAWRENCE JUNIOR GOLF ASSOCIATION
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Dan & Karla Hughes’
Seasonal Essentials
Dan and Karla Hughes’
Seasonal Essentials with Arthur (13), Charlie (11) & Harry (7)
1. Sleep late, be lazy and wear pajamas until noon or later whenever possible. 2. Outfit whole family with Chaco sandals and start working on tan lines on tops of feet. 3. Eat an entire watermelon every day. Yes, every day. 4. Visit Tad’s Tropical Sno often and try a new flavor of snow cone each time. 5. Taking our oldest son on a 87-mile round-trip bikepacking trip down the Prairie Spirit Rail Trail kicking off in Ottawa (shh…don’t tell him how far it is…we’re taking it 10 miles at a time) 6. Refresh backyard sand pit with more tons of sand than we have room for, with a larger size dump truck than we have room for (replace peach tree and rose bush that are crushed by the dump truck). 7. Swim passes for the whole family that we will not end up using very frequently because… 8. …our neighbors gave us a 600 gallon stock tank, which we filled with water to complete our homemade beach. 9. Visit our friends in Salida, Colorado in late July. 10. Wait somewhat patiently for our new chickens to start laying eggs. 11. After dinner rides for the whole family along the new Outside for a Better Inside trail near Burcham Park. 12. Ride skateboards from our friends at White Chocolate. Try not to break anymore windows. 13. Walking down to Clinton Park (behind Pinckney Elementary) in a big rainstorm to see how high the creek will rise (in truth, only the very oldest and very youngest members of the family are interested in this). 14. Try not to visit the ER, or at least remember to change out of muddy clothes and wash our hands before doing so.
Summer Reading Suggestions from the Librarians at the Lawrence Public Library Picture Books Chengdu Could Not, Would Not, Fall Asleep by Barney Saltzberg / Perfect for the “I’m not tired” crowd. Chengdu is a cute panda bear who can’t get to sleep (of course he eventually does). With its sing song text and dreamy illustrations this might be your family’s new favorite bedtime story. Ages 2-4
Ann of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery / Eleven year old orphan, Anne Shirley, has found a new home among Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert of Green Gables but her new foster parents were expecting a boy, not a talkative and fiery girl. Her hilarious antics win the hearts of all those who meet her. Over the next five years, Anne enjoys spirited adventures with the new friends she makes among the townsfolk of Avonlea and Green Gables. Ages 8-12
Pete’s A Pizza by William Steig / Pete’s sad because it’s raining and he can’t go out and play. Good thing Pete’s Dad is such a cool guy and loves to pretend to make kids into pizzas! Little ones love this William Stieg classic and will immediately be asking to be made into pizzas themselves. Ages 2-4
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale / Miri lives a quiet life until one day it is divined that the next princess will be chosen from the eligible girls of her mountain village. The girls must all go to a competitive academy to train and at the end of one year the next princess of the land will be chosen by the prince himself. Ages 9-11
I See, I Touch, I Hear, I Taste and I Smell by Patrick George / This five book collection explores the world around us one sense at a time. This series remind us to pay attention to the little things that make life so wonderful. A playful and intuitive way to introduce the tricky “5 senses” concept. Ages 2-4
Wildwood by Colin Meloy / Seventh grader Prue while in pursuit of her baby brother (who has been abducted by crows!) finds herself in a magical forest realm threatened with destruction by Alexandra, the evil Dowager Governess. A long (500+ pages) and engrossing read for middle-grade students. Ages 10-13
Zoom! Zoom! Sounds of Things That Go In the City by Robert Burleigh / This one’s got it all. Trains, buses, ambulances, and the occasional robot. Simple rhyming text and colorful pictures illustrate the sights and sounds of a bustling city. Ages 2-4
City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau / In the year 241, Lina and Doon live in the underground city of Ember, the last refuge of humanity. When they stumble upon an ancient document, the two friends must fight to save everyone one they know and find a way out of Ember before the lights go out. Ages 10-14.
