The Mirror’s VALUABLE TIPS TO HELP YOU ACHIEVE A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE

Guide To Good HealthMHS Student Receives Award From The American Heart Association

BY NANCY GAGNET MIRROR REPORTER

Katherine Williams loves

to dance.

The Maumee High School

freshman recently made the

high school dance team and

enjoys leaps, jumps, kicks and

turns to choreographed music.

“It’s a lot of fun to just

hang out with the team and

dance in front of a crowd,”

said Katherine.

She is also an avid

spokesperson for the

American Heart Association,

presenting information and

sharing her story with her

peers as well as adults at

school and community

events.

Katherine was born with a

congenital heart defect and

underwent three heart surger-

ies before she was 16 months

old. She underwent her fourth

open-heart surgery in 2018,

when she was in the seventh

grade.

For her work in speaking

on behalf of the American

Heart Association, Katherine

recently received the organiza-

tion’s National Youth

Leadership Award.

Tracy Ulrich-Shepard, the

youth market director with

the American Heart

Association, said that

Katherine is one of three stu-

dents in the country to earn

the award.

“The highlight of my

whole career has been meeting

Katherine,” Ulrich-Shepard

said.

The money raised through

the American Heart

Association supports the

research needed to help indi-

viduals with heart conditions

live longer, Ulrich-Shepard

explained.

“So, a lot of the research

we have done has been used to

help people like Katherine,”

she said.

Dr. Edward Bove and Dr.

Jennifer Christel Romano per-

formed Katherine’s surgeries

at C.S. Mott Children’s

Hospital. After one of the sur-

geries in 2007, her parents,

Dan and Ann Williams, were

told that when Katherine’s

next surgery would be needed,

the technology would be more

advanced and it could be done

through a heart catheter. Nine

years later, when her next sur-

gery was needed, Katherine

was physically bigger and she

ended up undergoing an open-

heart procedure, but Ann said

that the technology had

advanced to the level doctors

had predicted.

“It was almost eerie,” said

Ann. “There we were in 2018

and sure enough, the doctor

was spot-on. They had the

technology to do what they

would have needed to do

through a catheter.”

The Williams family, and

Katherine will continue to

support the American Heart

Association, and eventually,

Katherine will have to under-

go another procedure. In the

meantime, she will continue

dancing and doing other activ-

ities that typical teenagers

enjoy.

To her parents, Katherine

continues to be a shining

example of what can be,

thanks to advances in modern

medicine, dedicated medical

practitioners and organiza-

tions like the American Heart

Association.

“We didn’t know when she

was first born how she would

be, and now we see her as a

pillar of hope for other fami-

lies who have little ones,” said

Ann. “She’s older and look

how far she is coming. To me,

I see her as a sign of hope and

she has a nice platform to

speak to people.”

Katherine Williams poses with her parents, Ann and Dan Williams, and Tracy Ulrich-Shepard of the American Heart Association. Katherine received a national award in youth leadership for her work in talking to peers and adults in school and in the com-munity on behalf of the organization. MIRROR PHOTO BY NANCY GAGNET

Katherine Williams is happy to be dancing on the Maumee High School dance team. The freshman began dancing a few years ago and danced on a team at Gateway Middle School, as well. Her participation in dance is inspiring, considering that Katherine was born with a congenital heart defect and underwent three open-heart surgeries before she was 16 months old and a fourth heart surgery when she was in the seventh grade.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ELAINE NICKOLI

Page 8-F THE MIRROR October 22, 2020

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ProMedica officials (from left) Jake Josiat, Kevin Webb and Dawn Buskey placed shovels in the ground for a ceremonial turning of dirt to signal the beginning of the construction process for a new freestanding emergency department facility. The proj-ect is expected to bring 24 new jobs to Maumee.

ProMedica Breaks Ground On A New Emergency Care Facility In Maumee BY NANCY GAGNET

MIRROR REPORTER

Officials from ProMedica

broke ground last week on a

new building designed to

provide emergency services.

