Kendi, Taylor and Baby Boy Beau

Only six of our 21 "grands" are boys (Zachary, Kaler, Kole, Kyle, Joshua and now Zion) ... but all 6 of our "greats" are boys (Daxton, Bentley, Nash, Memo, Cruz and now Beau).

Beau Taylor Dunkley, firstborn child of Kendi Hansen and Taylor Dunkley, was born at 6:30 p.m. on September 1, 2021.  He weighed in at 7 lbs. 8 oz.

When just 8 days old, she strapped him into his swing, and walked down the hall to her bedroom to change her shirt but felt impressed her baby was in trouble.  Returning to the living room, she found their very big dog Ralph with the baby's head in his mouth.  Luckily, because he was strapped in, the dog was not able to pull him out of the swing, which may have saved his teeny, tiny new life.  

She rushed baby Beau to the hospital emergency room where he was examined and declared OK aside from tooth marks resulting in blood and a little bruising, but, for sure Beau's Momma and Daddy are going to need a few days to recover.

And, no, the dog no longer lives with the family!

Stephanie Lovell is a CPA

 We are so proud of Stephanie Shipley Lovell, a wife, mother and now also a Certified Public Accountant working for a couple of years in the accounting department at Domo, Inc., a cloud software company based in American Fork, UT.  Domos specializes in business intelligence tools and data visualization.  

It’s been a long road to her goal but she has just received word and it’s official!  To reach this milestone, the State of Utah (the certifying agency) required her to get her education in the state.  She is a BYU graduate with a degree in accounting.  She was also required to take Utah’s uniform CPA exam; get the necessary experience in the Beehive State; get the Utah CPA license; and, now she will be required to maintain her license through continuing education studies.

 

Simeon’s Mrs. and Sydney’s momma has now made her own mark in the world and she’s going to continue to achieve because … well, that’s just the kind of woman she is.  We are pleased to call her one of our own.

Circuit Vacation: Day 7-16

The next stop on our Circuit Vacation was Seattle, where we spent two nights with my brother (and only sibling) Larry Henion in his one-bedroom, one-bathroom condo where we got to know his three cats – Roscoe, Grady and 6-month-old Theo.  While in this bustling city, we enjoyed seafood, family stories, ice cream and watching a couple of hours of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.  We also enjoyed a self-guided tour of the Kobota Gardens (aka the Seattle Japanese Garden), “a tranquil sanctuary” with winding paths and benches and open to the public since 1960.  

 

My dad was one of 8 children born to my grandparents Harry and Else Werner Henion.  At one time, I had 17 living cousins but today only 8 remain … of which 5 were around the table at the very expensive Duke’s restaurant in Tacoma, WA.  Those in attendance were Don Wheeler (whose brother Ken passed since our last cousins’ reunion), Clifford Elford, Coyia Keables and my brother Larry and me.  My cousin Barbara Elford Larsen’s daughter Caren was also with us, as were her husband Ron, their son Corbin and their granddaughter.  We talked, shared stories and got caught up over a lovely three-hour lunch.  What surprised me was how little most of them knew about the Henion side of their DNA.  Some of them asked me to share my Henion family information … and Coyia asked if I wanted some of the large photos she has of our grandparents and other relatives!  Well, YES!!!

 

SIDENOTE:  In conversation with my cousins, the topic of another reunion came up.  Those who attended the one in St. George called it one of their favorites.  However, my oldest cousin Don Wheeler (he’s 90) only remembered Kris and Stacy “fought the whole time.”

 

From Tacoma, we made a little side trip to Dallas, OR (inland about 60 miles from Portland) for an overnight stay with my cousin Judy Rickards McAlpine (one of only 5 cousins on my mother’s side, including Judy’s sister Janee and my uncle Bill’s kids – Jamie, Julie and Billy [deceased]).  It was a short but pleasant visit punctuated by dinner at a nearby Mexican restaurant – one of her favorite places because they allow her to bring her two miniature poodle “service dogs” Pandora and Paris. 

 

SIDENOTE:  Judy is the oldest daughter of my mother’s sister Mickie but my mother considered Judy the daughter she never had.  Like my mother, Judy loves glitz, glamour and bling while I am a work horse who is not afraid to get my hands dirty. I don’t spend a lot of time stressing over who my mother wanted me to be because I am confident in who I am.  While my relationship with my mother affected me, it did not define me!!!