Middle Grade Fiction NERDS: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society by Michael Buckley / Jackson Jones goes from Mr. Popularity to social outcast after an unfortunate trip to the dentist’s office. His braces go from being his weakness to his superpower when he stumbles into a group of nerdy kids with amazing abilities and major enemies. Ages 8-12 The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp by Kathi Appelt / The Sugar Man Swamp is in danger! Bingo and J’miah, two raccoon scouts, must wake the ancient Sugar Man to protect their home from a wild pack of hogs. Twelve-year-old Chap Brayburn is working to stop greedy developer, Jaeger Stitch, from turning the swamp into a theme park. Will the swamp survive? Ages 8-12
Nonfiction Babe Conquers the World: The Legendary Life of Babe Didrikson Zaharias by Rich Wallace & Sandra Neil Wallace / In the 1940s and 50s Babe Didrikson was a very famous athlete, during a time when girls were not usually allowed to strain their delicate frames playing competitive sports. This is the story of her determination to be the best in the world! Ages 9 -13
Elephants and Golden Thrones: Inside China’s Forbidden City by Trish Marx / What would it have been like to live in the Forbidden City, and what is it like now? An introduction to old and modern China, with beautiful drawings and photos. Ages 9 and up
Creating Confident Smiles
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New Pediatric Practice
Lawrence Pediatrics believes in complete preventive care and Dr. Kirsten Evans has lived in Lawrence since 1989. healingschool for children from birth She completed medical and residency at Theto ageMedical 21. Center and has practiced University of Kansas
pediatrics in Topeka, Kansas City and Virginia, treated children of all ages withmission: a wide variety of illnesses. Dr. Our Evans has workedprovide in private practice, as faculty at The comprehensive pediatric KU Med Center and as a pediatric hospitalist at Storcare for your child’s lifelong mont Vail Health Care. Dr Evans serves as adjunct fachealth. ulty for Saint Louis University and is president Welcome of the Welcome Kansas Medical Education Foundation.
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Dr. Kirsten Evans has lived in Lawrence since 1989. She Welcome to our new practice. . .open t Kirsten Evans completed medical school and Kirsten E. Evans M.D.,to Ph. D., F.A.A.P.new practice. . .open t Welcome our M.D., Ph.D., F.A.A.P. residency at The University of Kansas Medical Center, and has Welcome to our new practice. . .open to all! ,, p.a. p.a. practiced pediatrics in Topeka, Kansas City, and Virginia, treating children of all ages with a wide variety COMPREHENSIVE of illnesses. She has worked in private practice, as a faculty PEDIATRIC member at The COMPREHENSIVE PEDIATRIC , p.a. University of Kansas Medical Center,CARE and as aFOR pediatric hospitalist at YOUR CHILD , p.a. CARE FOR YOUR CHILD Stormont Vail Health Care. Dr. Evans also serves as adjunct faculty for COMPREHENSIVE Saint Louis University and is president of the Kansas Medical Education PEDIATRIC , p.a. PEDIATRIC COMPREHENSIVE Foundation. CARE FOR YOUR CHILD
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Erika Kirkland’s
Viewpoint
How I Accepted the Mud by Erika Kirkland I was unequivocally jealous of an 8 year old this week. My nephew, to be specific. This year he entered the sacred club shared by so many kids every summer: Sleep-away summer camp. I loved summer camp. I loved, loved, loved it. Each year I would lie waiting in sweet anticipation of the moment that the brochures would be released and I could mail off my registration and that $50 check and sign up for camp. It was my mecca. It was the holiest of all holy spaces. I was my own person, free to roam (within the campground borders of course), dashing about like the erratic lizards that whizzed around the campgrounds, canoeing, singing songs by the campfire, reflecting on the meaning of my short, but happy life, and making fiercely loyal lifelong friends. It was truly magical. And now my dear, sweet nephew has joined the ranks. I’m frequently surprised that I’m a grown-up. It should be obvious given that I’m in my 30s, been paying bills for ages, and the most telling, the mother of 2 young children. I guess I should re-phrase and emphasize that I’m not so much surprised by my adulthood, as much by the fact that I am a parent. A full-blown “you are on my last nerve” and “there are starving kids in Africa who would eat this dinner” and “etc, etc, etc“ kind of parent. Somehow I went from being a lady with a cute little baby to a mom with 2 rugrats in tow, spouting out parent-isms with alarming frequency. Somehow you unwittingly become a parental cliché after a few years in the trenches of parenthood. It’s understandable and I’m not denying that there is a comfort to be among your peers, sharing the joys and battle scars of becoming a parent. As my kids get older, however, with each passing summer, a lovely and unexpected phenomenon is occurring and memories of my summers long-passed come flooding back to me. And it’s beautiful. Watching the amazement and delight sweep across