The new building, a free-

standing emergency depart-

ment facility, will be con-

structed at 1075 Medical

Center Pkwy., which is

located in the new Side Cut

Crossings development

along the Anthony Wayne

Trail in Maumee.

The facility will serve as a

combination of an emer-

gency room and urgent care

facility. It will bring 24 new

jobs to Maumee. The

11,000-square-foot facility

will also have CT, X-ray and

lab services available to

patients on-site.

On October 14,

ProMedica officials Dawn

Buskey, president of the

metro region; Kevin Webb,

president of clinical servic-

es; and Jake Josiat, vice pres-

ident of construction,

placed shovels in the ground

for a ceremonial turning of

dirt to signal the beginning

of the construction process.

It is the second emer-

gency room location for

ProMedica Toledo Hospital,

said Webb.

“So we are now able to

bring the services of the

only local hospital ranked

in the top 50 in the country

to the Maumee area,” he

said.

The Maumee area was

selected because of its prox-

imity to the I-475 highway

and its availability to patients

already utilizing ProMedica

services, Buskey said.

“This is a convenient

location, and this new facil-

ity is a hybrid, one that we

don’t have in the communi-

ty,” she said.

From a consumer per-

spective, the facility offers

the right type of care at the

best possible cost and physi-

cians will also staff the facil-

ity 24/7 to administer to

any type of medical situa-

tion, she added.

“We are very proud to be

able to offer this in the

growing community,”

Buskey said.

Lathrop will serve as the

contractor for the facility,

which is expected to open

next fall.

(From left) Jake Josiat, Kevin Webb and Dawn Buskey discuss the new ProMedica facility, which will provide a combination of emergency room and urgent care services to individuals in Maumee. Physicians will staff the facility around the clock.

MIRROR PHOTOS BY NANCY GAGNET

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October 22, 2020 THE MIRROR Page 9-F

Gidion’s Knot Opens Conversation About Suicide And Mental HealthSuicide, parenthood, bul-

lying, mental health and

guns are among the heavy

topics woven into Gidion’s

Knot, a play written by

Johnna Adams.

Over the course of a par-

ent/teacher conference, a

grieving mother and an emo-

tionally overwhelmed school

teacher have a fraught con-

versation about the tragic

suicide of the mother’s son,

the teacher’s student,

Gidion. The boy may have

been bullied severely – or he

may have been an abuser. As

his story is slowly uncovered,

his mother and teacher try to

reconstruct a satisfying

explanation for Gidion’s act

and come to terms with

excruciating feelings of cul-

pability.

TBD, a new community

theater company in the

Toledo area, will present

Gidion’s Knot on Thursday

through Sunday, November

5-8 at 2600 Copland Blvd.

(the former Zion United

Methodist Church) in

Toledo.

The theme of Adams’

play is disturbing and the

content will put knots in the

stomach of some audience

members, but the story cre-

ates the space to have a

much-needed conversation

about suicide, said Annelise

Clifton, who portrays the

mother in the play.

That’s why the play will

be followed by a conversa-

tion with the audience and

the actors, including Matt

Zwyer as the teacher. In the

“talkback,” the cast gets to

find out directly what the

audience thought of the

show and what material res-

onated. More importantly, it

gives the audience members

an opportunity to consider

the context of what they

have just seen on stage.

“If you’re doing a play

about parenting, bullying

and suicide, you’re engaging

people’s emotions on the

most basic level. A talkback

is an opportunity for people

to process those emotions,”

Clifton said.

“We not only want to

engage the audience with the

work, but want theatergoers

to engage with each other. A

talkback is an opportunity

where people can hear some-

one else and maybe say,

‘That person had an experi-

ence that resonates with me,

so maybe I can have a con-

versation with them,’”

Clifton said.

On stage, Clifton and

Zwyer portray two adults

engaged in a battle of wills

and personalities. These vet-

eran actors rise to the occa-

sion.

Zwyer has acted in, direct-

ed and produced over 100

shows for local community

theater companies, including

Waterville Playshop, Black

Swamp, Archbold, Staged

Right, Orphan, Cutting Edge

and Broadway Confidential.

