Peekaboo Free Magazine
Northwest Arkansas’ Family Magazine
Dec. 2015
The
PEEKABOO
Family
Kimberly Enderle Editor-in-Chief editor@peekaboonwa.com | 479-957-0532
Jonathon Enderle Creative Director jon@peekaboonwa.com | 479-586-3890
Addi simmons Associate Editor
Columnist
Kim and Jonathon with Holden, Grant and AVa Enderle. Photo by Main Street Studios
contributing writer/Editor Frances Wilson
Distribution/ Circulation Joyce Whitaker Judy Evans Marcedalia Salinas
Ben Lacy Dad’s View
Columnist
Jeremy Whitaker Michelle Dodson
Peekaboo Publications
Veronica Zucca Story Design
PO Box 1036 Bentonville, Arkansas 72712 Please send inquiries to: editor@peekaboonwa.com or call 479-957-0532 www.peekaboonwa.com Peekaboo may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Views expressed herein are those of the authors and advertisers, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the magazine.
Peekaboo Northwest Arkansas accepts writing contributions
Kristin Hvizda Dalai Mama
Columnist
Jennifer Cristofaro Events
Coming to Rogers January 2016!
Peekaboo nwa W h at ’ s I n s i d e | D e c e m b e r | 2 0 1 5 16
Laedyn’s Story by: Lauren Sprague
22
Holiday Gift Guide
28
The Story Behind: #CheerforChanning by: Channing Barker
34
Meet Taylor by: Ronda Mack
38
Make Magical Memories this Season by: Jennifer Cristofaro
43
20 Things You Should Do in December
50
Love is Enough by: Suzette Manen
56
Dad’s View with Ben Lacy
58
Put Down Your Phone with Dalai Mama
60
Downtown Bentonville Notes
64
Christmas Trees and Winter Fun at Farmland Adventures by: Addi Simmons
66
The Team Difference! Parents Share their Insight by: Families of Children’s Therapy Team
68
Grayson by: Bobbi Schmidt
72
Surviving the Unimaginable to Thrive by: Northwest Health System
Decmeber Events
Inside: Holiday Gift Guide 2015!
o n t h e c ov e r : Camille, 8, Ella Claire, 11 and Ever, 6. Daughters of Carter and Hannah McLeod of Rogers
Cover Photo by: EVERAFTER Portraiture
everafterportraiture
from the editor Coming in 2016: January - Update issue to catch up with a few of your favorite families who have shared in the pages of Peekaboo. February - Birthday Party Issue - share your favorite birthday ideas and hot spots in our annual guide! Have an amazing birth story? We want to share it. Email editor@ peekaboonwa.com March - Non-Profit issue - we give the pages of Peekaboo to non-profits across NWA doing big things. Want to be a part of this issue? Email editor@peekaboowna.com
Happy December! Every month in Northwest Arkansas is a great one, but December is easily the most magical. This magical sentiment couldn’t come at a better time, because lately, the images and storylines making news are frightening to say the least. An unfortunate side effect from the turmoil overseas, and bad news in general, is the negative energy that seeps into the world of Facebook and Twitter. When conflict looms, social media tends to cause people to care less about sharing cute kid photos, and funny antedotes. Instead, in the last few weeks Facebook posts have taken on a much more grim outlook, with friends fighting with friends when their opinions on an issue don’t match up. I am having trouble coming to terms with this new evolution in social interaction. I dont recall in my youth or even during my young adult
days someone making a random passing statement at lunch with friends about the topic of the day and then find it followed up by a laundry list of attacks from the rest of the table (or the entire restaurant). Why is it that now we think we have the right to say whatever our fingers feel like typing to people in our friends list - most of whom we no longer even have a real connection to, i.e. “Hello, friend of a friend from elementary school that I haven’t seen in 20 years! Now your political views boil my blood and make me say beyond horribly judgmental things.” I am all about freedom of speech and voicing your opinions on important issues, but when it comes to Facebook feeds, I would say that when you read something that offends you as you scroll through, just keep scrolling. If temptation is still there to post something that is harsh, yet won’t make them change their mind, just click ‘log off’ now. This month, resolve to embrace the positive instead of fighting negative with negative. If something offends or angers you about an opinion on an issue, put a dollar in a jar. At the end of the month, take the money and do something nice for someone. Not only will it be a way to actually give back and “do” something instead of just typing empty words that are sure to fuel the fire, but it will also make scrolling through our feeds a more pleasant experience for all. The world is already so full of anger and hate. Let’s clean up where we can and make social media a place to show compassion, not fulfill the need to have heated debates. Now (end rant) Facebook is not all that bad, and is still a great asset - especially during the holidays. It is a way to share upcoming events, post about must-buy gifts at local stores, and share sweet stories of hope and inspiration. In fact we agree with these aspects whole-heartedly, because this issue of Peekaboo does the exact same thing! Inside you will find all of the must-attend events this month and find a great selection of gift ideas from a few of our favorite local stores! And, like all the other issues before it, this one is full of great stories from families living right here in our wonderful community.
14 December 2015
Photo by: Ever After Portraiture
Merry Christmas a nd Happy Holidays from the Peeka boo Fa mily!
Laedyn's Story
On our way home from Little Rock, on the Sunday after the wedding, Laedyn developed a worrying fever. First thing on Monday morning I called and scheduled a doctor’s appointment and was able to get her in that afternoon. The doctor said I had nothing to worry about, since he knew that a cough was going around in local schools. He thought it might take a few weeks for the cough to go away, and told me just to keep an eye on her. I relaxed a little.
Her fever had been gone since the Sunday we returned, so she went back to daycare that Tuesday. However, on Thursday evening, her fever came by: Lauren Sprague back again. I had already planned on taking the day off Friday, so I thought that it would be best that I have her stay home with me. I could tell she didn’t feel well throughout the day, and it actually appeared that she was getting worse. She had no wet diapers, a continued fever, was barely eating and had red, ruddy cheeks. By four n November 24, 2014, I held in my that afternoon, Dylan and I decided arms my brand-new baby girl, whom we needed to take her somewhere to get checked out. The only place that we named little miss Laedyn Kay. would take her that late on a Friday was the NWA Pediatrics Clinic in As I looked into her eyes and later watched my son, Callen, and her daddy, Dylan, adore her, I looked forward Fayetteville, so off we went.
O
to the upcoming holidays together, and couldn’t wait for what amazing blessings 2015 was to bring for our little family. Never in a million years did I imagine the long, tumultuous, trying year we would endure after that. It all started the second weekend in May of 2015, as I traveled with Callen, who was 3 years old at the time, and Laedyn, who was 5 months, to Little Rock for Dylan’s best friend’s wedding. We rarely traveled to Little Rock, and I definitely never planned on making a habit of this three-hour drive. Even before that, I had been hesitant to go to Little Rock. I could tell that Laedyn didn’t feel well, but didn’t see anything that caused me enough concern to stay home. After all, we were especially close to these friends, and this was an important wedding. My mom was even planning to fly up from Dallas to help with the kids and celebrate Mother’s Day with us, so I decided that it was best if we went. Laedyn had been sick off and on over the past two months, but with only minor things--a slight fever, a cough, and the need for lots of sleep. I figured that these were all symptoms of infants who were in daycare and exposed to a lot of different germs.
16 December 2015
I had Dylan meet me at the clinic after he got off work, as I had a feeling that something more serious was going on. We met with the doctor there, who could tell that Laedyn was dehydrated and thought that she might have pneumonia. The doctor said that it would be best to admit Laedyn to Washington Regional so that she could get hydrated and they could run further tests. The next words that came out of the doctor’s mouth I will never forget. She stated that if this were earlier in the week, she would just reccomend that we take Laedyn home and give her Pedialyte, but, since it was the weekend and therefore more difficult to get prompt medical care, she thought that admitting Laedyn would be the better option for us. That single decision, based on her recommendation, may be the reason Laedyn is alive today. When Laedyn was admitted, they drew blood--a standard procedure--whose results brought immediate concern. The next morning, the doctor we had perviously visited that Monday, came in the room to talk to us. He expressed surprise upon seeing us, and shared his medical concerns about Laedyn’s bone marrow. He said that, far from needing
Love Your Smile a simple dose of Pedialyte, she needed to be transported to Children’s Hospital in Little Rock to have a bone marrow aspiration right away.
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Laedyn was transferred to Little Rock after that, where we were greeted by a hematologist/ oncologist. She asked me what the doctors had told me at Washington Regional, and I replied that they had said they believed Laedyn had a bone marrow issue that needed further testing. Her response made everything crystal clear: “That was their way of saying your child has leukemia.” I was shocked and horrified! Laedyn didn’t receive her official diagnosis until Tuesday, May 19. Further testing showed she could have Mosaic Down Syndrome, a rare form of Down Syndrome, in which no physical features are present. Down Syndrome patients are highly susceptible to leukemia, so it could offer a possible explanation for her symptoms. It turned out that she didn’t have Mosaic Downs, however, and Laedyn was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Dylan and I were pulled into a consultation room to discuss treatment. The good news was, AML patients have a shorter treatment of only six months, whereas Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) needs a two- to three-year treatment. The bad news was, the six months that Laedyn had ahead of her were going to be incredibly intense. She was scheduled for four rounds of chemotherapy treatment that were each four to ten days long. If
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Laedyn's Story we had known how intense this treatment really was going to be, we would have moved our family to Little Rock for the 6-month period. Laedyn spent most of the next six months in the hospital, despite the fact that, technically, she went into remission after the first round of treatment. The first visit lasted 33 days, and her last visit lasted 77 days. In total, I believe she was there close to 150 days. She had a Central Venous Line (CVL) placed in her chest to receive treatment, as well as other fluids and medications. During this time period, she had a grand total of six bone marrow aspirations, five spinal taps, a double digit number of blood and platelet transfusions, and over 25 days of chemotherapy treatment, with multiple treatments during each one of those days. Her CVL had to be replaced
twice, wherein the second time they ended up removing and placing a PIC line in her arm. She was rarely allowed to leave her hospital room or the hematology/oncology wing. Amazingly, Laedyn stayed mostly happy and cheerful through it all. We celebrated months 6, 9, 10 and 11, Memorial Weekend, Labor Day Weekend and most of the summer and early fall in the hospital with her, though she did make it home for the 4th of July weekend. Laedyn handled treatments well, for the most part. She spent some time in the ICU, and there were several days in August in which she developed two serious and painful infections that antibiotics were not able to treat. This was the scariest part of the entire six months. We even questioned whether she would live. The doctors ended up having to give her a dangerous, but necessary, shot to increase her cell counts, despite the fact that it could do serious damage to her kidneys and rapidly replicate any existing leukemia that was left. Fortunately, Laedyn was able to get through it, and finally started to get better. I learned from the professionals that our outcome is not the usual case for many children who receive chemotherapy. Laedyn was on antibiotics for so long that she never had a chance to come home before she started the last and final round of chemotherapy. Dylan and I decided that it would be too risky to bring her home after the last round, anyway, because we were afraid to have her exposed to the world with such a suppressed (non-existent, really) immune system. We did not want what happened after the previous round to happen again, and agreed that isolation would be the best option to keep her alive, no matter how badly we wanted to bring her home. It took her five weeks to begin recovering from the last round of chemo and, after being in the hospital for eleven weeks straight, she was finally released to us. Hospital life is not something I would wish on anyone. Luckily, with the support of our amazing family, Dylan and I were able to spend time at home with our son Callen. Our goal was to keep things as normal as possible for him, though for a majority of those six months he only had one
parent home with him, as one of us was always at the hospital with Laedyn. We were able to travel back and forth multiple times a week due to the kind donations of family, friends, co-workers, our church and even those we have never met. In addition, we both have wonderful employers that allowed the time off we needed to be in Little Rock with Laedyn. We would have never made it through this without the support and prayers of so many people. Many will never be able to understand what a family goes through in supporting their baby fighting cancer. The pain of seeing your child suffer and hurting and not being old enough to explain why, to being separated from your family days and weeks at a time, to managing your own life (even simple things like showering and eating) from within a hospital room, all play into the difficulty of this situation. 2015 was a rough year for our sweet Laedyn and our family. Our hope is that no child and family will ever have to endure the pain and difficulty of childhood cancer. We are so blessed that
Laedyn was able to fight through each treatment and is now home and cancerfree… just in time to celebrate her first birthday! I am full of hope, and convinced 2016 will be a much better year. We certainly appreciate our ‘family time’ more, and have a clear mind on what is truly important in life.