their faces as the fireworks explode into the night sky on Independence Day. Sitting on the sideline at swim-lessons, seeing their little faces bob up and down as they learn to blow bubbles in the water. Hearing their gleeful shrieks as they race back and forth through the sprinkler on a hot summer day. Seeing them chase after a butterfly, only to freeze in place when it momentarily lands on their arm, and they carefully watch it’s delicate wings slowly flap before it takes off again, dancing towards a different flower. Watching the joy and concentration it requires to stab a marshmallow on the end of a sharpened stick and hold it carefully over a campfire, anxious for the marshmallow to crisp into a golden, gooey mess. It’s poignant and lovely and it brings forth a flood of memories and emotions of my own summers as a child. I can still feel the warmth of being immersed in the water of my aunt’s heated pool at night, watching as my older and more daring cousins shot off the big fireworks. I remember the year the fields were inundated with a plague of caterpillars, munching every last leaf on every last blade of grass, as far as the eye could see. I can still recall my first taste of Kool-Aid, being stunned by it’s biting chill and overwhelming tartness. These very same creatures who are responsible for morphing me from a grown-up into a full-blown parent, are the very same sticky, wide-eyed darlings who are helping me remember and savor some of the sweetest and most endearing moments from my own childhood. Memories that were lost, seemingly for good. Now I recall, through the lens of my children, that summertime is a season of such splendor, with new discoveries lurking around every corner, just waiting to the stumbled upon. I’ve been given the opportunity to love the innocence of summer again. And it’s such a gift. So the next time I feel the urge rising within me to shout at them to “keep away from that mud puddle” or “pick up your toys, you crazy maniacs”, I’ll take a moment to breathe it all in, step out of my comfortable and safe spot in the shade, and race after them, barefoot and shrieking through the sprinklers. Erika is the mother to Felix (5) & Trudy (3).
Things We Dig
Summer, 2014 / The Busker Festival / Aug 22-24 If you really think about it, is there anything more Lawrence than the Busker Festival? Sword eating men, phone book tearing women and dudes on pogo sticks flipping through the air. For that one great weekend in downtown Lawrence, the streets are filled with artists, daredevils and thousands of smiling, laughing kids. We love it!
THE SUMMER BUMMERS Seasonal Health Issues by Dr. Kirsten Evans / Lawrence Pediatrics
We’re smack in the middle of another great Kansas summer. While you’re out running, splashing and soaking up the sun, remember to avoid those Summer Bummers. Before you spend your days making memories, take note of a few summer health issues that, if ignored, can really put a bummer in your season. cont.
Ticks Ticks carry a number of illnesses, including Lyme, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and erlichiosis. Ticks are prevalent in our area, and some of them do carry diseases. If your child has a tick, it is important to remove it carefully. Using either tweezers or a tick removal kit, carefully grasp the tick by the body and pull straight out, without squeezing the body. You can also use a credit card with a notch cut into it. You can then dispose of the tick and wash your hands and the bite area with antibacterial soap. You may also treat the area with antibiotic ointment. If the area becomes red or a rash or fever develops, contact your pediatrician. Prevention of tick bites includes treating your yard and animals with repellents, avoiding long grass and weeds where ticks hide, wearing light protective clothing and insect repellent, and carefully checking your child for ticks after he has been outside. Be sure to check behind the ears, in the hair, and in the groin area. Ticks like to hide in those areas.
Mosquitoes Mosquitoes also carry diseases, particularly encephalitis, which is the inflammation of the tissues around the brain, as well as West Nile virus and a host of others. Symptoms of these illnesses can include fever, still neck, confusion, weakness, and headache. There is no treatment for these diseases,
other than supportive, so again prevention is the best cure. Repellents include DEET, Skin-so-soft, and Ecosmart. These can be used on children as young as six months of age. It is best to remove standing pools of water and to treat your yard as well. Birds eat mosquitoes, so a bird house may be helpful. If your child does get bitten, clean the area with soap and water, and if the bite is itchy or red you can apply hydrocortisone ointment to the area. If the bite swells a lot or the red area is larger than the bite, call your pediatrician.
Brown Recluse Spider Brown recluse spiders are plentiful, but as their name suggests, they prefer to avoid people, hiding in corners, boxes, and attics. Once disturbed, however, they can bite, and their bite can cause the skin in the area of the bite to die. This can be very severe and require skin grafting. If your child gets bitten by a spider, wash the area with soap and water and apply antibiotic ointment. If you don’t know what spider bit your child, monitor the area for redness, swelling, or other signs of infection. If you know that the spider is a brown recluse, still just watch the area. If the center becomes dark, contact your pediatrician.