 

AND FROM THE “6 DEGREES OF SEPARATION” DEPARTMENT:  My cousin Judy mentioned one of her good friends in Dallas, OR had recently returned from St. George where she attended the funeral of her brother who had died from cancer.  It turns out, Judy’s friend Jan Halter is the sister of Dean Cox, our recently deceased Washington County Commissioner and a longtime member of St. George Rotary Club.

 

My goals for our 2^nd circuit vacation were to “escape Rotary" which totally consumed me throughout our long and challenging COVID year as Utah Rotary District Governor and to see friends and family we haven’t seen in several years.  Ed’s goal was to take lots of photos of every stretch of seacoast, every rocky landscape and every stand of trees. 

 

After achieving my goals, Ed wanted to just take our time traveling from my cousin Judy’s place in Dallas, OR to Charlene’s home in Coarsegold, CA – a distance of about 725 miles – so we took a scenic byway, a mostly 2-lane road, also known as Redwood Highway or U.S. Highway 101 which winds its way along the sandy seashore and through lush forests, including the Trees of Mystery, considered the very heart of Redwood National and State Parks.  Unfortunately, as we poked along, we failed to factor in two hour-long delays caused when road crews closed one of the two lanes for extensive road repair.

SIDENOTE:  On March 27, 1964, Alaska experienced an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.2, generating a tsunami which, 5 hours later took 11 lives and destroyed nearly all of Crescent City, CA a small town on the Redwood Highway along the California coastline.  As we traveled on July 28, 2021, we were aware of being at sea level while also noting “Tsunami Hazard Zone” signs every couple of miles.  On July 29, as we prepared to leave our motel in Ukiah, CA for the open road, the Today Show announced an 8.4 magnitude earthquake in Alaska and warned of the possibility of a tsunami along the California coastline we were traveling.  Yikes!

 

We had planned to spend two nights with Charlene, but it turned out she was dog sitting for Tiffany and Bob who had taken some time off with their kids before Josh leaves for Fukuoka, Japan (where Todd lives) on a full-time Church mission. She had left her front door unlocked so we could get in, but a few minutes after we arrived, she showed up.  We spent the evening getting caught up with our favorite sister-in-law.   The next morning, we headed home to pick up 17 days of mail, get reacquainted with our St. George kids, watch some of the 50+ hours of our favorite (mindless) TV shows saved in our queue and snuggle with our cat, Charles.  It took us 12 hours from Fresno to St. George … and 3 days to recuperate!

 

Another Circuit Vacation - Days 1-6

As my year as Utah Rotary District Governor was nearing its end, we decided we needed to do another circuit vacation – a road trip which took us to 7 states in 2 weeks - to visit family and friends we haven’t seen in several years (including the year+ of the worldwide pandemic of 2020).

We left St. George on my birthday (July 15) with a stopover in Parowan for lunch with new friends Margarita and Dale Martin. We had a lovely visit and a nice lunch together before they headed back to California and we headed north to Kelly and Gary’s home in Clinton, near Ogden, UT.

SIDENOTE:  Margarita is a Rotarian member of the Monarch Beach Rotary Club in San Diego, CA and was the one who reached out to me as Governor to offer District 5420 more than 3300 pieces of new clothing (long and short-sleeved polo shirts, shorts and slacks) for some of the tribal communities in our state.  Of course, the question was how to get this valuable gift from California to Utah.  The answer:  call Jim Andrus – founder and longtime owner of Andrus Trucking who offered to have one of his drivers “throw it on the back of his load” and take it to Bountiful, UT for FREE!

 

On Friday, even with summer temperatures over 105, Kelly, Gary, Ed and I could hardly wait to meet up with Jessica, Joshua and his best friend Ethan for a day of carnival rides at Lagoon.  Michael suffers from motion sickness and Lilly woke with a headache, but Jessica LOVES the rides.  He told her she didn’t need him because “my mom will go on everything with you.” so he joined us after work. I usually LOVE the rides, too, but this time, I must have been dehydrated because 5 minutes on the Tilt-A-Whirl about killed me.  Still, we had a really fun time … and here’s a coincidence.  While at Lagoon, we ran into Terri MacDonald (to whom I am a ministering sister) and Ursula Davies (with whom I worked long ago at Dixie Regional Medical Center) who had their 12-year-old grandsons for a “10-days with Grandma” trip.