Gift Guide
The elves at Peekaboo have been busy this Christmas season! Their mission? To find the perfect gift ideas for children, moms, and dads in stores and shops right here in Northwest Arkansas.
Ezyroller
incredibly stable & easy to use. Fun for all ages! EzyRoller is a great alternative to bikes & scooters!
100 W Center St # 101 Fayetteville (479) 444-7778
Mother’s Rings at David Adams Fine Jewelry www.davidadams.com
A must-have for any mother or grandmother. This unique piece of jewelry is engraved by hand with your child’s name to make it look as though your child wrote their name themselves. One ring per child, and designed to be stackable.
BluTaylor™ Brand hats are a trendy and innovative new style of infant hat. Their unique design allows the hat to stay up and out of the eyes. The look of a wrap with the ease of a hat! Pictured: Caroline Nicole Cawthon
Available at Bella Jack’s in Fayetteville and Whimsy Woo in Springdale
479-273-5557 The Shoppes at Pinnacle Hills 3301 Market Street, Suite 103, Rogers
Ban.do is a super fun, super girly collection of great gift items. Planners, thermal mugs, travel accessories and jewelry for a bright, happy gift for your daughter, sister or friend.
Little Giggles Indoor Creative Play
www.littlegigglesplay.com 3301 S Walton Blvd, Bentonville
This year is all about gifts of time and making memories together. This favorite place to play can be wrapped up and found right under your Christmas tree with a Little Giggles gift card. Can be bought for any amount that you wish. Gift card can be used for entry, classes, or snack items. Or, gift a punch card!
Rogers | Fayetteville Bentonville | Mountain Home www.shopbelleboutique.com
Gift Guide 2015
Kinetic Sand
Copper Candles
Copper candles with the amazing burn time of 85 hours are a huge hit!
Kate Austin Jewelry and Gifts in Rogers and Kate Austin Boutique on the Bentonville Square
Royal Princess Playhouse Tent
479-273-5557 The Shoppes at Pinnacle Hills 3301 Market Street, Suite 103, Rogers
shopkateaustin.com
We are a modern boutique, with a vintage soul. W E A R E A LW AY S B R I N G I N G YO U T H E L AT E S T F A S H I O N S F R O M D AY T O N I G H T W E A R
Mon-Fri 10-6 Sat 9-5 Sun 1-4
Gifts for Mom!
IPHONE 6 CASE/MATCHING GLOVES SET A perfect gift for mom, grandma, an aunt, friend, sister or teacher is the Finishing Touches iPhone 6 Case and Studded Touch Screen Gloves Set in a cute gift box. Top it off with a beautiful piece of blu pepper jewelry or a tumbler or water bottle with a little bit of fun attitude. Available at Blue Moon on the Bentonville Square.
Shopbluemoon.com
48” Darth Vader
Wall Animals
Southern Style Children’s Boutique and More 116 S. Main Street, Bentonville
These are amazing and your kids will love them!
Custom Heartbeat Paintings Brittney Skelton at Hogtown Creations Custom Heartbeat Paintings are hand-sketched and painted in detail to capture your baby’s unique and precious heartbeat as a lasting piece of art. Paintings are done in texture mediums and acrylic on canvas, based on the baby’s heartbeat from the ultrasound. Hogtowncreations@hotmail.com for orders.
24 December 2015
is sure to be on the top of every child’s list to Santa this year. Children can select the friend or foe mode and battle with or against him A motion detector triggers sounds and phrases from Vader to enhance the play. May the force be with you! Available at Walmart.
Pig Trail Clothing www.pigtrailclothing.com
The coolest tees and accessories for everyone on your Christmas gift list! This NWA based company designs and prints all of their products in Arkansas, and specializesin mens, womens and childrens clothing that are both trendy and classic. Available online and in stores across NWA.
Personalized! Perfect One of a kind Christmas Gift! Custom cutting boards.
213 W Walnut St, Rogers www.avenuedesigncompany.com
Marble Mania Extreme 3.0 is an action packed marles maze that you construct. Includes a power lifter that moves the marbles from the bottom of the maze to the top. 3005 N College Ave, Fayetteville (479) 521-1915 learningoasisonline.com
www.peekaboonwa.com
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A
new upscale party event center specializing in custom children’s birthday parties hosted by your favorite fairy tale princesses.
Now offering full service parties at our new party palace or let us bring the magic to you with character appearances at a location of your choice!
Now Open!
Bo ok Yo ur Sp e c i al Part y To day!
Wintearnza Extravag December 12th 4-5:15pm
With the Snow Sisters. Cookie decorating, ornament making, decorating the palace christmas tree, sing alongs, story time, and a keepsake photo.
Info@PrincessPartyPalaceNWA.com
www.PrincessPartyPalaceNWA.com
Cute little Santa get up from Mustachifier! The ‘Santafier’ beanie, the santafier pacifier, and matching knee socks will make for the cutest Christmas pictures this year!
Gift Guide 2015
Children can recreate activities from The Little Gym’s movement-based classes at home with these great toys. Wrap up with a gift certificate for classes to make it extra special. Perfect gifts from parents or grandparents! www.thelittlegym.com/rogersar (479) 636-5566 Pleasant Grove, Rogers
www.shop3monkeys.com
Avenue Design Company can help you set a fabulous table for any occasion! With platters this cute, you’ll be the most popular hostess in town. Nora Fleming platters and decorative minis, available at Avenue Design Company, make it a snap to change your tablescape from birthday... to Halloween...to the most memorable holiday ever! It’s easy with a simple swap of a decorative mini! So go ahead, unload the clutter in your cabinets, simplify your life, and entertain with style! One platter, every occasion!
Laser Pegs
213 W Walnut St, Rogers www.avenuedesigncompany.com 112 East Central Ave, Bentonville (479) 866-9057 Laser Pegs® is The Original Lighted Construction Set that combines two things kids love: light and building.
3005 N College Ave, Fayetteville (479) 521-1915 learningoasisonline.com
Magnatiles are magnetic geometrical shapes that easily connect for hours of open-ended play. Make flat, colorful mosaics or create awesome 3-D structures.A favorite for aspiring builders and engineers of all ages. Great STEM toy! Once you start playing, it is hard to stop.
www.peekaboonwa.com
27
The Story Behind:
#CheerforChanning by: Channing Barker
I
Imagine the boisterous crowd inside a high school gym during a major basketball rivalry: cheers, drums, screams, whistles, high energy just bouncing off the walls. That exact scenario was playing out during the Tulsa Kelley versus Bixby conference basketball game on January 24, 2006, my junior year in high school. On that date, I was living a typical teenage life, thinking that I was invincible.
As a cheerleader, I paced the sidelines with the rest of the spirit squad. I leapt in the air to perform a normal stunt jump, but something went horribly wrong. Instead of a graceful landing, I crashed to the floor and fell against the gym wall. My legs just didn’t get the message they needed to do the simple task that I had rehearsed and completed hundreds of times before that night. In the blink of an eye, I went from performing our pom and cheer routines to barely being able to walk. Calling my mom that night from the high school stairway was not what I had planned. She had never missed an event of mine, but stayed home that night to have the peace and quiet she needed to study, agreeing to let me ride with other cheerleaders out of town for the first time. A big night for us both! I explained what I was feeling, and the embarrassment I just experienced. I’m certain she broke land-speed records driving to get me so we could figure out what was going on with my body. That’s when our journey with multiple sclerosis (MS) began. From that day forward I learned what it meant to lose control of your body, and to hand your trust completely over to God. You probably are familiar with a high school student like I was, busy every moment with student
28 December 2015
council, ballet, cheer, drama team, church activities and friends. My fun schedule of activities quickly turned into doctor’s appointments, MRIs, blood tests, spinal taps, hospital stays and unanswered questions. Was it a tumor? Did I have mono? Was it lupus? I look back on those times of uncertain diagnoses and think how my sweet mom must have felt. I so vividly remember her standing outside my hospital room, discussing the next step with my neurologist, pediatric intensivist, hematologist and others they pulled in for consultations. My symptoms seemed to baffle them all. I know Mom had to be so scared and confused about what was happening, yet she managed to prevent me from feeling frightened and simply kept me informed and included throughout the whole process. She taught me how to be my own advocate from that first doctor’s appointment, something I hope to teach others dealing with any medical issue. It took three hospital stays, two spinal taps, genetic testing and a handful of MRI’s before I was referred to the National Pediatric MS Center at Stony Brook University Hospital and Medical Center in New York City, which finally led to a confirmed diagnosis of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Have no fear, I spun the situation and took complete advantage of being close to NYC fashion headquarters, buying my prom dress at a store near the hospital on Long Island. Although I could barely walk and sported a crazy-colored cane during my stay in New York, I was determined to
find the perfect dress for the big dance, even if I had to wobble my way into the dressing room. At 16, I didn’t know a thing about what “MS” stood for other than being a woman’s title. Mom explained it so simply to me in our hotel room in Stony Brook: MS means multiple, or many, and sclerosis, scars caused by an overactive immune system response. However, these many scars just happened to be in my brain and on my spine, causing my weakness, fatigue and other stroke-like symptoms. The reason one person’s MS isn’t like another’s is that the location of the scars in the neurological system determines one’s symptoms. It’s very individualized, yet many of us “MSers” share similar issues like indescribable fatigue and numbness. To everyone’s surprise, I was extremely excited to have a name for what was making me so sick. Why was I rapidly texting my friends, “I have MS!!”? For
May 2015 on World MS Day. The entire station wore some form of orange to show support of the cause. That is just one more reason why KNWA/KFTA is such a loyal family. Pictured Left: Channing reporting during the May 2014 primary from Washington County during a major MS relapse. Since it was election season, she had to find a patriotic cane!
months, I had struggled to walk, had advancing numbness, and was in and out of hospitals with this ‘unknown’ diagnosis. Now, I had a name for what I was fighting! My doctors, family, friends and teachers stood beside me during every battle.