Some of his favorite roles

include Laurie in Little

Women, Jinx in Forever Plaid

and Man 1 in I Love You,

You’re Perfect, Now Change.

Clifton moved to

Northwest Ohio from

Louisiana in 2019 and quick-

ly found a home in Toledo’s

welcoming world of commu-

nity theater. She was Woman

in Chair (Narrator) in the

Black Swamp Players’ pro-

duction of The Drowsy

Chaperone. Clifton also

played Morticia in

Waterville Playshop’s pro-

duction of The Addams

Family and most recently was

featured in Broadway

Inspirations: Lessons for Living

in a Covid-19 World, a virtual

cabaret. Other selected the-

ater credits include To Kill a

Mockingbird (Miss Maudie),

A Christmas Carol (Mrs.

Cratchit) and Sister Act

(ensemble).

The play is directed by

Dr. Heath Diehl, a professor

at Bowling Green State

University and president of

the board for the Black

Swamp Players. Diehl’s pre-

vious director roles include

Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple

and The Drowsy Chaperone,

both for BSP.

Gidion’s Knot is produced

by special arrangement with

Dramatists Play Service Inc.

Shows will be performed

on Thursday through

Saturday, November 5-7 at

7:30 p.m. and on Sunday,

November 8 at 2:30 p.m.

Seating will be limited to 30

for each performance to

allow for physical distancing.

For tickets, go to:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e /g id ions-knot - t i cke t s -124857523213 or e-mail:

tbd.ticketoffice@gmail.com.

TBD Productions is a new

theater company. The name

of the company actually

comes from scripture: 1 John

3:2 says, “Friends, we are

children of God. What we

will become has yet to be

determined (TBD), but we

know that when we see

Christ, we will be like Him,

for we will see Him as He is.”

Annelise Clifton and Matt Zwyer will present Gidion’s Knot, a play about suicide, parenthood, school, bullying and mental health, on November 5-8 at 2600 Copland Blvd. in Toledo, the former Zion United Methodist Church.

MIRROR PHOTO BY KAREN GERHARDINGER

St. Luke’s Announces Virtual Health Programs

McLaren St. Luke’s will host a variety of virtual health pro-

grams this fall as well as a drug take-back on National

Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, October 24.

Upcoming topics include:

National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, Saturday,

October 24 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. In front of SurgiCare;

use driveway No. 3, 5901 Monclova Rd., Monclova. Bring

your expired or unused medicines to this collection site.

Prescription, over-the-counter and pet medications; vitamins;

inhalers; ointments/lotions; liquid medications; sharps and

narcotics will be accepted.

For more information about the safe disposal of medica-

tion or future National Prescription Drug Take-Back Days,

visit www.dea.gov.

Physical Fitness & Home Exercises During COVID,

Tuesday, November 3 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., presented virtually

by David Vernier, physical therapist with McLaren St. Luke’s

Rehabilitation Services. To register, please e-mail Kelle Pack at

kelle.pack@stlukeshospital.com or call (419) 897-8484.

Alternative Therapies to Pain Management, Tuesday,

November 17 from noon to 1:00 p.m., presented virtually by Dr.

Joseph King of McLaren St. Luke’s Family Medicine

Residency. To register, please e-mail Kelle Pack at

kelle.pack@stlukeshospital.com or call (419) 897-8484.

GriefShare Virtual Meetings Announced

The Monclova Road Baptist Church GriefShare ministry

support group will start a new series of weekly meetings

online on Mondays, at 8:00 p.m. through December 7.

The ministry is for those who are grieving the loss of a

family member or friend. There is no time limit on how long

ago your loved one may have passed. All are welcome.

GriefShare is a nondenominational group that features

biblical teaching on grief and recovery topics. Each week is a

different topic and anyone may join the group at any time

during the 13-week program. To preregister or for more infor-

mation, call (419) 346-6991.