Black Widows Black Widows are rare in Kansas but they can be found and
will bite. Their venom is neurotoxic, and while most people will not react significantly, a few can be afected. The bite is usually followed by intense pain within 20 minutes, and then affected people can feel nausea, chest and abdominal pain, tremors, and even respiratory difficulties. If any of these occur, seek immediate medical care for your child. Treatment for severe bites includes narcotic pain medication and antivenom.
Sunburns
Aveeno. A cool compress can relieve the sting and heat of a burn. Ibuprofen or Tylenol can also relieve discomfort. And don’t forget to have your child drink plenty of water!
Swimmer’s Ear Swimming is one of the best ways to spend the summer days, but it presents its own hazards. Water safety is first and foremost in importance, followed by sunscreen. A problem encountered by many children when swimming is otitis externa, or swimmer’s ear.
Kansas is a sunny state and the summer months can be hard on a child’s skin. The best way to avoid sunburn is to stay out of the sun. Children, however, need to be outside in the summer, so the next best plan is to apply sunscreen, preferably thirty minutes before exposure. The sunscreen should have a relatively high SPF, at least 30 or higher. Babies should not be in the sun for any length of time, as their skin is so delicate, but if they will be in and out of the sun, they should wear sunscreen as well. Awnings and umbrellas can offer protection, as can tents and hats. Sunscreen should be reapplied after immersion in water or every two to three hours. Don’t forget sunscreen on your young athletes!
Swimmer’s ear is inflammation and drainage in the ear canal, not behind the tympanic membrane, where the usual childhood ear infection is. Swimmer’s ear happens when the ear is immersed in water for long periods of time. The symptoms include pain, drainage, and swelling of the canal. The drainage is usually white, and the ear usually hurts if you pull on the earlobe. It is usually treated with antibiotic drops and steroid drops. It can be prevented by keeping the ears dry or drying them thoroughly after swimming or bathing. Also, avoid putting things into the ears, as this can scratch the canal and predispose to infection.
If, despite your best efforts, your child does get a sunburn, several home remedies are effective. A cool bath, with a cup of either baking soda or oatmeal, is wonderfully soothing. Aloe vera can be applied every two to three hours for relief and moisturizing, as can other lotions like Lubriderm or
Dr. Kirsten Evans has practiced pediatrics in Topeka, Kansas City, and Virginia. As a pediatrician who has worked in private practice, a faculty member at The University of Kansas Medical Center, and a pediatric hospitalist at Stormont Vail Health Care, she has treated children of all ages with a wide variety of illnesses. She also serves as adjunct faculty for Saint Louis University and is a board member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, tiny-k and Safe Kids.
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TOGETHER
Great things happen. To the people of LMH: Thank you for helping us bring home the Truven Health 100 Top Hospitals速 award two years in a row. We are the only hospital in Kansas and western Missouri to receive this distinction in 2014, thanks to our extraordinary team of LMH associates, physicians, leaders, volunteers and donors. Each of you earned this honor through your unwavering dedication to the health of our community, and we are grateful for the commitment and compassion you show every day. Congratulations on a job well done! www.lmh.org/qualitymatters
As I spied our older two daughters walking back up the beach towards our family, I couldn’t help but think about how much our bi-annual pilgrimage to Wrightsville Beach, NC had changed over the years. The adventure began seven years ago, when my husband and I decided our young family of six had finally graduated from road trips and zoos to airplanes and the beach. No more drawing an eight-hour radius around Lawrence for us; we were ready to fly the friendly skies, invest in vats of sunscreen and soak up (or, as it would often turn out, drink up) the sea. Ellie was ten, Amelia was eight, Luke was six and Caroline had just turned four that first summer we cashed in our credit card points for six tickets to North Carolina.
conjure… Riptides that land us on the six o’clock news; third-degree sunburns that land us in the hospital; sharks that eat us like a Discovery Channel highlight. And every two or three years, none of those fears came true. But this time, watching my two high school aged daughters saunter back to our spot on the beach, a new fear stirred in my soul. Tired of hanging out with Luke and Caroline (and probably Mom and Dad), the girls had asked if they could go on a walk. Looking around at the teenagers packing the beach for Memorial Day Weekend, I understood the real motivation and told them they could walk down the shore as long as they stuck together.