Turn the page ...
The Story Behind: #CheerforChanning With that fabulous team behind me, I knew I could take on this disease. I may have MS, but it didn’t – and wouldn’t – have me. Making this adjustment to my “new normal”
MS = Multiple meaning ‘many’ and Sclerosis meaning ‘scars’ caused by an overactive immune system response. was tolerable because I was fortunate to have a wonderful extended family, amazingly supportive friends, classmates, and teachers, and a medical team that treated me openly and honestly. It was easy to keep my sense of humor and positivity when others laughed with me, prayed with me and loved me through it all. My student council sponsor made me shoes with bells on them so I could tell when I slipped out of them due to my numbness, and my math teacher had an inspirational talk with me in the parking lot that I still recall on days of trial and trouble. Becoming involved with the National MS Society through Walk MS, Bike MS, A Vintage Affair and advocacy at the state and national level has given my friends, family, and me meaning and purpose to living with MS.
the good. Living with MS makes me much more sensitive and empathetic to others. But yes, there are some seriously hard times. I won’t sugarcoat it for you. Like any other disease, this one is a rollercoaster. This past summer, I lost strength in my legs during a very crucial time professionally. While reporting “live” on the Walmart Northwest Arkansas Championship in Rogers, I had to use my cane to make it onto the course. However, it was my goal not to bother viewers with my health issues. Their time with me is supposed to be happy and informative! I worked hard to conceal my port being used for the intravenous steroid treatment I was receiving after work at Highlands Oncology, left my cane under the desk, and tried not to look like I was battling a relapse of this silly disease. I was determined not to let MS win. My work family rallied around me by helping with every detail necessary for me to make it through a work day. My mom lived with me for a week, driving me to work and treatments. Our photographer and reporter carried every bag, helped me into chairs, let me lean on them (literally and figuratively) as we walked to our live shot, and let me know when I was pushing myself a little too hard. Our newsroom understood, which was the scariest prospect of all to me. I was so worried people wouldn’t get why I was weak or what my limitations were, and still are .
I became laser-focused on going to college in middle school – I knew I wanted to be a broadcast journalist from the time I was a toddler. But going to college while living with MS was not ideal. Fatigue kept me from joining my friends for late night food runs, parties, even some campus meetings once my body told me it was done for the day. The focus needed for studying was often debilitating. Dating was awkward. I’ll never forget when a guy asked why my car was parked in a handicapped spot. I said “I have really bad asthma.” I just wasn’t in a place just yet to explain this disease that was still so fresh to me. So, I rebelled. I didn’t want to be “that girl with MS” any longer and stopped taking my disease-modifying medications. I started to ignore my body’s signals that I had been so faithful to the year prior. Then, one day, Mom had to come rescue me. That was my wake-up call, and I’ve never looked back. Working with my body instead of against it is a much better way to live! Fast-forward to my life today. I have chosen to believe that my MS diagnosis changed my life for
30 December 2015
Channing receiving treatment at Highlands Oncology in Fayetteville in June 2015 with one of the compassionate nurses. They somehow are always able to bring joy during otherwise not-so-happy circumstances.
Little did I know how much my work family was truly behind me. During this time, I created a Facebook post about the fact that not every day is cheery, and despite that, it is my job to bring joy to my viewers. It has been my philosophy to push through the rain
Channing Barker speaking at the Public Policy Conference for the National MS Society, March 2015
life brings my way to eventually be able to enjoy sunny days again. I never thought penning those simple words would impact so many people. My main purpose was to inform viewers that this disease has ups and downs, and I was in a pit at the moment. I wanted people to have the opportunity to be vulnerable, to know it’s okay to have bad days. My post wasn’t just pertaining to MS, but to life in general and I spoke to anyone battling a personal monster: a broken arm, a lost parent, depression or just a hard Monday. Sometimes our biggest obstacles are the ones unseen. I was driving back to Northwest Arkansas this summer after visiting my MS specialist in Oklahoma City, when my mom called to tell me about a new hash tag “#CheerforChanning.” Completely out of the loop, I pulled to the side of the highway to read the station’s post and the subsequent comments. I was flabbergasted and teary-eyed! That hash tag circulated to media outlets around the country, giving others impacted by MS the opportunity to share their story. A female network meteorologist, Janie Dean, who lives with MS, reached out to me due to the campaign, and even Amy Schumer, whose father lives with MS, responded with a tweet and a selfie! After changing medications and recharging my body, I have returned to a newer normal with MS. I respect this disease, but I also know it has limits. I won’t test it to see just how much I can aggravate it. Rather, I’ll fight for the life I want, the life I’ve dreamed of and the future I know my God has planned for me. And, hopefully, I can bring a little sunshine to others along the way.
by: Ronda Mack aylor, 14, is my daughter and my hero. She had always been an active child, yet seemed to be accident-prone, as she had multiple mishaps and surgeries early on in life. None of the surgeons ever told me that her bones looked weak or to suspect anything out of the ordinary. However, in the back of my mind, I felt that something just wasn’t right. As it turned out, Taylor was born with a rare genetic abnormality, but we wouldn’t find that out until December 2014. She played volleyball, was a cheerleader in grade school, and played soccer, but always seemed to miss more school than she attended due to illness and injury. Now, finally, we know why. We are seeing the geneticist this month to try to put the rest of these puzzle pieces together. For several years, Taylor complained of joint pain and fatigue. Multiple doctors told us it was growing pains, or “Osgood Schlatter.” Then, in May of 2014, she developed what her dentist thought was an abscess. Antibiotics did not make this better, so she was sent to an oral surgeon, underwent surgery, and pathology deemed it to be sclerotic bone. As a mom and a nurse, I knew that healthy 12-year-old bones do not just die. I never was satisfied with the answers we received. Then, in late September, Taylor came to show me a rash all over her legs. They were purplish in appearance with pink spots. Upon inspecting this, I realized that her right knee was very swollen. She had a stat MRI done, and the radiologist called our primary care physician (PCP), because they were concerned about an autoimmune process and it seemed as if her knee was much older than her stated age. Labs were drawn, but the only thing concerning was that her Vitamin D levels were quite low and her alkaline phosphatase was quite high. During this time, we saw an orthopedic
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surgeon for her knee. He injected it with cortisone and pain medication in hopes to help with her pain. It did not, so, in November, he scoped her right knee. He told me that he had never seen a 13-year-old knee look like it did, that she had a Grade II, almost III chondral defect. His words were, “I see people my age whose knees look like hers, not a 13-year-old.” My thoughts began working overtime, processing and researching for a whole week before I said anything to anyone. I had known for many years that something just wasn’t right with my child. I knew immediately that these two events were connected. I spoke with Taylor’s PCP about my thoughts. She had multiple more labs drawn and her PCP wanted her to see a talented pediatrician in her office. She did, and the pediatrician recommended a dermatology consultation for the rash on her legs, in addition to more labs. Taylor saw the dermatologist. He had some ideas but also wanted to do some research. He suggested something that was a possibility, SAPHO syndrome, which after researching it, I thought, “That doesn’t fit, as she only has one of those symptoms.” I spoke with her PCP about it and she researched which lab determined this syndrome, and had Taylor tested for it. The lab was HLA-B27, which is the Human Leukocyte Antigen, a blood test to look for a protein that is found on the surface of white blood cells. The protein is called human leukocyte antigen B27 (HLA-B27). Human leukocyte antigens (HLAs) are proteins that help the body’s immune system
tell the difference between its own cells and foreign, harmful substances. This came back positive. Positive? Now, what do we do with this? I knew there were only about ten disease processes that encompass this positive lab, so it was a process of elimination. This lab result was sent to the pediatrician and the dermatologist. I’ll never forget the Friday that the pediatrician said, “I think it’s JIA. That is the only thing that fits with all of her symptoms.” A referral was sent to AR Children’s Rheumatology department, as this was an autoimmune disease that must be treated aggressively. Later that same Friday, I received a call from her dermatologist who said, “I think it’s JIA, as it’s the only thing that truly fits.” Okay, so there were two of the same diagnosis on the same day. There had to be
something to this. As a mom and a nurse, I had never given any thought to Juvenile Arthritis. Honestly, there’s just not very much awareness out there for this disease process, like there is so many others. She had an appointment at Children’s in March 2015, which seemed like an eternity away, as this was all taking place in late December 2014. Then, in the first week of January, I received a call from Children’s, who said that they had a rheumatologist new to Children’s who had just started, was reviewing charts and would like to see Taylor first. “Can you come next week on January 13?” they asked. I said yes, absolutely, immediately. That was the most life-changing day for Taylor, and for
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Uveitis, inflammation in her eyes from JIA that can cause blindness if not treated correctly. She was also started on medications the very next week, which included Humira, Methotrexate and Leucovorin.
us as a family. She saw the rheumatologist, who diagnosed her with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, Chronic Non-Infectious Osteomyelitis, Entheitis Related Arthritis and Dysautonomia. He sent her to Opthamology, where she was diagnosed with
In June 2015, Taylor underwent another knee scope, because her knee had continued to get worse, and, this time, it was complete bone-on-bone. So, on July 29, 2015, she underwent an Osteochondral Transfer, Lateral Release and Medial Imbrication. This was an attempt to save her knee, and to prevent her from having a total knee replacement during her teenage years, as she would lose a lot of mobility with a total knee replacement, and it would not last her entire lifetime, meaning more knee replacements in the future. She has gone through physical therapy for 3 1/2 months since her surgery. Her flexion and extension are good but she continues to lack strength and tone in her quadriceps muscle. She will continue to work on this for months and years to come. As of November 2015, Taylor is starting Remicade infusions at Children’s, as the Humira is not keeping her inflammation and pain at bay like it should. She is having ankle pain and swelling and has since had an MRI and a full body bone scan to look for Osteomyelitis and inflammation. We are hopeful that this will be an answer to our prayers. Taylor used to play volleyball; however, due to the inflammation, disease process and knee reconstruction, that is no longer an option. Even though she cannot play, she has been the volleyball manager for the last two years, as this is where her heart is. This allows her to be involved as much as possible and still be a part of her team. Her coach has been most understanding, and has worked with Taylor through all of her diagnoses to keep her involved, and we appreciate that more than words can convey.