 

SIDENOTE:  On Saturday, we enjoyed time with Kelly and Gary and in the afternoon attended Judy Zone’s induction as Utah Rotary District Governor at the Cottonwood Country Club (Cottonwood, in pioneer times, was known as Mississippiville) where I presented the Clubs of the Year for RY2020-21 (Dixie Sunrise as Large Club of the Year and Hurricane Valley as Small Club of the Year … each one of 7 Rotary clubs in Washington County but definitely deserving for amazing efforts to “grow Rotary” and for “bigger, better, bolder service which changed lives” in our challenging COVID year).

 

On Sunday, we traveled the second half of the 731miles between our St. George home and Anaconda, MT where Kaytee – our baby girl – and her family live, and where we spent 4 days together celebrating the holidays – birthdays, Easter, 4^th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas – we missed during the extended COVID year. Adyn, Skylar and Thoryn were busy with “work,” haircuts, dentist appointments, swimming and friends, but we had fun celebrating with holiday foods, crafts, table decorations and getting caught up on Kaytee’s growing family.

 

SIDENOTE:  Last year Josh’s parents, Mark and Kim Postma, purchased the property where his horses have been boarded.  The property included two small houses, one which the senior Postma’s renovated for themselves and the other they are planning to promote as an AirBnB.  They offered it to us – which we gladly accepted – on the condition we became their guinea pigs determining what they had not yet purchased for the use of their guests, such as dish towels, potholders, smoke alarm, and “other” items. The really nice thing about their property is it is immediately across the street from Kaytee and Josh’s 5-acre property on which they are planning to build a new home.

 

Although Ed frequently describes himself as “an Idaho boy” he had never been to Coeur d’Alene, a bustling community in the northern tip of the Idaho panhandle.  While nothing memorable occurred in our overnight stay, it was fun to get lost in Idaho’s beautiful scenery.

 

From Coeur d’Alene, we traveled to Leavenworth, WA for an overnight stay with BJ and Marty Summers, with whom we served as missionaries in Guyana, South America.  Our missions overlapped by about 6 months during which time, we traveled several times to their area of assignment in Linden where they provided “member and leader support” (MLS) or they traveled into Georgetown to shop and socialize.  They are both remarkable people and it is always fun to see them, even if it is just overnight.

FAMILY HISTORY: Kaytee, Kimberly and Mom

“Just keep nursing,” was Joan’s response whenever I called her with concerns about the amount of milk – or lack of it – I had for my second baby.  “The human body is a wonderful machine,” she would say.  “It will pretty much do whatever you require of it.”

With my first baby Kelly, I had concluded I couldn’t nurse.  All the old clichés fit my case.  I was too nervous about being a good mother … I didn’t have enough milk … and, as my mother continually reminded me, “you’re starving her!”

 

I was born during the post-war “baby boom” at a time when only 7-10% of mothers in the United States were breastfeeding.  The day my mother brought me home from the hospital – at 10-days-old – I was put on a regimen of three meals a day of baby food, plus formula.

 

In contrast, about 65% of the “back to basics” moms of the 80’s were breastfeeding, starting solid foods at approximately 6 months and some mothers began introducing cereals, fruits and vegetables as late as one year, with no adverse effects.

 

But my mother was concerned about her first grandchild’s wellbeing.  With no personal experience at breastfeeding, she admonished me to “give it up” when I expressed any frustration.

 

When my second daughter was born, I decided not to put myself through the trouble.  For the first two weeks of her life, she was bottle fed.  But she seemed fretful all the time, had many stomach upsets and frankly, I didn’t like the inconvenience of bottle feeding.  After medication dried up my milk, it was not easy to begin the lactation process over again, but I was determined to give it a second try.

 

We had moved into a new neighborhood by this time, and I had developed a close friendship with Joan.  A successful nursing mother, she had breastfed her babies until they were twelve months old or older and couldn’t understand why I would even worry about something as natural and normal as providing healthy nutrition to an infant.  

