The Mesa Tribune - Zone 1 - 11.14.2021

Page 17

COMMUNITY

THE MESA TRIBUNE | NOVEMBER 14, 2021

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Alzheimers no barrier to artist at Mesa center BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA Tribune Contributor

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ob Steffen didn’t put a paint brush to canvas until he was 78, thanks to a painting class at Oakwood Creative Care’s Town Center Day Club in Mesa. Steffen, who retired in 2007 as a building manager for Kyrene School District, was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment in 2006. Ten years later, the diagnosis was mild Alzheimers. His wife, Laura Clarke-Steffen, an R.N. at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, researched various adult day care within the metropolitan area and found Oakwood Creative Care a welcome alternative to many others. “At other places, he would have been one of the highest functioning persons there,” she said. “I liked the Oakwood program because it was more like a club and had members with classes and activities and less of a daycare situation.” Bob laughs as he recalls her attempts to get him to Oakwood Creative Care, which he now attends twice a week. “When I first went, I did not want to go

a try,” he recalled. One of the first classes Steffen tried was open studio painting with teacher Nikki McIntyre. “I wasn’t sure I wanted to even try, but Nikki put down a maple leaf beside me and said, ‘let’s just see the best you can do.’ Well, it came out looking something like a maple leaf, and I remember when I drew it, she picked it up and showed it to the teacher in the other art room.” That affirmation set Steffen on his way. He now has completed at least 15 canvases. McIntyre, who received a BA degree in fine arts at California University in Pennsylvania and is pursuing her master’s, recalled Steffen’s first day as well. At 80 years of age, Bob Steffen has developed his paint“The first art class that Bobo ing skills, which he picked up only two years ago at Oak- (Bob Steffen’s nickname) atwood Creative Care in Mesa. (Special to Tribune) tended was in my classroom at all, but my wife said try it for six weeks where everyone was listening to music and if you don’t like it, we’ll find some- and drawing leaves from life. Through thing else, so finally I said, okay, I’ll give it guided instructions, he had sketched a

maple leaf and later added watercolor and it was absolutely incredible,” she said. “I was amazed he’d never dabbled in art before.” McIntyre, who has taught at Oakwood for three years, refers to the nonprofit as “a magical little treasure.” “Oakwood is a unique place where individuals with memory and cognitive impairment can flourish through creativity and express themselves through several different creative outlets. Their members learn to grow and flourish in ways they never thought possible, and have their own close-knit community that they can always count on,” she said. “I really appreciate Oakwood’s rare approach to individual member care. I’ve never seen another place like it, and I would like to see more places like this available across the country.” Oakwood Creative Care was founded as Sirrine Adult Day Health Services in 1975. In 2013 it changed both leadership and name, and the nonprofit now operates

see ARTIST page 18

How Phoenix Children’s Hospital helped EV baby BY CECILIA CHAN Tribune Staff Writer

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wenty weeks into her pregnancy, Laurelin Ottesen unexpectedly discovered during a routine scan that her fetus had spina bifida – a condition that develops when the spine and spinal cord don’t form properly. Spina bifida is the most common neural tube defect. Between 1,500 and 2,000 babies out of about 4 million births born with this disorder each year in the United States, according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders. “It was a lot of fear, a lot of the unknown, lot of anxiety and worry that it was my fault,” said Otteson, “and just kind of feeling we were thrown into deep waters and

I didn’t know anything about spina bifida at the time. “I’ve only heard the word once or twice before. So after we were diagnosed we were transferred to Phoenix Children’s Hospital where I got a fetal MRI that confirmed the diagnosis.” The medical staff discussed options with Ottesen and her husband, Jordan Ottesen. They could either have surgery performed in-utero to close the fetus’ back or wait and do the surgery after the baby was born. The couple weighed their options and chose in-utero surgery, which was supported by their neurosurgeon as well. The Gilbert couple and their oldest child, Benjamin, now 4, relocated for the surgery to the Children’s Hospital in Houston, Texas, staying at the Ronald McDonald House

in December 2019 for three months. The surgery was successful and daughter, Norah, was born at 37 weeks, according to Ottesen. After a four-day stay at the neonatal intensive care unit, Norah’s care was transferred back to PCH. “The transition was fairly seamless,” Ottesen said. “We love all of our experts at Phoenix Children’s. They were so good at supporting me as a parent and listening

see BABY page 18

Little Norah Otteson was diagnosed with spina bifida before she was born but thanks to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, the 18-monthold East Valley baby has a good shot at a normal life. (Special to the Tribune)


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