I am one of 300,000 kids affected in the U.S. Through the last year, Taylor has managed to keep a smile on her face most days and, because of this, she truly is my hero. She has battled so much, and has a long way to go, but with faith, family, friends and the amazing team of doctors that she has, I’m hopeful that she can go into remission someday soon! A huge thank you to all sixteen of her doctors, because she would not be where she is without them! Her future is hopeful. We just take one day at a time. If your child complains repeatedly about joint pain, fatigue, has swelling, warmth or redness in any joints, is sleeping more than usual, or you feel that something just isn’t right, please do not give up until you have some answers.
After Taylor’s diagnosis, her rheumatologist introduced us to some amazing ladies at the Arthritis Foundation in Little Rock. They have been most helpful in involving us in events to help Taylor adjust to her diagnosis. In talking with them, I also decided that I wanted to become involved in creating more awareness, so they asked if I would like to be on the committee for the Jingle Bell Run/Walk. I agreed and we have all been working towards making this event a huge success. The Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis is a 5k at Lake Fayetteville on Saturday, December 12. It has been chosen as one of the “Most Incredible Themed Races,” and is a fun and festive way to kick off your holidays by helping others! Wear a holiday themed costume, or tie jingle bells to your shoelaces. Raise funds to help find a cure for arthritis, the nation’s leading cause of disability. Run or walk a five kilometer route with your team members and celebrate the season by giving. We have a team, “Team Taylor,” to raise funds for a cure and to make this fun for Taylor. She has also been chosen as the Youth Honoree for this year’s race. If you would like to join Team Taylor or for more information, please visit our page at www.jbr.org/nwarkansas/rmack
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0 2
things you should do in
december
A Visit and Photo with Santa at the NWA Mall!
Don’t miss your chance to let your little ones share their Christmas list with NWA’s favorite Santa. Join him for Breakfast on December 12 from 8-10am Tickets available at fayettevillekids.org
Holiday Fun at Little Giggles! Princess Winter Wonderland Brunch with Trike Theatre December 5 | 9:30 - 11:30am Tavola Trattoria 108 SE A Street, Bentonville Come dressed as a Princess and join Elsa and Anna for Brunch, Story time, photo and sing-a-long. Tickets: $25 presold. $30 at the door. www.triketheatre.org
Monday December 21st 9:30 - 12:30 Little Giggles Admission includes crafts, a treat from Santa’s sack, and a chance to meet Santa between 10:45 and 11:45. Capture Me Photography will be taking photos with Santa for an additional charge. www.littlegigglesplay.com
Fun at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks Gardenland Express: Dec. 5-6 and Dec. 12-13 from 1 to 4 p.m. Join us for holiday activities and perhaps a visit with Mr. and Mrs. Claus! Admission is $5 for adults; $3 for children 5-12; and free for children under 5. Admission may be purchased at the door, by calling 479.750.2620 or online at bgozarks.org.
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things you should do in
december
Winter Camps at The Little Gym The Little Gym (479) 636-5566
Dec 21 through 31: 9am-12 or 1pm-4pm With fun, different themes, everyday camps combine physical activity and games with arts, crafts and special events!
SoNA Presents ‘The Snowman: A Family Concert’ Sunday, December 6. 2pm. Walton Arts Center
To purchase tickets, please call the Walton Arts Center box office at (479) 4435600 or visit www.sonamusic.org for online ticketing option.
Winter Break Wonders at Crystal Bridges Crystal Bridges Saturday, December 19 - Sunday, January 3 Join us at the Museum over your school break! We’re planning special family-friendly activities each afternoon, including art-making, music, puppets, and more! Saturday, December 19 through Sunday, January 3, 1 to 4 pm. Free, no registration required. www.crystalbridges.org
Noon Year’s Eve Family Celebration!
December 31 @ 11:00 am - 3:00 pm Ring in the New Year (without staying up past bedtime!) at the Museum’s first-ever, family-friendly Noon Year’s Eve celebration. Enjoy a toast at noon after a special Noon Year’s Eve countdown, a new marionette show from StoneLion Puppet Theatre, music, dancing, magic, art-making, and more! Just down the street, our friends at the Scott Family Amazeum are celebrating Noon Year’s as well, so plan to spend the afternoon with us both. Free at Crystal Bridges, no registration required.
Winter Break Workshops at the Amazeum The Amazeum
Ice Age Explorers : Dec 21 and encore workshop Dec 23 www.amazeum.org Dec. 28 and encore workshop Dec. 30 : 1:00-3:00pm Age Groups 6-8 and 9-11 Travel back in time and discover the natural wonders of the Ice Age. After this excavation of the imagination, you’ll never think of winter vacation the same!
Children’s Christmas Train
http://www.childrenssafetycenter.org
Children’s Christmas Train riders will depart from the Emma Street Train Depot in Downtown Springdale on Saturday, December 5 aboard a restored 1940’s-era train. The 40-minute ride to Johnson and back will include singing Christmas carols, stories, and even a visit from Santa himself! After returning to the Train Depot, families can enjoy holiday games and entertainment – ride ponies dressed as reindeer, operate a model train, participate in the cake walk, write a letter to Santa or just enjoy the characters and live music in Santa’s Village. Children and families are also encouraged to dress in “ugly Christmas sweaters” and holiday attire.
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things you should do in
december
Visit Santa on the Caboose Downtown Rogers www.mainstreetrogers.com
Boys and girls are invited to visit Santa on the Frisco Caboose. Take family photos and deliver holiday wishes to Santa on a real caboose. A special mailbox next to the caboose is a great place to drop off your letter to Santa at any time.
Take a tour through the 1895 Hawkins House decorated for a typical Rogers Christmas from 1900 at the Rogers Historical Museum. 322 South Second Street, Rogers.
Winter Wonderland Extravaganza with The Snow Sisters and the Ice Cutter Dec. 12 from 4:005:15pm. Cookie decorating, ornament making, decorating the palace Christmas tree, sing-alongs, story time, and a keepsake photo.
Princess Party Palace 925 N. College, Fayetteville princesspartypalacenwa.com
#AChristmasCarol
Arkansas Public Theater December 11-13
When mega-star Eben Sadler agrees to participate in a television reality show for the holidays, he gets more than he bargained for as social media, the hype of empty celebrities, and reality TV combine with hilarious and perhaps touching results. Loaded with pop culture, this is A Christmas Carol for the entire modern family.
Customer Appreciation Night at Toy Zone inside Learning Oasis 3005 N College Ave, Fayetteville
/ (479) 521-1915 /
learningoasisonline.com
Friday, December 4 from 6 pm until 9 pm. This 3-hour sale has everything 20% off. Don’t miss the drawing at 7pm for a large wrapped box with $500 worth of toys. There will be additional drawings for other prizes and gift certificates.
Santa Breakfast Saturday December 12 8am - 10am First United Methodist Church 201 NW 2nd Street - Bentonville Explore and Discover Preschool’s Annual Pancake and Sausage Breakfast with Santa Adults - $5 Children 12 and under - $3 Picture with Santa - $5 Family Package (with 1 photo) - $25
46 December 2015
Enjoy a Christmas Parade
December 4 - Rogers, December 5 - Siloam Springs December 12 - Bentonville
Project Christmas Tree Facebook: Project Christmas Tree email: pctofar@gmail.com Project Christmas Tree is in need of artificial trees, ornaments, lights, garland, ribbon, tree toppers, mesh ribbon, and pipe cleaners to decorate trees to give to low income families who can’t afford to provide a tree and gifts for their children.
Educational Entertainment for all ages!
Northwest Arkansas
• School Assemblies & Workshops • Corporate/Non-Profit Presentations • Special Events & Camps • Awesome Party Concept
www.super-sci.com • 479-444-0303
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Love is Enough by: Suzette Manen
June 6, 2014 is a day that rocked my world forever. We were expecting our third child and I had my first appointment with my doctor that morning. I went ahead and asked my husband, Dustin, to come with me just in case we could find out the gender of our little one. We arrived at my appointment a little early, and I nervously made a joke about my weight gain to the nurse before waiting anxiously to see the doctor. When we went in, thankfully he agreed without hesitation to do an ultrasound. I had my “mother’s intuition” that we were expecting a girl! The room went quiet as he put the wand over my lower abdomen. I tried to see what he was seeing. Nothing. Not a word. I nervously asked, “Was my intuition right?” His reply was one that still takes my breath away and puts a lump in my throat. “Well, you are right about the girl part, but I’m afraid there’s something wrong. I am seeing this little sac on the baby’s back.” You know how people say when you receive devastating news, your world just kind of stops? Well, it was very much that way for me. I became clammy and felt as if I was going to faint. Then, the words, “It looks like your baby has Spina Bifida.” I didn’t even know what to ask at that point. I just began to sob. Thankfully, I had my rock, my biggest supporter, and my glass-half-full guy right beside me! He pulled out every positive thought he could come up with and reassured me that it would be okay. I can say my faith was brought to life in an entirely new light. As odd as it might seem, I shared the news through social media and asked for prayers. I didn’t want to talk or share in detail, but I desperately wanted any and everyone to pray for this precious child. Fast-forward a long two weeks when finally we were able to see a local specialist that recommended in utero fetal surgery as an option for us in St Louis. There were so many factors to consider... One being
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you only have a certain amount of time to do the procedure, which is between 22 weeks gestation up until 25 weeks and five days gestation. Since the surgery is performed on the mother as well as the child, we both had to fit in every box for both of us to be eligible for the surgery. On July 2, we visited the Fetal Care Institute in St. Louis for a full two days of testing. It was emotionally draining and so overwhelming hearing the pros and cons of the surgery. There is major risk of premature delivery, of death for both mom and baby, and relocating to St. Louis away from my two older children was definitely on the top of the list of hardships this surgery would bring. But, considering all of the risks, we felt the benefits for our baby outweighed the negatives. I would be lying if I told you I wasn’t scared to death of losing my baby or being away from my family and being on bed rest for a very long 10 weeks, but in my heart I knew this would
the most incredible team of doctors! I was only the 36th patient to have this surgery performed at the Fetal Care Institute of St Louis. The operating room was standing-room only! I believe a total of 20 to 25 medical staff members were a part of this surgery, which lasted over four hours. It took over an hour just for the OB doctor to get the baby situated via ultrasound. The surgery itself is very similar to a cesarean section. They positioned the defect on the baby’s back where they make the opening in the mother’s abdomen and uterus. After they made the opening, there was a doctor holding the baby in position while the neurosurgeon repaired the defect. The doctor opened the sac and Being four weeks early, she then proceeded to tuck the nerves that were surprisingly came out weighing 6lb exposed back into the 13oz! God had every detail covered, baby’s spine and close even making her a little chunky thing! the incision up before closing the uterus with be the absolute best option for our family. I had the hopes of having another 10 full weeks for the to remind myself daily that it was a temporary baby to continue to grow. Our biggest hope was situation that would hopefully bring a very long- to see the brain swelling to go down or stabilize and to have the mild chiari malformation, where term promise to help our baby girl! the spine pulls the brain back, reversed, as well as On August 5, Berkley Belle had her first birthday– preserve any nerves from further damage. her booty birthday! The surgery was like a scene out of Grey’s Anatomy. I am still in awe that this The recovery was definitely the hardest part of the procedure is available. We were so blessed to have Turn the page ...