 

“Just do it,” Joan would say.  “It will happen” while Joan urged me NOT to supplement with formula.  She taught me about growth spurts at about 6 weeks and again at around 3 months when my baby’s need for more milk meant I’d  pretty much be nursing all of one day to build up my milk supply to meet my baby's increased need … but what it didn’t mean was I no longer had any milk … a common misconception among new mothers and their doctors who often have little or no real understanding of breastfeeding beyond that of their own mother, wife or medical school professor! 

 

With Joan’s encouragement, Stacy became a happy and contented baby, breastfed for almost a year without incidence.

 

On August 27, 1982 – my sixth child - Kaytee was born.  She would be breastfed also but with a twist as I came to understand the economic principle known as the “law of supply and demand.”

 

The day I brought my 4^th daughter home, my neighbor Vivian dropped by with a gift and a surprise of her own.  During the two days I had been in the hospital, her family had been contacted by Utah State Social Services and asked to provide foster care for a 3-month-old baby girl named Kimberly.  The baby had not been abused, but her very young mother, with no knowledge of nutrition or nurturing, and when there was no formula, had put only water – or Kool Aid – in her infant's bottle.  The baby had not been seen by a doctor during her short lifetime, so when Social Services stepped in, this little blond, blue-eyed dolly, who’s original birth weight was less than five pounds, now weighed only seven pounds.  Diagnosed as a “failure to thrive” the development of her motor reflexes had already been seriously affected.

 

When Vivian came to see me, we compared my 2-day old, 6 lb. 11 oz. infant to her 3-month-old foster daughter, noting sadly that they were disturbingly similar in size and ability.

 

For a week or so, I enjoyed being pampered and watching my little one grow.  But as most breastfeeding new mothers know, engorgement is a common problem in the early days following a birth.  On several occasions, I had to use the breast pump to relieve the pressure of having more milk than one baby could consume.  Yet, I hated to throw it away when it is such a precious commodity in a hungry world.  So, for what reason I didn't yet know, I put it in the refrigerator.

 

When a quart jar was full, I decided to call my neighbor, since she was the only one in the neighborhood at the time with a baby, but how to make such a delicate offering was a concern.  Our conversation consisted of a discussion on the merits of breastfeeding.  I led into the subject carefully, not sure how she would react.  When I finally told her I had a quart of mother’s milk in my refrigerator and wondered if she could use it, she was elated.  It seems, in addition to her other problems, Kimberly was also allergic to cows’ milk (commercial infant formulas are commonly made with small amounts of processed cows’ milk). Since we had last talked, Kimberly had been fretful, upset and hardly slept at all.  The majority of infants have no problem and thrive, but a percentage of newborns – like Kimberly – cannot readily digest formula and alternatives must be found.  

 

By this time in her young life, all the commercial brands had been tried, but Kimberly continued to cry as though in pain, could not keep the formula down and slept erratically.  They had tried goats’ milk, which many grandmothers – through the years – have said is the “next best thing.”  A day or two on soy-derivative formulas did not change the situation.  Finally, they had found a formula substitute, but it was very expensive.  This non-milk product cost about $13 per quart and although they hadn’t tried it yet, they were skeptical it would make any difference.  Needless to say, Vivian was delighted to be able to try another option.

 

She called excitedly the next day.  Her baby had slept for 2-3 hour intervals all during the night and had not spit up once.  A real first for this little one.  Of course, we knew it was realistically too soon to know for sure if my milk was the reason for this seeming improvement.

 

We worked out an arrangement.  I would use the breast pump simultaneously with my nursing baby.  The hormones stimulated when the baby nurses, allows the “let down” and the milk can then be easily pumped from the second breast.  In other words, one side was for Kaytee and the other for Kimberly.  Every morning, one of Vivian’s older children would ring the doorbell and collect the milk from the previous day.

 

At first, production was slow.  I was getting about 1-2 ounces per feeding because that was all my baby needed.  As her needs increased (normally at the 6-week point) so did my milk production.  After seven months, I was producing about 25-35 ounces per day for each baby. 

 

Kimberly and Kaytee had different pediatricians, but Vivian and I regularly compared progress notes.  The two babies’ growth paralleled almost ounce-for-ounce.  At her six-month check-up, Kaytee weighed 14 lb. 14 oz. and was 26 inches long.  A full three months older, Kimberly was also 26 inches long and weighed in at 14 lbs. 12 oz.

