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St. Ann Center’s quarterly newsletter, Season’s of Life

Special Issue 2020 Newsletter Cover Story

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Kayla Beats the Odds

If you want to know where the action is at St. Ann Center’s Young Adult Unit, just look for Kayla Prink. The 4-foot-tall, 60-pound bundle of energy has a passion for dancing that has earned her the nickname Twinkle Toes around the Bucyrus Campus, where she’s a client.

Kayla, 26, was the focus of life-or-death attention on the day she was born, three months early, in the middle of respiratory andcongestive heart failure. “The doctors didn’tknow if she would make it through the night,” her mom, Renee, recalled, describing how she and husband Jim kept a vigil in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. A week later, a geneticist determined Kayla was among the one in 10,000 infants born with Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS), a rare genetic disorder that can lead to a variety of physical, cognitive and medical abnormalities.
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October-December 2019 Newsletter Cover Story

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Remember moving out on your own for the first time?

Your support gives St. Ann Center clients that same exciting feeling of independence. Just ask Sarah Lapre.

“Some days, I hardly think about having cerebral palsy,” said the self-assured 33-year-old. Born with CP, she’s used a wheelchair for most of her life.

“I just tell myself I’m not letting anything that’s going on with my body get me down. I won’t let anything beat me.”

That hasn’t always been easy. For a time, before coming to St. Ann Center, Sarah did piecework in a vocational training program. The stress was physically taxing. “Around that time, my sister brought my niece and nephew to St. Ann Center for swimming lessons,” she said. “She took one step in the door and called to tell me, ‘You have to come here!’”

In the three years that she’s been a client at the Stein Campus, Sarah has participated in the center’s swimming, ceramics, jewelry-making and art programs and used massage services, as well. But one of the things she values most about her time at St. Ann Center is the confidence it’s given her.

“Here, people let me do what I need to do, handle what I can handle, and trust that if I need help, I’ll ask,” she said. “That freedom has shown me how to be more independent.” Sarah demonstrated just how capable she is a year ago, when she moved into her own apartment. “That was a huge step for me and my family,” she added.

The godmother of her young niece and nephew, Sarah enjoys the intergenerational environment at St. Ann Center. “When the kids ask about my chair, I just explain that, for me, the wheelchair is like my legs,” Sarah said. “There’s no need to be shy around me.”

Not one to shy away from anything, Sarah recently went zip-lining while on vacation and loved it. “I’ll try anything once,” she said, revealing her next extreme sport dream, “I really want to try bungee jumping.”

 

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July-September 2019 Newsletter Cover Story

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Because of you, our generous donors, 60 adults are enjoying the new Dementia Care Wing at our Bucyrus Campus. You are changing lives in amazing ways!

In a sunny corner of the Dementia Care Wing, four areas called “life skills stations,” are set up with props to look like settings people might have spent time during their younger days. The environment encourages them to reminisce about life experiences from their past and stay engaged mentally and physically.

The stations–an old-fashioned kitchen, sewing nook, workbench and nursery–are the creation of St. Ann Center supporters Leigh Peterson and Patt Krejci. “I spent days on the Internet, searching websites, eBay and Craigslist for antiques,” said Patt, an interior designer. “We were looking for things from our parents’ era. Leigh and I love a challenge.”

Using Leigh’s truck as a moving van, the friends scoured antique stores, estate sales and resale shops for everything from vintage metal kitchen furniture to a century-old wooden baby crib. The stations were funded by the Peterson Family Foundation. “Putting the stations together was so much fun,” Leigh said. “But the best part was watching how people interact with them.”

One day, when the women were working on the stations, the staff brought a few clients to the area. “A lady named Jane picked up a baby doll in the nursery and cradled it,” Patt remembered. “I asked her if she’d like to take it for a ride in the buggy, and she did. You could tell she was connecting to special memories.” Both Leigh and Patt considered the project a labor of love. Leigh’s aunt had dementia and was a client at St. Ann Center’s Stein Campus, and Patt’s mother died from complications of Alzheimer’s disease.

When the life skills stations were finished, Leigh and Patt were just beginning. They went on to decorate all nine bedrooms in the Bucyrus Campus’ new overnight respite. “It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to help in this way,” Patt said. “This facility and what’s happening here takes my breath away.”

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January-March 2019 Newsletter Cover Story

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Testing relish are Trealaand Rosser, Minnie Henry and volunteer Michelle Woodard

When Michelle Woodard’s sons complained about the same-old meals, she knew where to go for inspiration. “St. Ann Center is filled with excellent cooks,” said Michelle, a volunteer at the Bucyrus Campus. “I asked clients for their favorite recipes, and before I knew it, I had enough for a cookbook.”

With help from fellow volunteers Nancy McCray and Martha Kelly, Michelle put together “Old Fashioned Recipes from Famous St. Ann Center Cooks.” She explained, Read more

Oct-Dec 2018 Newsletter Feature

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A Family Affair

Like a lot of sisters, Sandy Szopinski and Ellen Cook look forward to spending time together. In fact, they have a standing lunch date every Tuesday at St. Ann Center, and their mutual BFF (best furry friend) joins them.
Sandy, a client at the Stein Campus for the past four years, breezes from one activity to another in her power wheelchair. “She’s involved in so many great programs at St. Ann Center,” Ellen, a professional photographer, said. “I wanted to find a way my dog, Sofie, and I could help out here.” Ellen registered her charismatic Bearded Collie as a St. Ann Center pet volunteer, and Sofie instantly became a shaggy celebrity.

In exchange for treats, she will speak, give high fives and snuggle. “One young client was having a difficult day, so I lifted Sofie up so he could pet her,” Ellen recalled. “He immediately relaxed.”

“Sandy is happy that her family has become such a fun part of her life at St. Ann Center.” – Ellen Cook

Although having cerebral palsy can make things difficult, she said, “I feel at home here.” Living in a senior apartment complex just blocks from the Stein Campus, Sandy takes a van to the center five days a week. “I look forward to the whirlpool baths and massages,” she said. She gets haircuts and manicures at the center’s beauty salon and enjoys making jewelry and ceramic pieces.

Recently, Sandy had her first appointment at the Gardetto Family Community Dental Clinic at St. Ann Center’s Bucyrus Campus. “The staff was nice and very respectful,” she said. Ellen added, “There are few options for someone with CP and other disabilities to receive dental care.”

St. Ann Center allow Sandy to live independently with dignity as she ages. Ellen said. “It’s a place where she is well cared for–where she can socialize and do things she enjoys with people she likes.”I’m thrilled Sofie and I can be part of this experience.”

Sandy and Ellen’s story is just one example of how your connection to St. Ann Center helps enhance the lives of people of all ages and abilities. In the October-December issue of Seasons of Life, you will find more stories of the difference generous people like you are making at St. Ann Center every day.

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