While the repair was a huge success it is not a cure for Spina Bifida.
journey at this point. To keep my body from going into labor, I was placed on an epidural for two days and an IV of magnesium sulfate. The side effects of this medicine were terrible, but it definitely did its job. Waking up from the surgery was so hard. I woke up contracting and throwing up. It is not natural for a woman to have a cesarean and then to leave the baby in there. They upped the magnesium, and that had a really big side effect on all my soft tissue organs. I was basically paralyzed from the neck down for the first two days after the surgery. Finally after making it past the first 48 hours, there was light at the end of the tunnel. They removed the epidural. I was able to get up and shower and I began to feel human again. Two times a day they would scan my belly to see how the baby was doing. Within three days they could already see the ventricles on our girl reversing, the mild chiari malformation reversing,
and those sweet little feet kicking. It was early on that we could see the surgery was working to help give our girl the best chance! After 10 weeks of bed rest, we made it to 36 weeks when Berkley Belle had her second birthday and showed her beautiful face on October 25! Being four weeks early, she surprisingly came out weighing 6lb 13oz! God had every detail covered, even making her a little chunky thing! She was and is PERFECT! She is now a year old and is into everything, on the move non-stop, meeting and surpassing all milestones put in front of her. She’s not only amazing, and our miracle baby, but she has this incredible sparkle about her. After her birth, we had to stay in the NICU for eight days due to testing and observation. The moment I held her in my arms for the very first time, I knew that love was simply enough. Enough to get us through the hardest of hard times and any struggle we will face together with the strength of Christ! The first year of life, having a child with Spina Bifida is definitely intense. You have to look for signs of swelling, bowel and bladder issues, and do a lot of therapy. Berkley ended up getting very sick on her first Thanksgiving. She had to be airlifted to Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock. It was definitely a very scary time for us as a family. However, she received the absolute best medical care and bounced back after an IV of antibiotics and a three-day stay in the ICU there. I am thankful to say we overcame so much during that first year. I have the hope that life is going to continue to be amazing and that Berkley’s life will encourage others to see that a child with special needs is equally as important as one without. Her life is so special and God has done great work in her. Her Spina Bifida was not a mistake and we choose to look at it as just a little testimony of overcoming what seems impossible. Our sweet Berkley is truly the completion to our family! She is blessed to have the best big sister, Kyah, 6, and a very protective and loving big brother, Tatum Cash, 4.
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Dad’s View with Ben
Lac y
The Perfect Child
J
ust minutes after our first child was born, the doctor handed her to me. Those of you that have held a newborn know the feeling is indescribable. As my friend Jenny once told me, the closest you ever are to heaven on earth is when you look into the eyes of a newborn child. She was an angel, given to a
completely unprepared and unknowing fool like me. This child was perfect; absolutely perfect. Then the nurse told me to carry her approximately 20-feet from the delivery room to the nursery. My feet could barely move and my heightened sense of awareness hit critical mass. What if I drop this perfect being? Seriously, if anyone would have come within a yard of me I would have maimed them for intruding into this pure, beautiful being’s airspace. She was a true gift; the best gift I had ever received. Shortly after this magical, mystical journey to the nursery, the blessed angel started crying at the top of her lungs, then showed us her digestive system was fully functional. A few days after that, she wouldn’t eat, then went through some joyful jaundice followed by a week of colic – which, as everyone knows, is doctor’s code for, “We have no clue what is wrong with your baby, but get that noisy thing outta here, stat!” So, maybe everything wasn’t always going to be so perfect. Yes, I still think she hung the moon, but she’s now in high school and many days I’d like to hang her. The same pattern occurred with her younger brothers. Euphoric bliss that eventually changed to sleepless nights - just like with sis. As our kids grew and started school, and sports, and other activities, the perfection perception came about again. What do you mean my child doesn’t get straight A’s? He’s perfect! He should start every game; come on, have you not seen how perfect he is? Why isn’t she on the elite team; she’s perfect! There is this notion that we’ve created these perfect progenies that couldn’t possibly
There is this notion that we’ve created these perfect progenies that couldn’t possibly be without fault. And you know what... that’s good. I think it’s great to have a high standard for your children - and hopefully that high standard translates to your parenting prowess. be without fault. And you know what... that’s good. I think it’s great to have a high standard for your children - and hopefully that high standard translates to your parenting prowess. But, what if your child really was perfect? A couple millennia ago there was a dad and a mom who knew their child was perfect. His name was Jesus (they truly were blessed – they didn’t have to go through name approval with the ‘rents and inlaws). What was that like? They weren’t perfect, but their baby was going to be. Can you imagine the stress if that happened today? I think about how much anxiety we’ve gone through in selecting schools for our kids. Private? Public? Charter?
Home school? Can you imagine selecting a school for the Savior? What sport(s) should he play? We know from the Bible that he was pretty strong, so maybe football or baseball, and obviously his ways with water would have made swimming a no brainer. We worry every day about how we’re shaping, molding and developing our children for their life ahead, but what if your child was the son of God here to save the world? I’m going to go out on a limb and say that is slightly more stressful than benchmark testing. As I hope you know, the perfect child’s birthday is just around the corner. Jesus was perfect in every way, just as your child was perfectly created and given to you by God. Your kid likely won’t save the world from eternal damnation; however, they have a perfect purpose. So do you. Your job in some ways is going to be easier than Joseph and Mary, but in other ways, it is more difficult. Regardless, the child is yours, and the responsibility is just as great today as it was over 2,000 years ago. Today it’s a mortgage instead of a manger, it’s Nikes instead of sandals, it’s cars instead of camels, but the need for parental love is unchanged. There will be plenty of Christmas craziness and holiday hoopla and family folly this month, but in the midst of all the chaos, take a deep breath and give your kid a hug. They’re perfect in your eyes and perfect for you. Merry Christmas to all.
The
Dalai Mama Put Down Your Phone
O
Deep thoughts (well not that deep) on life as a mom, wife, and transplant in NWA
Our family recently embarked on our first camping trip. Okay, fine, so it wasn’t full-fledged camping per se. Instead of roughing it in a tent, we slept in my parent’s RV. We didn’t forgo showers or have to pee in the woods, but our movie selection was limited and when we ran out of marshmallows, our s’more buffet concluded. Nevertheless, I must admit I was nervous about our first night away in a secluded state park with our little ones. I came prepared with literally everything we could possibly need/want for the one night away from home, yet I was still met with a surprise which I was not prepared to handle. I should have realized this trip was not going to be what I expected when we got lost en-route to the campsite (Just a tip… Google Maps can NOT be trusted!) We were instructed to take a turn off the highway and found ourselves on a narrow dirt road, sprinkled with rundown houses, in the middle of the Ozarks. As the dirt formed a dust cloud behind our over-packed SUV, we began frantically calling my parents to find out if this was, in fact, the way to the campsite. Our calls were met with their voice mail, so we proceeded hopefully, yet anxiously, on the route. Sometime around mile four I noticed something on my phone that I had never seen before... “No Service”. What the what?! Is this possible? I thought I got service everywhere! I have Verizon, for Pete’s sake! I grabbed my husband’s phone and the same thing stared me in the face, “No Service”. I’m not going to
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by: Kristin Hvizda
lie; as I was telling everyone to relax and not worry, I was in full-on panic mode inside. We were lost on an eerie dirt road in the middle of the mountains, with a ¼ tank of gas, and two kids with asthma and allergies in the backseat. What if there was an emergency? What if we ran out of gas? Got a flat tire? Had to go to the bathroom? Needed to update Facebook??!! We continued driving, hoping that this road, reminiscent of something out of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, would lead us to the campsite, or at the very least a paved highway. Thankfully, the road eventually did lead us back to the highway and, almost simultaneously, cell phone service was restored. My parents called back and we re-routed to the campsite. All was right with the world as we let out a collective sigh of relief. That is, until we got to the campsite and realized there was no cell service there either! Maybe this is common knowledge to any outdoorsy folks, but for this city girl I was shocked. How do you run a campsite without cell service and Wi-Fi?! I literally contemplated leaving. Luckily, there was a pay phone right by my parent’s RV in case of an emergency. It was the first pay phone I’d seen in a good 5 years, but I barely joked about the archaic device because I was so grateful to have some connection to the outside world. The pay phone made us comfortable enough to stay the night, and I’m so glad we did. We had an amazing time. We fished, hiked, had a bonfire, and enjoyed everything that nature had to offer. I was fully
present; more so than I have been in years, without the distraction of my cell phone. There’s no two ways about it, my phone makes me feel safe. I didn’t realize how much so, until that camping trip. Medical emergency? I’ll call the paramedics. Break-in? I’ll call the cops. Late night walk? Phone is in hand. It’s my constant sidekick, my knight in shining armor. These are all good things, in theory. Having something with me that makes me feel connected when I might otherwise feel alone or in need is great… except when it’s not. My phone might be overstepping its bounds when it finds its way into my hands during my every free moment. It may be robbing me of special memories when it beeps at me or draws me to it telepathically while I’m at the park with my kids. It may even be creating dangerous moments when it rings to me while I’m driving to the super market. My knight just might be a fox dressed in sheep’s clothing. As a child of the 80’s, I grew up without cell phones and clearly remember when the technology that has now become so commonplace, began to emerge. Who remembers the cellphone’s predecessor, the beeper? Oddly enough, not just for doctors and drug dealers, but also super essential for the pre-teen girl. When cell phones came out, we didn’t have text message or internet access on our phones. Our flip phone’s only function was incoming/outgoing calls and was reserved for quick updates. Landlines were still used for the majority of our long conversations. Fast forward 15 years and I don’t even own a landline. My cell phone is my main phone, calendar, notepad, camera, flashlight… I could go on and on. My phone has simplified my life in some ways, but also made it much more complicated.
comes from our desire to be productive or more accurately busy at all times. Honestly, how much time do you actually spend on the phone in any given day? I know, any spare moment I have to “relax” I spend on my phone. I’m texting a friend, scrolling through Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, reading an article, checking email. No wonder I
“Life is what happens to you when you’re looking at your smartphone.” don’t feel relaxed! What if I actually relaxed instead of busying my mind with all the distractions on my phone? Our society, or self-imposed, norm of being busy or distracted at all times has made us uncomfortable with solitude. When we do have the opportunity to sit quietly without a distraction, such as our phone, we literally don’t know how to handle it. We feel bored and antsy. If you’re anything like me, those quiet moments are filled with racing thoughts about my to-do list, the past, the future, and anything and everything but the present moment. Ask anyone who’s tried yoga or meditation for the first time and they’ll attest that relaxation without distraction is hard! That’s why yoga and meditation are referred to as a practice.