 

In a society with almost universal acceptance of surrogacy as a means for having a family, views on surrogate nursing range from “strange” to “disgusting.”  Hospitals, around our state, at least, have discontinued milk banks as a resource for “failure to thrive” infants.  Many nursing mothers with milk to spare are discouraged from contributing or have no one willing to accept their excess because of the problems with storage and sanitation.  But, my husband and our other children, as well as my co-workers were wonderfully supportive during the entire fifteen-month process.

 

While “wet nursing” is not a common practice in modern society, in extreme cases like Kimberly’s, where a child’s life might hang in the balance, it fulfills a vital need.  Kimberly’s doctor talked with me several months into this unusual relationship.  He told me, in his professional opinion, I had literally saved the life of this little girl.  He is convinced she would not have survived without her own personal “cow.”

THE PARTY'S OVER ... Some thoughts from my fellow Rotarians

You’ve certainly done an excellent job as DG, especially given the interesting challenges you’ve had to face.

~                 PDG Monte Eggett (Sugar House Rotary)

 

 Thank you for doing such a great job in a most difficult year.  We could not have selected a more capable DG.                 

 ~              PDG Shaun Michel (South Jordan Rotary)

 

I LOVED your presentation last week, especially how you personalized it to our club.  I've been in Rotary for 14 years and have heard that many presentations by District Governors.  Yours was absolutely the best!! 

~    Miriam Keener (Cedar City Rotary)

 You've had a great year and have given the district very good leadership, especially in this strange year. My thanks for what you've done for both our club and our district.               

 ~              Stuart Richadson (NAI Committee)

 

Just wanted to let you know what a GREAT Governor you have been. Your leadership has been fabulous.  Thank you for the privilege of working with you as a team member.  I’ve learned alot and have so much respect for you.  You are AWESOME and I appreciate everything you have done to make this District the BEST!!!    

    ~  PDG Penny Atkinson (West Jordan Rotary)

What a terrific district conference!  I thought it was very well done, educational and motivating!  It ran smoothly and kept a high amount of interest. I especially enjoyed the videos of the service projects.  So, from my end, it was one of the best!  Thank you!     

~                 Tom Powell, Chair of the Resolutions Committee

 It has been a heck of a year and I am proud of how our district has responded.  Great job by our presidents and, of course, by our excellent district governor.     

~                      Dave Wilcox, RY2020-21 President (Park City Twilight Rotary) 

 It was a great district conference.  I was pegged to each speaker and learned a lot.  Thank you, Linda for such a great experience.     

~    Tim Nicolaysen, Chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee

 I received your check (for the clean-up challenge) today along with the certificate (for the video challenge) and the gift card.  I just wanted you to know how much we appreciate your support and all you have done to make our club feel important.  We have loved working with you … even after “Judy-buttinsky” jumped in 6 months ahead of schedule.          

~             A RY20-21 President who shall not be named

 Linda, thanks for the thoughtful note. You've pushed people hard this year and have accomplished so much more than I ever could have guessed.  It will be a long time before the district has a better leader--if ever! 

 ~    Devin Thorpe (District 5420 Trainer)

 I'm so grateful, Linda, for your guidance and support in my year as president.            

~   Francisco Soto, RY2020-21 President (Hispano-Latinos of Salt Lake Rotary) 

 

Just wanted to say thanks for what I think may be a largely thankless job.  Several I know who have been in your position (as DG) have said they wouldn’t have done it if they had known how much work it was in advance. I’m glad they didn’t and glad you didn’t!  Through it all, you’ve done an exceptional job and always with a smile on your face.     

~            Doug Graham, President of the newly formed RC of Southern Utah Veterans

 

Nice farewell address.  Must be kinda bittersweet but you did good this year!  You were just what we needed when we needed it!       

~              Scott Florence (District 5420 Membership Chair)

 

Congratulations on your year of leadership under the most unusual circumstances.  Your steady hand at the helm and uplifting messages during this year have been a source of inspiration for us all.

  ~    Shahab Saeed (SLC Club 24)

 

I second Shahab’s comments                                    ~    Lola Beatlebrox (District 5420 newsletter editor)

 

DG Linda, thanks for your amazing leadership this year.  Really appreciate all you’ve done, especially your enthusiasm for ending polio.          

