GOVERNMENT/POLITICS A4 | FEATURES A6 | YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS A8-9 | HEALTH & LIFESTYLES SECTION B
A great community newspaper.
bearden
VOL. 50, NO. 39
SEPTEMBER 26, 2011
INSIDE www.ShopperNewsNow.com
|
www.facebook.com/ShopperNewsNow
|
twitter.com/shoppernewsnow
Arrested in the pulpit
All hail the Queen!
Bearden High School’s 2011 Homecoming Queen, Cozette Garpard, right, enjoys Homecoming festivities with her court: Brittany Reeves, Sarah Wallace Ward, Lacy Tragessor, Sarah Hnilica, Caroline Williams, Caroline Poore, Madison Harmon and Sue-Yun Kim.
Wendy Smith writes on the colorful past of Knoxville’s First Presbyterian Church
Photo by Wendy Smith
See story on page A-6
After a rocky start at life, a West Knoxville toddler is
Making up for lost time Summer Boerger and her mother Laura play in their living room. The toddler is now thriving after a receiving a kidney donated by her father, Dan. Photo by Wendy Smith
By Wendy Smith
Did you know… Thomas Jefferson based some of his ideas on Islamic civilization, according to University of Richmond scholar Azizah al-Hibri? Find out more on Page A-3
FEATURED COLUMNIST BETTY BEAN
And the winner is … Bean has already declared the winner of the Knoxville mayor’s race See Bean’s column on page A-4
ONLINE
DO YOU
LIKE? TELL US! The Shopper-News is now on Facebook! Check us out for updates, photos and more! www.facebook.com/ ShopperNewsNow
10512 Lexington Dr., Ste. 500 37932 (865) 218-WEST (9378) news@ShopperNewsNow.com ads@ShopperNewsNow.com EDITOR Larry Van Guilder lvgknox@mindspring.com ADVERTISING SALES Darlene Hacker hackerd@ShopperNewsNow.com Shopper-News is a member of KNS Media Group, published weekly at 10512 Lexington Drive, Suite 500, Knoxville, and distributed to 24,267 homes in the Bearden and West high school zones.
Last week, 2-year-old Summer Boerger attended her first play group. She went to Gym Bugs with her mother, Laura, and the Moms and Tots group from All Saints Catholic Church. She frolicked and explored and behaved like any other toddler. It was nothing short of a miracle. After all, at the beginning of the year, Summer was just learning to roll over. She was two weeks old when Dan and Laura Boerger realized something was very wrong with their baby. She looked puffy, and after a few trips to the pediatrician, they were sent to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital for tests. The labs were “wonky,” says Laura, and Summer was immediately admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. While other doctors were vague, nephrologist Maricarmon Malagon-Rogers was not. She told the couple that things didn’t look good. Summer’s potassium was so high that she was at risk for cardiac arrest. “I don’t think Summer would’ve made it if it hadn’t been for her,” Laura says. The infant had her first of 13 surgeries that night – the installation of a dialysis catheter. She was diagnosed with Denys-Drash syndrome, a rare disorder that is characterized by cancerous tumors in the kidneys. She would eventually have both kidneys removed, and be kept alive through dialysis. Summer spent one month at ETCH, and another month at UT Hospital. When she finally came home, her young life was overshadowed by dialysis. For the first
month, she was treated at home. But that stopped working, so Laura took her to a dialysis center for treatments, which could take up to four hours. At one point she went six days a week. It was not a happy time. Summer was too sick to leave the house for
long, and because she was behind developmentally, it made Laura sad to be around other children her age. But the Boerger family had hope. If Summer could make it to her first birthday, she could receive a kidney transplant. Only an adult can do-
nate a live kidney, so her body had to big enough to accommodate a kidney from her enthusiastic donor – her father. Dan was excited about giving his daughter a kidney from the start. Both parents were tested, and Laura was slightly relieved that she had some fluid on one kidney that kept her from being a candidate. Dan passed his physical with flying colors and was approved. Last June, the family traveled to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for the transplant. Insurance required the trip, but the fact that Dan’s parents lived in Cincinnati made it a logical choice. Dan spent four days in the hospital. Summer stayed for more than a month. Once she received her new kidney, Summer’s development took off. She’s playful and outgoing, and a champ at communicating what she wants. She even has a fake cry that could win an Oscar. She will be on medication for the rest of her life, and her therapy appointments keep Laura hopping, but those challenges seem small compared to Summer’s first year of life. Laura says she is a different person now than before her daughter was born. She can’t put her finger on what’s changed, except that she and Dan are closer to their families than they were before. But as she watches Summer play on the living room floor, she sums up her feelings. “I never used to cry during movies. Now I cry all the time.”
Olympian gives students tips for success By Wendy Smith After four trips to the Olympics, track phenomenon Joetta Clark Diggs knows what it takes to be successful. You have to have a purpose, she told students who attended her keynote address during the UT College of Communication and Information’s second annual Diversity and Inclusion Week. She grew up in Maplewood, N.J. In 1980, she set a national high school record in the 800 meter run, and was the top college prospect, male or female, in any sport. She competed in the 1988, 1992, 1996
and 2000 Olympic Games, and was elected to the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2009. She graduated from UT with a degree in public relations. She admits that when she was a teenager she thought her purpose was to “tell people off.” As an adult, she’s learned to think before she speaks, and she uses that speaking ability to benefit others. Diggs is a Four-time Olympian Joetta Clark Diggs, second from right, was the keynote motivational author and speaker speaker at the UT College of Communication and Information’s Diversity and and runs a nonprofit that provides Inclusion Week. Sister-in-law Jearl Miles-Clark, brother J.J. Clark, and sister Ha- sports programs for kids. zel Clark-Riley also attended. Jearl and Hazel are both three-time Olympians, She gave her audience tips on how and all three women were coached by J.J., who is director of track and field at UT. Photo by Wendy Smith To page A-3
HAMMER
WASH ME!
WINDOW WASHING
Licensed •Insured • Guaranteed
584 5 84 8 4 -1840 hammerwindowwashing.com
Keep Your Memories SAFE! Preserve those old Pr reels, slides & vhs tapes today! Bring your VHS, slides, film and more into the digital age.
$12 VHS Transfers *5 tape minimum
Audio & Video Conversion
*Includes VHS, VHS-C, Hi8, Mini-DV. Not valid with any other offers or coupons. Expires 10/1/11 SN092611
686-5756
www.DigitizeItNow.com 12752 Kingston Pike, Renaissance Farragut, Ste 103, Bldg E