Now these little devices made of plastic and glass, emitting God knows what, hold our attention more than those around us. I know, I know, they don’t really in theory, but in practice they sure do at times. How often have you ignored your children while you were on your phone? How often have you been out with your husband or friends and stolen at least 5 minutes on your phone? I’m so guilty of this, especially when it comes to my kids. What began as a device used for talking and connecting people, has now become arguably the biggest distraction in our modern day lives. Our phones are now stacked with capabilities that would have seemed like science fiction only a little over a decade ago, and have taken on a life of their own. They’ve creeped their way into our most intimate and personal moments- the dinner table, in bed, or (dare I say it) the bathroom.
Maybe that’s just what we need to start to do with our cell phone use; “practice” disengaging. Perhaps, just because we can be on the phone all the time texting, updating statuses, posting pictures, browsing the internet doesn’t mean we should. By the simple act of choosing not to be on our phones in our down time, maybe we open the door to the possibility of more meaningful moments with our families, friends, or by ourselves. Maybe, just maybe, we can practice being quiet with our thoughts and really allowing our minds to relax. I know it’s hard. It’s almost second nature to grab my phone and start busying myself whenever I have a free moment, but now that I’ve acknowledged I have a problem, I see it, and once you know better, you do better. That night at the campsite, we watched as the stars began to come into view and noticed how so many more were visible without the bright lights of the city to drown them out. Perhaps life is like that. Maybe those around us and our quiet moments will be even brighter and better without the competing distractions of our cell phone to dull their sparkle.
It seems like this overindulging in our phones
My name is Kristin and I’m a cell-phoneaholic.
Holiday messages for our community from our DBI team I am so excited for the holidays in Downtown Bentonville! This is a great time of the year for friends and families to explore, shop and dine locally. This area offers so many unique shops and activities for people to explore. Downtown Bentonville is the premier location for families to visit and celebrate the holiday season. Krystle I hope that this year our community will focus on the people that make us a community rather than the things and objects. That we would pursue the genuine meaning of community: caring, helping, loving and hoping for one another. If we can come together to do this, things and objects will fall into place on their own. Chad I love love love Christmas! When I see the horse & carriage rides around the Square it feels like the holidays are here! I would love to walk around the Square and hear carolers singing on the corners! Lisa Wishing the community a family filled, loving, happy, holiday season. May we all remember the spirit of giving and the humbleness of receiving, many blessings to all! Melanie Relaxing, eating and enjoying time with family is my favorite part about the holiday season. I love getting out in the chilly weather with my wife and enjoying a good cup of coffee. When we want something fun to do we meet our friends on the square and just walk around enjoying the
DBI Notes lights, weather and food. Going to the square during the holidays is the perfect Normal Rockwell image of small town fun and relaxation with family and friends. Brad The holiday season is one of my favorite times of year as it gives everyone in our community a rare chance to take a break from our crazy world and all come together. I hope that we take advantage of our ability to spend time with one another and make incredible memories. The holidays are extra special for me because my family has now stretched across the entire country and we rarely are all in one place anymore. I feel extremely lucky that even if it is just once a year we have a couple of days to relax, reminisce, and enjoy one another. Hunter As the holiday season approaches and the year comes to an end, my thoughts turn to giving. Specifically, did I give my highest self to my husband, son, family & friends, my community & my work over the last year? I think that the threads of giving and receiving are inevitably entwined and we each find ourselves on both ends of the string many times daily. For me, the question is not about which end of the string I am on but rather: are my gifts making positive changes in the world and am I receiving every smile, hug, moment, with a grateful, joyful heart? This season give and receive those things that truly matter. Monica
We look forward to seeing you and your families’ downtown Bentonville!
Notes at Night December 3rd 6:00 – 8:00PM Come and enjoy free live acoustic music by Samantha Hunt at Ramo d’Olivo. Play It Forward December 12th Once a month the Walmart Museum puts on a concert for their Play It Forward series. This months local Jazz masters, The Claudia Burson Trio will start at 6:30pm in the Walmart World Room. Tickets are $5 with proceeds benefiting The Northwest Arkansas Jazz Society. Doors open at 6.
Upcoming December Events... Christmas Parade December 12th Who can resist a holiday parade? You can enter a float or just enjoy the show - either way this is a wonderful tradition to share with family & friends!
Santa sent his elves to Downtown Bentonville to shop local and support our businesses on small business saturday November 28th. Thanks Santa!
2015 Frosty Flicks Dec 16th The Grinch - 6:30pm Dec 20th The Santa Clause - 6:00pm Jan 1st Frozen - 1pm Bentonville Parks and Recreation will be playing Winter themed movies at The Lawrence Plaza Ice Rink.
The Rink Session 1 Nov 30 - Dec 19 Session 2 Jan 2 - Jan 18 1hr 15min sessions with 15 minute breaks in between Mon-Thur: 5:00 - 7:45pm Wed: Broomball 5:15 - 6:15 Friday: 5 - 9:30pm Saturday: 12pm - 9:30 pm Sunday: 2pm - 4:45pm Drop In Hockey 5-6pm The Rink Skate Shows Join us at the Rink at Lawrence Plaza and Nov 21st 6:30pm watch some talented skaters perform Dec 16th 5:30pm choreographed routines to everyone’s Dec 20th 5:00pm favorite winter-themed music! All shows Jan 1st 11:30am are free to the public.
Christmas Trees and Winter Fun at by: Addi Simmons
F
armland Adventures in Springdale has quickly become a staple in Northwest Arkansas. Known for their fall festivities, giant corn maze, and pick-your-ownpumpkin patch, the familyfriendly farm has expanded this year and now offers winter activities and pick-your-own Christmas trees! Farmland Adventures has been operating since 2011, but this is its first year to open for the winter season and offer Christmas trees. There will also be many familyfriendly activities happening all month long. Bring your kids and teach them about animals at the small petting farm, take a wagon ride with the family, race your friends in pedal karts, watch from the sideline or jump in and participate in human foosball, and let the kids make
friends in the play area. The wagon ride is the only activity that will close once the sun sets, and all others will remain open until closing. Not only is Farmland Adventures a great place to spend the day and have fun with your family, but also, its beautiful, open-spaced, hilly landscape makes it the perfect spot to take pictures. There are many photo opportunities at the farm! All of these activities are included with admission, which is $8 per person for anyone three years and over. The only thing not included in admission are the Christmas trees and if you choose to buy any animal feed at the petting farm. The trees are all pre-cut and ready to take home. Netting will be provided and stands are available. The trees are priced individually, based primarily
Farmland Adventures will be open from Nov. 27 to Dec. 19 from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Fridays and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays. For more information, visit: farmlandadventures.com
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on size and most of the trees available will be between 6 and 7 feet tall. Admission is not required to shop for and purchase a Christmas tree. Farmland Adventures suggests that visitors dress in farmappropriate attire. The farm itself is very large, so comfortable shoes or boots are always a good idea, as well as layering up in sweaters or jackets, because the entire setting is outdoors. A snack bar is located at the entrance and offers a variety of hot drinks and snacks, so bring a little extra spending money! If you’d rather pack your own picnic, there is a picnic pavilion available, included with admission. Because of its location in Springdale, Farmland Adventures is just a short drive away from wherever you may reside in Northwest Arkansas, so don’t be stuck inside all winter long! Enjoy the cool temperatures, walk around the farm with your family, and spend some quality time together by partaking in the festivities and picking out your very own Christmas tree. “We are really excited about this opportunity to expand to the Christmas season,” Ludonna Parsons, owner of Farmland Adventures said. “We love seeing families come out in the fall and enjoy our farm while spending quality time with each other. We are looking forward to families making Christmas memories together here also.”
The TEAM Difference!
Parents share their insights
P
arents have many choices of Pediatric Therapy Care providers in Northwest Arkansas, and most choose Children’s Therapy TEAM. Why would a parent potentially drive further, passing smaller clinics along the way, to attend one of Children’s Therapy TEAM’s Regional Clinic Centers? To answer this question we recently reached out to several moms. This is what they said...