~                  Peter Cardon, RY2020-21 President (West Jordan Rotary)

 

You have a lot to be proud of in your year as Governor!  It has been a sincere pleasure working with you. You’re the best!     

~    Julie Snowball, RY2020-21 President (Ogden Rotary)

 

Congratulations on $1,000,000 for polio eradication (from LDS Charities) in your governor year.  Thanks for accepting the responsibility and for being a great governor.  Only a few of us will really know what it took to make it all happen.     

~    PDG Shaun Michel

Thanks for all you do and have done this year!! You have done a fantastic job as Governor and should be pleased (we aren’t supposed to be proud……so I say pleased!).    

Jeff Marz, RY2020-21 President (Lehi Rotary)

 

Wow!  Thanks for all your wonderful help and leadership … and thanks for dragging me along.  You’ve been so great as our governor.      

~            Marin Gogan, RY2020-21 President (Heber Valley Rotary)

 

Thanks for your gentle flogging this year … compared to Judy who has taken flogging to a whole new level.     

 ~           Ralph Bair (President, Logan Rotary)

 

On your final day as DG, let me just say congratulations for a job well done.  You were certainly the DG we needed this past year.  It’s been an honor to serve you and the district.  Take that, Covid! 

~          Scott Florence, D5420 Membership Chair

 

Thanks for all your help this year.  I could not have survived without you!  I’m going to miss you because I’ve really enjoyed working with you.  Enjoy your extra 60 hours a week.  And, I wanted to show you what my club gave me at our installation meeting (she was named her club's Rotarian of the Year).  You deserve half the credit for keeping our club going!

~          Diana Rosenkrantz, President (Sandy Rotary Club)

 

No … thank you for a super great year!  It takes a great leader to insure a great anything.  You have very well done the job!  And that is for sure!                      

  ~      PDG Tom Powell (Provo Rotary)

 

Thank you for serving.  It was an extraordinarily hard year to be DG but as your stats point out much was accomplished.                                                                                   

 ~            Duane Karren (Murray Rotary)

  

Great Job, Governor. So proud of what you accomplished this year!                        ~  PDG Kelly Atkinson

 

 Congratulations on a fantastic year! You did an amazing job and it has been a pleasure working with you.                           

 ~   Kris Swanson, Chair (District 5420 Peace Committee)

  

“Congratulations on a great year” seems like a weak statement. Your leadership and hard work during the COVID year was extraordinary.  I, for one, was a beneficiary of your great leadership and support for which I am extremely grateful. I know you will be involved with the NAI for some time to come and I look forward to working with you further. Thanks for your support of me and our committee, I will miss our close association a lot.  The very best to you - take a vacation and unwind. You deserve it.         

~   Paul Summers, NAI Chair / 2020-21 Rotarian of the Year

 

 Thank you so much for all of your service especially under the circumstances with Covid. Get some rest and recharge!  You have certainly earned it!                        ~         PDG Dean Jackson (Provo Rotary)

  

You CAN be PROUD of your year!  Good job.                        ~   Dwayne Woolley, Former Chief-of-Staff

 

Linda, what great accomplishments due to your leadership in motivating clubs and Rotarians to perform “bigger, better and bolder things"…in giving and in serving.  Congratulations for an outstanding year as District Governor.  You were a work horse.         

~    PDG Glade Hamilton (Lehi Rotary)

 

Thanks to your leadership, Linda … this was a great year!  Bless you. I am continually amazed at all you do – wherever you show up or decide to get involved.        

 ~ Charles Dahlquist, SL Rotary and a B7 Ward member

 

Thanks for leading your district so enthusiastically and well, Linda.  As you reported on our last DG class Zoom call, your clubs and your district have achieved wonderful results this year.                 

~      Vicky Puliz, Rotary International Director (Zone 26/27)

 

Thank you, Linda, for your steady, persistent and sustained leadership.  You started ... and finished strong.

Dale Lambert, President (Sugar House Rotary)

 

Your passion for Rotary brings so much to the organization...I only wish you'd had the opportunity to fly this past year! (I think the combination of you as DG and Dale as our Club President would have been such a spark for service and fun without all the challenging Covid restrictions.)