Hospice Offers Help For Health Care Directives

Hospice of Northwest Ohio provides free, guided conver-

sations by trained facilitators to assist in the completion of

advance health care directives. Through a series of questions,

these conversations consider cultural, spiritual and religious

beliefs in completing written advance directives including

Living Wills and selecting a health care power of attorney.

All adults, whether healthy or coping with a serious illness,

should think about, discuss and document their health care

wishes. It is important to make wishes known upfront about

any future medical treatment, in the event a person cannot

express them themselves. These conversations have never been

so important and at the forefront of everyone’s mind as dur-

ing the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hospice of Northwest Ohio offers this service free of

charge to anyone in the community. Advance Care Plans are

legal documents that can be created without the assistance of

a lawyer. Health care decision conversations can be done in

person or via phone or video chat. Set up an appointment by

calling (419) 931-5423 or e-mailing acp@sinceracare.org.

Learn more about advance directives at

www.hospicenwo.org/patient-care/advance-care-planning.

COVID-19 Hotline Answered By Area Nurses

Mercy Health and ProMedica are operating Nurse

COVID-19 hotlines to answer medical questions related to

the virus from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday,

in cooperation with the Northwest Ohio Healthcare

Emergency Management Coalition and the Lucas County

Emergency Operations Center.

The hotline phone numbers are (419) 251-4000 (English

only) and (419) 291-5355 (multilingual). After-hours and

weekend callers may leave a message, and their calls will be

returned on the next business day.

The Ohio Department of Health also operates a COVID-

19 hotline. That number is (833) 4-ASK-ODH.

Hospice Offers Virtual Support/Online Resources

Due to the COVID-19 emergency, Hospice of Northwest

Ohio is now offering the following virtual and online

resources free and open to anyone in the community.

Bereavement Services – Virtual bereavement groups and

private counseling sessions are available to anyone in the

community who is grieving the loss of a loved one.

Contact the hospice bereavement team at (419) 661-4001

to schedule a time for a virtual assessment, which will help

determine which group would be most beneficial to you. This

will be a time for you to share your story and hear about the

bereavement services available at this time.

Caregiver Video Support Series – An educational, easy-

to-access series for caregivers who aren’t able to follow a

schedule or leave home. Each video is less than 10 minutes

and is appropriate for professional and family caregivers.

Topics include Stress Management, Advance Care

Planning, Busting the Myths of Hospice and Opioids for

Shortness of Breath. Request additional topics by e-mailing

schambers@hospicenwo.org.

Access videos at www.hospicenwo.org/family-support/care-

giverassistance-videos.

Chaplain Chatline – During this challenging time, hos-

pice chaplains are available by phone if you have something

on your mind and would like to talk or pray. All phone calls

are confidential. Please leave a voicemail message if the call is

not answered – include callback number – and a chaplain will

return the call the next business day.

The Chaplain Chatline number is (567) 331-2309.

To learn more about Hospice of Northwest Ohio, visit

www.hospicenwo.org.

Double ARC Offers Online Parent Support Group

Double ARC Center for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

(FASD) and A Renewed Mind offer an online parent support

group for parents and guardians of children with FASD. It

meets on the second Tuesday of each month from 7:00 to 8:00

p.m. and on the fourth Monday of each month from 10:30 to

11:30 a.m.

The free support group is facilitated by FASD specialists to

give parents time to vent about the trials and tribulations of

raising a child affected by prenatal alcohol exposure and to

give them strategies to cope with different situations.

Parents can join the meeting online from a desktop, lap-

top, tablet or smartphone; or join with a phone call. Visit

www.doublearc.org to sign up and for more information.

Readers interested in submitting items to this column may do so

by sending an e-mail to info@themirrornewspaper.com or by

sending a typed press release to The Mirror, 113 W. Wayne St.,

Maumee, Ohio 43537. Deadlines are at 5:00 p.m. on each Thursday

prior to the following Thursday’s publication. All items will be used

solely at the editor’s discretion.

Page 10-F THE MIRROR October 22, 2020

Coming Soon!Publication Date:

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