“There are so many reasons why we love TEAM and why our boys have gone there for years…. But we keep coming back because they genuinely care about the success of our two boys. They go above and beyond to help our boys achieve milestones that help them function and become more independent in their daily lives.” –Stephanie Mertz “Children’s Therapy TEAM provides more than highly qualified therapists for my daughter--they provide love, encouragement and laughter along the way. The staff helps parents navigate IEP meetings, equipment purchases and applications for public services. In effect, Children’s Therapy TEAM provides much needed support for the entire family. Disabilities tend to isolate children and families. We found something we haven’t found at any other clinic; we found COMMUNITY.” -Janet Boxx
“My children have received therapies at TEAM for the past 4 years. The therapists who work with my boys are very knowledgeable, professional, and utilize every resource possible to help my boys succeed. And, more importantly, they genuinely love and care for my boys and invest themselves personally into their lives. This means everything to me as a mom. TEAM has been a tremendous blessing to our family.” -Julie Green
“Children’s Therapy Team gave us HOPE when no one else did. We received a devastating diagnosis about our daughter, but her therapists were only positive, and believed they could help her no matter what her diagnosis was. If it wasn’t for her therapists at TEAM, Kinsley wouldn’t be walking today, not to mention doing the hundreds of other things they’ve taught her as well. And, of course, I love that Kinsley loves her therapists and wants to be there with them. They have found ways to motivate her and help her enjoy her therapy. Her therapists are loving and care about my child as a person. I wouldn’t take her anywhere else.” -Caroline Dockery
“We love Children’s Therapy TEAM! All of the therapists and staff are so caring and knowledgeable. I know that Sydney is in good hands when she is there. She loves being there so much that she doesn’t even consider it work! The therapists are also very helpful in giving us ideas to use at home in order to continue the momentum. She has come a long way since starting at TEAM!” -Kim Warren
“Our son has received occupational, speech and physical therapies at Children’s Therapy TEAM for seven years. He has, consistently, received high quality therapy services. His therapists have all been an integral part of his medical team. They have watched him grow and have celebrated his accomplishments. We appreciate the therapists’ motivation and their passion for the profession.” -Renee Holmes
Children’s Therapy TEAM offers:
Adaptive Recreation Activities • Aquatic Therapy Developmental Therapy • Family Support Services Funding Support • International Outreach • Occupational Therapy Orthotics • Physical Therapy • Serial Casting • Speech Therapy VitalStim Therapy... all in one FAITH-BASED TEAM!
Call 521-TEAM (8326) to learn more.
L E A D I N G P E D I A T R I C T H E R A P Y C A R E I N NWA
Believe in KIDS.
Nowmore clinics, same wow!
Grayson
Grayson
A
by: Bobbi Schmidt
fter some difficulty getting pregnant and experiencing two heartbreaking miscarriages, my husband and I were thrilled to welcome our first son, Grayson Alan, into the world. He arrived on December 6, 2011, and was a very happy baby who instantly brought us a lot of joy and laughter. As an infant, however, he battled a multitude of issues, such as fevers, coughs, and allergies. His doctors assured us there wasn’t anything to be concerned about, though our worries persisted. Grayson had also been dealing with painful ongoing ear infections, so, the day before his second birthday, he went through a procedure to put tubes in his ears, plus have his adenoids taken out to try and help with his persistent cough. This procedure seemed to really help and finally enable him to be a normal little boy! Eventually, my husband and I decided to try for another baby. After yet another miscarriage, we found out we were expecting again! Needless to say, we were thrilled! We decided to wait on telling anyone, since we had a history of miscarriages and just focused on our little Grayson for the time being. We noticed Grayson started to develop a lot of bruises on his legs. I didn’t really think much about it because he was a rambunctious little boy, and I figured he was just falling a lot and running into stuff at preschool. I was lucky to work at the preschool he attended so I could check in on him often. My mother, or Grayson’s Nana, worked there as well. One day, as my mother was walking by Grayson’s room, she noticed he was lying on his bed and didn’t really want to play. This was not like our hyper little boy at all! She went in and sat by him. Instantly, she noticed the lymph nodes on his neck were swollen to a pretty large degree. I figured maybe he had strep or some kind of throat infection, so I took him to the doctor. They said it was simply a virus and once again insured us there
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was nothing to worry about. They told us that the swelling would go down and he would be fine after a few days. So, I took him back to school and didn’t think anything else about it. Later on, his teachers started mentioning that they were noticing a rash on his arms that looked like little red pin dots. I took a picture and sent it to our practitioner. She sent me a message back to say that I needed to schedule an appointment with his doctor. Our pediatrician was booked for the rest of the week, so our practitioner referred us to a different pediatrician, and was very insistent that we get him checked out as soon as possible. The night before his appointment, I Googled his symptoms and found some things I thought he could have, none of them life-threatening, most of which would take time to go away on their own. I didn’t stress or worry. I woke up Friday morning and was going to take Grayson to school for a little bit before his appointment. I got dressed and ready to leave, but when I went to get Grayson dressed, I was shocked and horrified by what I found! He was sitting straight up on our bed, absolutely covered in blood. I had no idea what had happened. After searching him, I discovered that the blood was coming from
large hematomas that covered We couldn’t have made it through the past the inside of his mouth. year without the love and support from our He had wiped his mouth family, friends, co-workers, and the 4K team with his hands, so there was blood everywhere. I got him at Arkansas Children’s Hospitals. The nurses cleaned up and dressed and on the 4K floor truly have a heart of gold and we headed out the door. Once treat these precious kiddos as their own. we were in the car, I called my mom at work and instantly started crying. I was us immediately. so scared for my baby boy because now I knew When he got what I had found on the Internet was not what there, the was wrong with him. We went to my mom’s office doctor told and I showed her Grayson’s mouth. We both knew us we needed to go home and pack up to head something wasn’t right. to Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock without delay. We did just that, with fear in our We went in to the new pediatrician’s office and hearts. filled out all the paperwork. They called us back and checked all of his vitals, as per usual. The We got on the road and headed to Arkansas doctor came in and wanted blood work done, so Children’s Hospital, with my parents and in-laws we went to the lab before heading back to the room following closely behind. I was so scared the whole to wait for the results. The doctor came back in and way there. When we finally got to the emergency told us his blood results were abnormal and that room in Little Rock, they tried to get an IV started, something was very, very wrong. I immediately but Grayson was completely traumatized after burst into tears. His white cell count was over being forcibly held down on the bed. His body 80,000 and his platelets were at 9,000. I called my was completely covered in the red pin dots, which husband and told him I needed him to come be with Turn the page ...
Grayson
Grayson
we learned are called petechiae, from his platelets being so low. The nurses came in to talk to us. They said our son was very sick, but they were going to start him on some medication immediately and we would be moved to the 4K Hematology/Oncology floor soon. March 6, 2014 is a day we will, sadly, never ever forget. We met with the oncologist and learned our precious boy had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia High-Risk. The oncologist talked to us for a few hours about all the medications and the treatment plan, and soon everything became a blur. All I wanted to do was go hold my son. I didn’t know what to do--all I knew was cancer had taken too many people from me, and it wasn’t going to take my baby! On Friday, March 7th, Grayson went into surgery to have a port placed in his chest and to get his first spinal tap. My heart was broken.
Grayson recovered from his surgery well, and our initial stay at the hospital lasted a week. We got to go home on Friday, March 14th. Before leaving, the discharge nurse met with us and gave us a long list of things to watch for and how to tell if it was
We know the road in front of us is still a long one, but with God on our side, we will beat this cancer! time to take him to the emergency room. All of the information frightened me to my core. I never thought I would be scared to take my child home, but I was terrified. We packed everything into the car and were on our way back. Grayson quickly fell asleep, and, as I looked back at our precious boy, my eyes filled with tears. My husband took my hand and reassured me that everything would be okay, and that we would fight this together. As we were going down the road, “God of Angel Armies” by Chris Tomlin came on the radio. My heart was instantly calmed as I listened to the words of this song: “Nothing formed against me shall stand. You hold the whole world in your hands. I’ll hold on to your promises. You are faithful, you are faithful!” Even in the midst of the storm, I could feel God right there with us. We got home and Grayson was so happy to see all of his toys and his bedroom again. His white blood cell count was still extremely low from the chemotherapy, so we were in isolation and stuck inside the house. Grayson had appointments in Little Rock every Tuesday to get chemo and spinal taps. We learned that, after only one week of treatments, our little hero was in remission! However, at the end of his first month of treatment, he developed a fever. We had to rush him to the emergency room, where we learned he was going to be transported to Little Rock by ambulance. We had a week-long stay in Little Rock because severe sores in his mouth were causing an infection. Grayson was in so much pain from the sores that we had to have him hooked up to a morphine pump just to control the pain. There is nothing
worse than having your 2-year-old in so much pain that doctors have to give him a pain pump filled with intense medication. All I wanted was to take his pain away. I felt helpless, but I knew these treatments were for the best. He fought the mouth sores off, and after a week was finally able to eat and be happy again. We have spent the majority of those eight long months of chemo in isolation due to Grayson’s low cell counts. We made a few trips to church and Nana and Papa’s house, but other than that we stayed home. We couldn’t chance Grayson getting sick and ending up back in the hospital. On September 3, 2015, Grayson became a big brother to Carson. It was a crazy time, as we weren’t able to get out much, but Grayson got to stay with his Nana and Papa while Mommy and Daddy were in the hospital. Grayson entered the “maintenance phase” in December 2014, which allowed him a little more freedom and fewer trips to Little Rock. He started his schooling again in March 2015 and has done amazing! His maintenance phase consists of weekly visits to Highlands Oncology for labs to check his counts and monthly visits to Little Rock for spinal tap and chemo, as well as daily medication. He is on a chemo pill every night, with seven extra chemo pills on Tuesdays. He takes antibiotics every weekend to prevent a lung infection from his other medications and he is on steroids five days out of the month. He takes it all like a champ! His maintenance phase will last 2 ½ years, ending in 2017, when he will finally be cured! We give all the praise and glory to God for getting us this far.
this battle. So many amazing little ones are being diagnosed with this terrible disease. We need to find a cure! Grayson has a Facebook page called “Prayers for Grayson.” At this point, we are praying that Grayson will continue to do well with his treatments and medications, and that we will never have to hear the word “relapse.” Your prayers are greatly appreciated.