Congratulations on every success you and our district and our Club achieved! Launching Zoom meetings to maintain communication between members, initiating safe and effective service projects, retaining membership in what may have been Rotary's most difficult year. Thanks for being the cement we all needed to keep moving forward! 

~    Toby O'Brien (St. George Rotary)

Thank your for all your hard work.  You were truly a gift to our district in a difficult year.

                                                                                                               ~    Ramy Louis (Millcreek Rotary)

Momma Gets Her Swing

I’ve wanted a swing on my front porch for years.  We have the perfect spot for it, so for my birthday Ed negotiated with McArthur Welding to create one as a birthday gift.

PDG Bev Christy and her husband Ed invited us to breakfast at Tifiny’s here in St. George.  We met at 10 am and enjoyed a lovely meal together on a gorgeous summer morning, then said goodbye and wished them safe travel to their summer residence in Bend, Oregon.

 

As soon as we came around the corner and into the driveway, I saw my beautiful birthday gift hanging on the front porch. Ed knocked on the front door and our son David and Wesley, Taisley’s husband walked out anxious to show me what they had done to make sure the swing could accommodate up to 1000 pounds.

 

Then Bev and Ed drove up … they had been in on the surprise … and shortly after Kole and Jan’L came over … and Ed escorted us all into the house for cake and ice cream.  It was a lovely surprise and I love my swing.

FAMILY HISTORY: The Sappingtons and Valley Fever

In 2003, our second daughter Stacy was still a few weeks away from Taisley’s March delivery date when in late January she developed what her obstetrician diagnosed as pneumonia.  Her doctor hesitated to start treatment because of his concern for the potential of hurting her unborn child with serious antibiotics, but, the 35-year-old mother continued to get worse and worse until he had no choice.  After two weeks on a powerful drug, chest x-rays showed no sign of improvement and her symptoms - trouble breathing, a persistent fever, night sweats, joint pain and extreme fatigue – continued to sap her strength.   

Soon after, she was checked into the local hospital then life-flighted to Salt Lake City where she delivered a healthy baby girl on March 12, 2002, the same day lab results confirmed a diagnosis of Valley Fever (aka coccidioidomycosis, San Juan Valley fever, desert fever or desert rheumatism).  Her family watched the helicopter fly away, while being told by local doctors they had done everything they knew how to do, but felt they were losing her.

Taisley was born in Salt Lake and the following day Stacy and her newborn returned to St. George where every one of her 5 doctors (1 in Tucson, 2 in Salt Lake and 2 in St. George) were convinced – while they were certain she was dying when they put her on the plane – she had now turned a corner and her immune system would kick into high gear for a full recovery. 

The next day, she began having terrible cramps – to the point she was sweating and crying in agony.  I took the baby and her dad took her to the hospital where - only about 20 minutes after they checked her in - she coded in the emergency room.  Her body had shed all of her potassium and her heart stopped.  Luckily, she was in the well-trained hands of exceptional doctors who were able to start her heart again, but her immune system did not do the same.  From there she spent 2 weeks in ICU being treated with ampitericin followed by another 4 weeks in the hospital.  She lost most of her hair and lots of weight, but was finally able to come home to her family.  Statistically, she is one of 5-10% of Valley Fever patients who will always need to be medicated to keep this life-threatening fungus under control. 

Scroll forward several years.  I had inhaled a grain of rice and had developed a spasmodic cough.  It wasn’t serious … just irritating, so I made an appointment to see Dr. Hoffman, a respiratory therapist at (then) Dixie Regional Medical Center.  She assured me my body would absorb the rice and the cough would go away on its own but, made a follow-up appointment for me for a couple of weeks later.  Still coughing – and because I have a history of tuberculosis contracted as a child from my Uncle Millard and my little cousin Dudley who both died from TB - she decided I needed a lung biopsy (which hurt a whole lot, by the way). 

A week later, I returned for the results.  Almost apologetically, she told me she had made a diagnosis, but I probably wouldn’t know what it was.  “You have scaring on your lungs from Valley Fever.”  I started to laugh.  She wanted me to know Valley Fever can be life-threatening and was certainly not funny.  When I gained my composure, I asked … “do you know who I am?”  She looked at my chart and responded, “well, yes … you’re Linda Sappington.” 