That year, our biggest worry was Caroline. Would she survive the ocean without being swept away, destined to spend the rest of her days bobbing in the Atlantic Ocean in her Scooby Doo life jacket, singing Mr. Stinky Feet to pass the time? Would she wear out too soon, proving we had overestimated her ability to hang with the rest of the posse as my husband and I take turns watching “Wonder Pets” in the condo with her while the others frolic in the sand? Would she protest the waves, the sand and everything else that dared to mess up her hair? Taking a preschooler into the real world is always a gamble, but this one paid off. As it turned out, the only real challenge she threw at us was refusing to relieve herself in the ocean. Luckily a very discreetly dug hole near the waves fulfilled her need for first-world facilities, and she eventually took to the water like a native beach-dweller. All week long we jumped waves, built really bad sand castles and questioned why on earth we lived on the prairie instead of the coast.
I casually glanced south, scanning the holiday crowd for signs of my bikini-clad girls every so often, until nearly an hour had passed and they still had not returned. Wondering if they had met, fallen in love with and run off with two beach bums who had a thing for girls from Kansas, I decided to go looking for them. I walked almost a mile before spotting Ellie and Amelia, suddenly looking far more grown-up than they did seven years earlier when we first started exploring our favorite vacation spot. And that is when the biggest fear of all hit: Our time on this beach - on any family vacation - was coming to an end. My kids were growing up (even Caroline), and, like every other facet of their lives, this one, too, would soon take a turn. I quickly ducked back into the crowd and took a different path back so they wouldn’t see me. I might have been concerned, but I wasn’t stupid enough to out myself. I beat them back and reclaimed my spot so they wouldn’t suspect they were ever under surveillance. “Look at the pictures we took!” they said, pointing to the dock waaaaaayyyyy far south of us.
(Two reasons: Cost of living and Jayhawk basketball) It might not have been the place for us to live, but it definitely became the place for us to visit. Every two or three years, we flew east for a week of sun. Sometimes rain, but usually sun. Mostly carefree, but the week still brought worries only a mother can
“Isn’t it cool?” they asked as I scrolled through their photos taken under the giant dock. “Wow,” I replied, in awe of the beauty of these girls enjoying a place they discovered all on their own. “Yep… Coolest thing I’ve ever seen.” LK
Healthy Families Program From the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department Story and Photos by Karrey Britt
Wearing a floppy hat and sunglasses, 1-year-old Annabella holds her mom’s hand as she tests the water at the South Park wading pool. It doesn’t take long before she is splashing about and playing with other kids her age. Annabella and her mom, 23-year-old Simone Schimmel, are participating in “Family Time,” an activity for those enrolled in the Healthy Families program at the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department. Schimmel said she looks forward to “Family Time” because it gives her a much-needed break from the daily grind of being a stay-at-home mom and it gives her the opportunity to visit with other parents. “It has helped me get out more because I don’t really do anything and it has helped me realize why it might be good for Annabella to play with others,” she said. Healthy Families is a program that helps parents who are expecting a baby or have children up to age 5. Families volunteer to participate and then they are connected with a case manager who provides parent education, developmental screenings for children, and a connection to community resources. The case manager will meet with the family in their home on a weekly basis. Jenn Preston, Healthy Families supervisor, said the program targets families who are overwhelmed with stressors like unemployment, no transportation or no family support. “Our goal is to have a healthy pregnancy and the healthiest child as possible and to reduce any risk factors for child abuse or neglect,” she said. Schimmel has been in the Healthy Families program for nearly two years. She joined because, like most first-time parents, she was nervous about taking care of a newborn. “I had just had my baby, and I didn’t know what the heck I was doing, so I thought, ‘Why not try this program?’” At first, she was apprehensive about having someone come into her home because she feared that if she didn’t do something correctly, Annabella would be removed from her home. That’s because Schimmel was involved in the foster care system as a youth. But, Schimmel said her fear subsided as soon as she met Kelli Raney, her Healthy Families case manager. cont.