We couldn’t have made it through the past year without the love and support from our family, friends, co-workers, and the 4K team at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. The nurses on the 4K floor truly have a heart of gold, and treat these precious kiddos as their own. Grayson’s Nana and Papa have also been a huge help. His Nana has not missed one appointment, and his Papa has made the trip to Little Rock numerous times as well. We couldn’t have made it without them, as Grayson’s daddy had to stay behind to work so we could pay our bills. We know the road in front of us is still a long one, but, with God on our side, we will beat this cancer! We have met so many amazing families from Northwest Arkansas while going through
www.peekaboonwa.com
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Surviving the Unimaginable to Thrive
The Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit at Northwest Health System Gives Patients Lives Back
W
hat happens after a patient’s stay at Northwest Health System’s Springdale hospital following a traumatic injury? After all, the patient may be stabilized, but not ready to go home and manage daily life on their own. The physicians and staff at Northwest Health System’s Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit (IRU) on the Springdale campus are committed to helping patients through the process of recovery and rehabilitation. The IRU was designed with the goal in mind of helping patients regain their independence so they can go home and back to their lives again. Northwest Health System’s Northwest Medical Center-Springdale has a comfortable 25-bed Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit that provides intensive therapy for hip fracture, joint replacement, brain injury, stroke and amputation patients, as well as those with complex medical conditions. A specialized team of physical, occupational, and speech therapists, physicians and nurses are engaged one-on-one, daily, with patients in our IRU. They understand how important it is to have local, specialized care for patients who have suffered a traumatic injury or illness and require care suited for this specific type of recovery. “Very few people have the kind of support at home that they get at our hospital,” said B.J. Deimel, MD, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation specialist and medical director of the unit. “At home it may be
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just one person, their spouse for example, but here they have an entire team to help them recover and regain their independence.” Ronald Duncan, 63, is a patient who shared his experience with us. Mr. Duncan was enjoying a meal out with his wife earlier this year when he noticed weakness on his left side. “It just felt like I had been drinking… and I never lost consciousness,” he said, but he knew something was wrong. EMS was called and, after being assessed, it was determined that Mr. Duncan had suffered a stroke. He had facial droop, weakness on his left side (both upper and lower extremities), lethargy and slurred speech. As a result of the stroke, he could no longer do the daily activities most of us take for granted, such as dressing himself, bathing, grooming, and walking. He also had limited cognitive, problem solving, memory and speech abilities. Mr. Duncan came to the IPU on the Springdale campus for his inpatient rehab therapy, where he received intensive one-on-one, skilled physical, occupational and speech therapy. He had specially trained rehabilitation nurses and his care was coordinated by a rehabilitation physician. “Everyone there was incredible,” he says. After two weeks on the Unit, Mr. Duncan was discharged and independent, with all facets of his daily living and cognition, and he was walking with a cane. “We have 15 full-time rehab therapists and together we create a tailored care plan for each patient,” Dr. Deimel said. “Each day a patient receives intensive,
functional, one-on-one rehab activity.” Felicia Gaither, 25, sustained a basal skull fracture from a fall from her bicycle in May of this year. “I was in a coma for three days and then in a medically induced coma for two weeks,” she explains. “I was told I would never walk or talk again”. Gaither was referred to Northwest Health System’s Springdale IRU after she was stabilized and no longer needed to be in the ICU. The injury to her brain left her paralyzed on her left side (she is left handed) and having difficulty with speech, swallowing and required tracheal ventilation and tube feedings. When she came to Northwest’s IPU, she required total assistance for all activities (feeding, grooming, dressing, using the bathroom) and was unable to walk or stand. She also had limited speech ability and was unable to problem solve or remember.
“We want people in our community to know that they don’t have to travel all the way to Little Rock to find the high level of quality care that we provide here” After a month of inpatient rehab, Ms. Gaither was able to perform all activities independently, walk, and had improved mental cognition and problem solving independence. She is now back to work and was able to watch her only child begin kindergarten this fall. “Whether you are young or old, you can do it, you can do better. I just kept a positive attitude,” she says. Both Duncan and Gaither noted their families were always invited and encouraged to participate in their rehabilitation while they were patients in the IRU. This positive attitude and family involvement help patients a great deal to successfully return home and independent living, according to Deimel. “Although patients may initially feel dejected and depressed at what may seem like insurmountable odds for rehabilitation after such severe circumstances,” Deimel said, “we show them there is a turn-around. We want people in our community to know that they don’t have to travel all the way to Little Rock to find the high level of quality care that we provide here.” Northwest Hospital System provides the necessary resources and specialized care needed to help patients who have sustained the unimaginable, and the team in the IPU help them transform into survivors who thrive.
For more information, call 800-734-2024 or visit NorthwestHealth.com
At a Glance
To advertise and become a part of the Peekaboo Family email : editor@peekaboonwa.com
ARTS and MUSIC
At a Glance
Crystal Bridges (Pg. 49) (479) 418-5700 crystalbridges.org NWA Suzuki (Pg. 15) nwasuzukischoolofmusic.com Trike Theatre (Pg. 39) (479) 464-5084 triketheatre.org Walton Arts Center (Pg. 62) waltonartscenter.org
BANKS
First Security (Pg. 42) www.fsbank.com; www.onlyinark.com
CHILDCARE/NANNY SERVICES
ABC Happy Kids Learning Academy (Pg. 47) (479) 202-5691 abchappykids.com Better Beginnings (Pg. 39, 75) (800) 445-3316 arbetterbeginnings.com Bright Haven (Pg. 39) (479) 717-2344 brighthavenshines.com Early Learning Academy (Pg. 48) www.wacd.net Gentry: (479) 736-9012 Rogers: (479) 899-6675 Springdale: (479) 717-2586 Mary’s Little Lambs Preschool (Pg. 69) (479) 273-1011
CHIROPRACTIC PHYSICIAN Morter Health Corner (Pg. 19)
(479) 636-1324
CLOTHING Belle Bouti que (Gift Guide)
shopbelleboutique.com Blue Moon (Pg. 23) shopbluemoon.com Anna Grace Formals (Pg. 53) annagraceformals.com
DANCE/CHEER/TUMBLE/STRETCH
The Little Gym (Pg. 25) (479) 636-5566
DENTIST
Dr. Nick DDS (Pg. 17) (479) 876-8000 DrNickDDS.com Smile Shoppe Pediatric Dentistry (Pg. 79) (479) 631-6377
DERMATOLOGY / SKIN CARE
Advanced Dermatology / Skin Care Center (479) 268-3555 (Pg. 53) Lips & Lines (Pg. 29) (479) 330-1201 NWA Center for Plastic Surgery (Pg. 2) (479) 571-3100 nwacenterforplasticsurgery.com spa810 www.spa810.com (Pg. 51) (479) 877-7041 (479) 439-6027
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EDUCATION/TRAINING
The Elizabeth Richardson Center (Pg. 41) (479) 441-4420 (Fayetteville) The New School (Pg. 11) thenewschool.org Ozark Education, Inc. (Pg. 78) ozarkcca.org
FAMILY FUN / ENTERTAINMENT
Crystal Bridges (Pg. 49) (479) 418-5700 Farmland Adventures (Pg. 35) (479) 799-5033 farmlandadventures.com Fast Lane Entertainment (Pg. 33) (479) 659-0999 www.fastlanebowl.com Imagine Adventure World (Pg. 52) imagineadventureworld.com Little Giggles (Pg. 45) (479) 268-4949 Ozark Natural Science Centter (Pg. 18) (479) 202-8340 onsc.us Princess Party Palace NWA (Pg. 26) princesspartypalacenwa.com Rogers Activity Center (Pg. 63) (479) 631-0336 Starlight Skatium (Pg. 65) (479) 444-STAR Super Science (Pg. 47) (479) 444-0303 www.super-sci.com Trike Theatre (Pg. 39) (479) 464-5084 www.triketheatre.org Walton Arts Center (Pg. 62) waltonartscenter.org
FITNESS
FreeRide Studio (Pg. 45) (479) 802-6245
FOOD / DRINK
iDK Cafe (Pg. 32) www.idkcafe.com TCBY (Pg. 3) (479) 636-8229 (TCBY)
HAIRCUT / SALON Pigtails & Crewcuts (Pg. 8)
(479) 935-4121
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Northwest Primary Care of Springdale (Pg. 13) nw-physicians.com Tate HealthCare (Pg. 36, 77) (479) 271-6511 www.tatehealthcare.com
HOUSE / HOME / PLAYGROUND Natural State Treehouses (Pg. 74)
(479) 387-0701
JEWELRY AND GIFTS
Avenue Design Company (Pg. 71) (417) 343-5522
David Adams (Pg. 57) davidadams.com
LEARNING CENTER
ABC Happy Kids Learning Academy (Pg. 47) (479) 621-6126 www.abchappykids.com The Elizabeth Richardson Center (Pg. 41) (479) 441-4420 (Fayetteville) Peace Kids (Pg. 56) (479) 621-5683 (LOVE)
MARTIAL ARTS ATA (Pg. 20)
Bentonville: (479) 273-1212 Fayetteville: (479) 443-5425
OPTOMETRIST
Pediatric Vision Development Center (Pg. 70) nwavisiontherapy.com (479) 795-1411
PEDIATRICIAN
Best Start Pediatric Clinic (Pg. 31) (479) 575-9359 Bentonville Pediatric Clinic (Pg. 4) (479) 273-5437 The Children’s Clinic at Springdale (Pg. 9) (479) 751-2522 NWA Pediatric Clinic (Pg. 21) (479) 443-3471
PLASTIC SURGEON
NWA Center for Plastic Surgery (Pg. 2) (479) 571-3100 www.nwacenterforplasticsurgery.com
PRESCHOOL/ PRE-K
ABC Happy Kids Learning Academy (Pg. 47) (479) 621-6126 www.abchappykids.com The Elizabeth Richardson Center (Pg. 41) (479) 443-4420 (Fayetteville) ABC Happy Kids Learning Academy (Pg. 47) (479) 202-5691 abchappykids.com Better Beginnings (Pg. 39, 75) (800) 445-3316 arbetterbeginnings.com Bright Haven (Pg. 39) (479) 717-2344 brighthavenshines.com Early Learning Academy (Pg. 48) www.wacd.net Gentry: (479) 736-9012 Rogers: (479) 899-6675 Springdale: (479) 717-2586 Mary’s Little Lambs Preschool (Pg. 69) (479) 273-1011 Friendship Pediatric Services (Pg. 12) Lowell: (479) 770-0744 Siloam Springs: (479) 524-2465 West Fork: (479) 839-3359 Mary’s Little Lambs (Pg. 69) (479) 273-1011 The New School (Pg. 11) thenewschool.org Peace Kids (Pg. 56) (479) 621-5683
THERAPY
ABC Happy Kids Learning Academy (Pg. 47) (479) 621-6126 www.abchappykids.com Children’s Therapy T.E.A.M (Pg. 66-67) www.childrenstherapyteam.com The Elizabeth Richardson Center (Pg. 41) (479) 443-4420 (Fayetteville) Friendship Pediatric Services (Pg. 12) Lowell: (479) 770-0744 Siloam Springs: (479) 524-2465 West Fork: (479) 839-3359 Tate HealthCare (Pg. 36, 77) (479) 271-6511
TOYS
Dilly Dally’s (Pg. 73) www.dillydallys.com Learning Oasis: Toy Zone (Pg. 65) (479) 521-1915
WOMEN’S HEALTH
Birth Center NWA (Pg. 40) (479) 372-4560 bcnwa.com Lifespring Women’s Health (Pg. 29) (479) 271-0005 lifespringhealthcare.com Northwest Primary Care of Springdale (Pg. 13) (479) 927-2100 Northwest Women’s Health Associates (Pg. 7) (479) 503-2525 Parkhill Clinic for Women (Pg. 37) (479) 521-4433 Siloam Springs Women’s Center (Pg. 55) (479) 524-9312 siloamwomenscenter.com Willow Creek Hospital (Pg. 5, 21) (479) 757-3000