“Yes, but I’m also Stacy Foote’s mother,” I told her.  

I think I know when I had Valley Fever.  I went to work as usual at the Volunteer Center of Washington County, but before noon I was too sick to stay at the office.  I missed almost a week of work, unable to get out of bed, then awoke one day, once again feeling fine.  Apparently, Stacy’s mom is among the 90-95% who get VF and get over it without longterm effects. 

According to the Valley Fever Center for Excellence in Tucson, AZ, about 100,000 new patients are diagnosed every year in the United States, most often in the desert region of the United States, from the west coast of California to the eastern border of Texas (those who live outside of these desert areas can usually trace their diagnosis back to a desert vacation). The fungus coccidioides immitis, grows in the soil, primarily in areas of low rainfall, high summer temperatures and moderate winter temperatures.  It can be found in the hot, desert regions of Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, parts of Texas and in our own southern Utah, where St. George is the nation’s most northern community for the fungus. These fungal spores become airborne when the desert soil is disturbed by winds, construction, farming – even high energy outdoor recreational activities. In susceptible people – including women in their third trimester of pregnancy – as well as in animals, infection occurs when a spore in inhaled.  Once in the lung, the spore changes into a larger, multicellular structure called a spherule.  The spherule grows and bursts, releasing endospores which develop into more spherules (think “dandelions”). 

The most common symptoms of Valley Fever are fatigue, cough, chest pain, fever, rash, headache and joint aches, in any combination, and which generally begin to develop within three weeks of exposure.  Valley Fever is not contagious, and, in most cases, can be successfully treated.  Many who get it don’t even know it … or need no treatment; but, approximately 5-10% of patients have serious side effects – and for a very small number of patients, it is fatal.  Risk factors which could make a patient susceptible to serious complications include a compromised immune system, diabetes mellitus, pregnancy, age, ethnicity and occupation, such as farmers, construction workers, and archeologists in the 25-55 age group. 

Those who work or play outside in our hot summer months should be aware of the symptoms of Valley Fever – including those who vacation in our area, then return home and find themselves feeling poorly. According to the Southwest Utah Public Health Department, the organization responsible for tracking diseases in the five-county area, Valley Fever is the diagnosis for about 50 residents in the five county area every year.

I don't want to scare anyone, but summertime in Southern Utah is prime Valley Fever season, so consider yourself warned.

FAMILY HISTORY: Gloria

When we lived in Thousand Oaks, CA, I was assigned as Gloria’s visiting teacher. 

This beautiful woman, a few years older than I was well-to-do, had beautiful clothes, an impressive house, a fancy car and a handsome husband.  As a young wife and mother, I was intimidated since at that time, I had four children growing up in our new, but small, starter home a few blocks away … and I wanted to be her when I grew up.

Gloria always seemed happy to hear from me when I called to make an appointment to stop by her home … and she never said NO to my request to visit, even though she and her husband were not active in the church.

However, when the time came to ring her doorbell, she would open the door – but only about 1” – and she always said the same thing.  “I’m so sorry, but this is just not a good time, but please come back.”

Month after month for more than two years, we went through the same scenario.  I called, she said YES.  I rang her doorbell, she said NO!

Then there was the day when I had an appointment to visit Gloria at 2 pm.  I was sure I knew how it would go, but I was called to serve her so at 1:59 pm, I stepped onto her porch and rang the doorbell. 

But, this visit was entirely different.  I heard the garage door go up and her handsome husband sped out in his shiny, expensive car.  At about the same time, the front door opened WIDE.  There stood Gloria in only panties and bra … and covered in blood.  As she fell into my arms, she said through her tears, “I prayed you would come and I prayed you would be on time.  I knew today he was going to kill me.”

Turns out, despite her wealthy life style, she had been a seriously battered wife for most of the years she had been married and is often the case, the abuse was escalating.

This experience still makes me tear up but I learned three important lessons.  I learned to always be on time. I learned you never know what’s going on behind someone’s front door and, I learned just because someone appears to have everything doesn't mean they do!!!!

PS:  The rest of the story ... he was arrested.  She filed for divorce and moved to Hurricane, UT - his hometown.  He had one of those Southern Utah names everyone knew.  Gloria returned to church and was eventually called as her ward's Relief Society president.