“Kelli is my lady. She’s my rock,” Schimmel said. “If I’m not sure what to do or what’s going on, I ask Kelli. She gives me the boost I need and I really look forward to our home visits.” Raney showed her a video about baby safety during a home visit and afterward, Schimmel said she safety-proofed her house. She’s also learned discipline techniques and the importance of taking care of herself. That’s one of the reasons she participates in the “Family Time” activity. “It helps me interact and open up more,” she said. Raney said she has enjoyed watching Schimmel become more confident as a parent. “She is a loving mom that is very attentive of Annabella, yet allows her to experience new things. Parenting is hard work and taking time to have fun with little moments is important. Schimmel does a great job of enjoying the moment with her daughter.” At the pool, Schimmel visits with Amber Calfy and David Ward, also participants in the Healthy Families program. They have a 1-year-old daughter Heidi. The parents talk about their daughters and how they are having “sharing issues.” They find comfort in knowing that they’re not alone. “I think the biggest benefit (of the Healthy Families program)
has been meeting parents we could connect with.” They both look forward to “Family Time,” especially Calfy. “I do stay home all of the time, so getting out and helping Heidi be social is a really good thing and it’s helpful for me to interact with other moms and get their input.” Preston said the program has “Family Time” every other month, and they visit places that are free of charge, so families can return to them on their own time. Among the places they’ve visited: Prairie Park Nature Center, the Douglas County Fair’s petting zoo, local pumpkin patches, and Lawrence parks. “It’s a time for families who may be overwhelmed, isolated and/or stressed to get out with other families and have a fun time in the community,” Preston said. “It’s a time where they don’t have to worry about paying the bills.” Preston said it’s important for all parents to not socially isolate themselves. “Having connections is important for the well being of the parent and the child. When we have less stressed parents, we are going to have less stressed kids.” To learn more about the Healthy Families program, visit ldchealth.org and click on “Services” and then “Pregnancy or Parenting Support” or call Supervisor Jenn Preston at 785843-3060. LK
FOR THE KIDS / Summer, 2014
COOPER’S CAUSE Inspired by the generosity of others, one Lawrence family is working hard to give back.
The generosity of our friends absolutely changed our lives. We owe it to them to do what we can to help others. - Kristi Keefer
It’s been almost 8 years, but Kristi Keefer still gets emotional when she talks about it. Her voice doesn’t quiver when she speaks about her son Cooper’s health issues. Kristi is a passionate, motivated mom. She knows what her son has faced and she is determined to do whatever it takes to help him live a happy, healthy life. She rattles off terms and dates of surgeries like a medical professional and speaks frankly about what challenges lay ahead. When she talks about her friends, her voice softens and she exhales.
“Taking charity is hard, very hard,” Kristi says. “We are proud and want to do things on our own. But the truth is the bills were so high, I don’t know how we ever would have gotten them covered. The generosity of our friends absolutely changed our lives. We owe it to them to do what we can to help others.” Their friends held a few fundraisers and donated all the proceeds directly to Cooper’s medical expenses. The financial donations helped ease the emotional weight of the events and freed Terry and Kristi to focus 100% on their kids. That generosity was not lost on the family.
“I still can’t believe how blessed we are to be surrounded by people as generous as our friends,” Kristi says. “They changed our lives, and we’ll never forget it.”
One night while the kids slept, Terry and Kristi started talking about how thankful they were for all their friends had done for them. They were trying to think of a way to pay them back. Instead, Kristi says, they decided to pay it forward.
When Kristi and her husband, Terry, welcomed their son Cooper in 2007, he was born with multiple severe heart defects. Instead of bringing their new baby home to a nursery, Kristi and Terry spent long days and restless nights at Children’s Mercy Hospital as Cooper underwent multiple open-heart surgeries, including a reconstructive procedure.
“We decided pretty quickly that we would use blessing we were given and do what we can to help other families that were in similar situations,” Kristi says. “It wasn’t long before we started Cooper’s Cause.”
“When I was 4-months pregnant we learned there would be complications,” Kristi says. “So we were as prepared as we could be for Cooper’s health issues. But seeing your baby in that condition, with tubes and monitors, that’s tough. It was challenging to keep our spirits up.” While spending all their energy with Cooper, and daughter Raelynn, the Keefer’s were aware their medical bills were growing. The family had good health insurance, but Kristi says that only goes so far. “We are so blessed to have health insurance, but when you start having multiple, complicated heart surgeries and monitoring equipment and stays in the hospital, even 20% can get to be overwhelming,” she says. “At that time we focused our energy on Cooper and Raelynn.” This is the part of the story where Kristi get emotional. “Our friends,” she says before pausing. “Our friends took it upon themselves to start raising money to help us with the medical bills. We didn’t ask them to do it. Our friends are just the most generous and caring people in the world. And that changed our life.” The idea of taking donations to help offset their medical bills wasn’t initially what they had planned.
Now in its 7th year, Cooper’s Cause raises money to help offset medical bills accrued by families with children. The money goes directly to pay medical bills – not to help with mortgage or groceries. “We want to focus specifically on medical bills,” Kristi says. “That’s where our friends helped us. So we work to find families and pay medical providers directly.” The organization holds an annual 5K race, golf tournament and various other small fundraisers. Kristi puts on the 5K and Terry organizes the golf tournament. Together the events generate enough funds to help 2 families per year. The Board of Directors selects recipients annually from applicants. Kristi says they limit funds to families from within 75 miles of Lawrence. “The hardest part, obviously, is when we are unable to help a family,” Kristi says. “It’s hard to only pick 2 families. Hopefully we’ll continue to increase our fundraising and be able to help more families every year.” Kristi says funds are not pre-determined, but depend on the families’ needs and the success of the organization’s fundraisers. “We are determined to keep this moving forward, grow the organization and help as many families as we can.” LK
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Lawrence Lacrosse Club A handful of Lawrence kids are breaking new ground by learning an ancient game. photos by Casey Wright
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On Sunday nights, at the Bishop Seabury Academy football field, when some kids are winding down from a weekend of swimming, traveling or baseball tournaments, a dedicated group of Lawrence kids is hard at work learning to cradle the rock in their basket. They body check, seal the crease and practice clearing. There is a lot of laughter from the kids and an almost endless stream of encouragement from the half-dozen coaches. Sticks bang together and kids fall. The action is fast and very rarely stops. The American game dates back centuries, but these 25 or so kids are pioneers in town. They are the first members of the Lawrence All-City Lacrosse Club. Chuck Ozonoff, an East Coast transplant, is the director, visionary and driving force behind the club. “When I was growing up, everyone played lacrosse,” he says with raised eyebrows. “I get out here and people hadn’t heard of it.” Years ago when Ozonoff, battalion chief for the Olathe Fire Department, moved from the East Coast to Kansas City, he began running into people that played the sport. He quickly joined weekly games in the city, began training to become a ref and became the center of lacrosse action in the region. “Me and another guy were the only two refs in the area,” he says with a laugh. “There couldn’t be a high school game in
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the KC area without us.” When Ozonoff and his wife Molly moved to Lawrence more than 10 years ago, it became clear the town was completely void of any lacrosse action. His son began playing and Chuck or Molly would drive him to practices, games and tournaments in KC. “I got tired of that, so eventually I decided it was time to start something here,” Ozonoff says. Chuck starting contacting any and all people in Lawrence he knew that had experience playing lacrosse. That, he says, was the easy part. “Everyone I met that had played was willing to help coach and organize,” Ozonoff says. “The two biggest challenges were finding a place to play and finding kids to play.” Chuck says his wife Molly is the energy behind recruiting kids. “I don’t think there is a gym she hasn’t been to with fliers or a board she hasn’t filled with info sheets,” Chuck says with a laugh. “She’s the hustle of this operation, that’s for sure.” Last spring the group began practicing at Broken Arrow Park. Each week a few more kids would show up for practice. In an effort to increase numbers and keep current players interested and improving, the group has held a couple of camps
for both boys and girls. Ozonoff is trying to create as many opportunities for kids to play. That, he says, is what this is all about.
just something about lacrosse players that binds us together. Whenever I meet someone and I learn that they play, or did play, lacrosse, I almost always end up liking that person.”
“Practices are totally open,” Ozonoff says. “We welcome all boys and girls 5th grade through high school. If you’ve never played… hell, if you’ve never even heard of lacrosse, we’d still love to have you out and introduce you to this beautiful game.”
Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports in America and is traditionally played in the spring. Ozonoff says the Kansas City high school league is a spring season, but the Lawrence club will practice year round – for now.
This summer the club has been practicing at the Bishop Seabury Football field on Sunday nights. Ozonoff says Seabury Athletic Director Eric Nelson has been instrumental in helping the fledgling group start. “No one at LHS or Free State would help us,” he says. “We couldn’t even find a faculty member to be our sponsor and allow us to distribute fliers to the kids. Eric is familiar with lacrosse and has really helped up with a foundation and consistent practice space.” Ozonoff is hopeful the group will be able to field a junior varsity squad to compete against Kansas City schools this spring. He is encouraged by the number of kids that come to a practice out of curiosity and keep coming for the challenge. “This sport is so great for kids,” Ozonoff says emphatically.” It takes endurance, hand-eye coordination and a lot of determination. But, and I can say this from experience, there’s
“We have to keep these kids interested,” he says. “If we stop practicing now and wait until February to start again, we’ll have to start from scratch.” Ozonoff is the head coach, equipment manager, fundraiser, organizer and chief cheerleader but he is quick to lavish the other coaches (all volunteers) with praise. “Listen, we have some former college players and some guys from the KU Club team and each one of them are great with the kids,” he says. “We are all out here for the same reason. We want to give kids in Lawrence the same chance to learn the game of lacrosse. We love it and I’m thrilled kids in Lawrence are starting to love it too.” For more information, please contact Chuck Ozonoff at cozonoff@gmail.com. LK
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Lawrence Junior Golf Association Local golf professionals are working together to bring their game to Lawrence kids.
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When Paul Hooser looks across Alvamar Golf Course, he sees a big, big problem. Kids. That’s right. Kids are a problem.
team and those teams compete against each other a few times over the summer. Players have uniforms with numbers and are paired with a friend from their course. At the end of July, players can play in an individual championship.
Hooser just doesn’t see enough of them. “These days, when most kids are 10 or 11, the age at which they can really start to swing a golf club, they are already focused on baseball or basketball or soccer,” Hooser says. “They spend each night at practice and the weekends traveling to tournaments. I really think that’s great. I’m in favor of getting and keeping kids active. But I couldn’t help but wonder, ‘What if some of those kids had a fun outlet for golf?’ Maybe we’d see more kids out here playing.” So Hooser got to work. He contacted Kristin Samp at Lawrence Country Club and Ryan Cloud at Eagle Bend Golf Course and proposed an idea: the Lawrence Junior Golf Association (LJGA). “Paul called one day with this great idea to form a junior league here in Lawrence,” Samp says. “I didn’t think twice, we jumped in head first because I knew if would be a great accent to what we are already doing here at LCC.” Cloud, P.G.A. Apprentice Golf Pro at Eagle Bend Golf Course, says that any effort to increase junior golf numbers is welcomed. “It’s a challenge to get kids out on the course and I understand the game can be a little intimidating,” Cloud says. “When Paul came up with his idea, I was pretty confident he was onto something.” The idea was to eliminate any apprehension for kids to pick up golf clubs by using elements of SNAG (Starting New At Golf) and create a culture of fun at the golf course. Kids will be kids, and Hooser knows you can’t expect them to play like professionals. “I think some kids might be intimidated by the idea of golf because they think it’s a super-serious, totally individual sport,” Hooser says. “We are trying to create an atmosphere that kind of counter-acts that.” The program focuses on team play and the idea of encouraging each other. Each course has it’s own
“Having the concept focus mainly around the idea of it being a team competition helps eliminate the fear of failing all on your own,” Hooser says. “We play a scramble format, so every kid gets to hit every shot and isn’t always penalized for a poor shot. That helps the kids relax, focus on their next shot and have some fun.” Hooser estimates the LJGA has had about 20-25 consistent participants this summer. That’s a solid number, considering the group’s limited marketing budget. “We’ve built this, basically, through word-of-mouth,” Hooser says with a laugh. “Our marketing budget is zero, so we’re pleased with how well the summer has gone so far.” Samp, a former LPGA touring professional, says Hooser has been the driving force behind the Lawrence Junior Golf Association. Cloud agrees. “Paul has taken the lead and really done a phenomenal job,” Cloud says. “I think I can speak for all three of us when I say we are already excited for next year.” All three are encouraged by the interest in the game, both for professional and personal reasons. “Let’s be honest, the more people playing golf, the more job security we have,” Hooser says with a laugh. “But that’s not the motivation. Golf is such a great, great game. It can teach kids so much about patience, reliability and self-control. Not to mention you can play golf for years and years.” Samp says she’s already had kids ask if the LJGA will be around next year. “I tell them to count on it,” she says. “I think this idea Paul had is just getting started. I’m excited about the future.”
Soon, Summer, 2014 will give way to Fall. School will start again and lazy afternoons will beget more structured days. Before the sun fades on the season, make it a point to enjoy the little things. Wade into the lake again. Take another long walk. Watch the sunset with your kids.
Lawrence Kids magazine