Former patient Robyn “Robbi” O’Neill’s artwork is front and center at Akron Children’s Hospital’s Vision Center.
The opportunity to paint the space was eagerly embraced by the 18-year-old former Lake High School student who finished her final classes online in the spring with Lincoln Academy and plans to attend the University of Akron in the fall.
“The mural is 6x10 [feet] and is located in our dilation room,” said Stephanie Knox, the center’s operations supervisor.
“We recently remodeled and now have a very large open wall space. We decided that it would be nice to have someone paint a mural on the wall … I asked our expressive therapy department if they know of any patients or students who would be interested. They referred us to Robyn who came in to look at the space and to get ideas from us. We had no ideas at all and told her she could do whatever she wanted.”
Robbi’s vision for the space was Winnie the Pooh, her favorite character since she was an infant.
Given that the mural was going on the wall of an eye center, Robbi, in her wisdom, elected to put glasses on the characters. With the obvious blessings of the staff there.
By the way, Robbi studied art in high school and at the Canton Museum of Art.
According to Knox, the mural is a huge hit with patients.
The Vision Center — led by Dr. Richard Hertle, director, pediatric ophthalmology — specializes in the treatment of various eye diseases and visual system disorders in infants, children and teens, including amblyopia, astigmatism, ataxia telangiectasia, blindness, cataracts, congenital glaucoma, crossed eyes, drooping eyelid, myopia, Marfan syndrome, retinoblastoma and more.
Dr. Hertle is one of the only physicians in the world to perform the horizontal tenotomy to improve congenital nystagmus, or rapid, uncontrollable eye movements.
Happy 108th birthday!
Bravo and happy birthday to Winifred “Winnie” Wilson who turns 108 Sunday.
I met the lovely lady — a resident of Essex Healthcare of Tallmadge nursing home, 563 Colony Park Drive — two years ago on the occasion of her 106th birthday.
She still is, as I said then, hard of hearing in her left ear but still mentally active, and at times a little too physically active for her family’s liking.
“Her eyesight is failing but not her spirt,” son John McDonald of Rootstown said. “And she still likes cards and visits.”
In addition to John, the twice-widowed Winnie also has another equally devoted son, Stanley McDonald of Springfield Township; three other children are deceased. She has several grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
Browns help out
Major kudos to Browns players T.J. Ward and Phil Taylor who donated their time to the second annual Jacob’s Warriors, a fund-raiser last weekend at Sto-Kent Family Entertainment Center. They helped raise $1,200 for Akron Children’s Hospital’s hematology department for childhood blood disorders research and an additional $3,000 to assist Northeast Ohio families affected by childhood blood disorders.
Jacob’s Warriors is named for 11-year-old Jacob Whiteman of Streetsboro who was born with Diamond-Blackfan anemia, a rare blood disorder.
Nominate teachers
Calling all students, fellow teachers, school administrators, parents and others to nominate an outstanding teacher to the 2013 Summit County All-County Teaching Team, made up of 21 teachers.
Candidates must have taught full time, grades K-12 during the 2012-13 school year. Deadline for nominations is May 31. Forms are available at www.cybersummit.org and www.wkdd.com.
One teacher from each Summit County school district, one from Summit County parochial schools and one from Summit County private schools will be tapped for the high honor.
Each member of the teaching team will be announced at the sixth annual Education Celebration banquet (to be announced at a later date) and one teacher will be recognized as the 2013 Teacher of the Year.
For more information, please call 330-433-2888.
Group supports women
Zonta Club of Akron, Barberton & Cuyahoga Falls — which last month celebrated its 60th anniversary — recently presented donations of $2,500 each to three local charities: Harvest Home, the women’s division of Haven of Rest Ministries; Adult Focus, which houses the Verna Trushel Displaced Homemakers’ Scholarship at the University of Akron; and the Battered Women’s Shelter of Summit & Medina Counties.
Additionally, Zonta contributed $2,500 to Zonta International’s service program, which has supported for more than 50 years education, health, agricultural and micro-credit assistance to women in more than 20 countries. It’s all about advancing the status of women. The name itself — Zonta — comes from the Lakota Sioux Indian nation, meaning “honest and trustworthy.” For more information about Zonta International, please visit www.zonta.org or email abczonta@yahoo.com about local membership opportunities.
Golf event for children
Love in Neglected Communities (LINC) — a nonprofit founded by two Stow cousins, Erin and Amanda Clark, following their volunteer experience with 94 impoverished orphans at Estel Children’s Centre in Kenya — has as its mission to improve the lives of suffering children worldwide.
The organization is raising funds to purchase land and build an adequate facility for the children at the Estel Children’s Centre and to empower their self-sufficiency by honing their farming skills.
To that end, LINC is hosting its inaugural “Fore the Kids” golf outing, Aug. 10 at Paradise Lake Country Club, 1900 Randolph Road, Mogadore. Ohio Health Benefits is the sponsor.
Golfers, other sponsors (businesses and families) and prize donations are being sought.
What is firm is the time of the shotgun start — 2 p.m. And the cost — $80 per person/$320 per foursome (includes 18 holes, golf cart, drinks, lunch and steak dinner); $30 per person (steak dinner only). A 50/50 raffle is planned along with other raffles, skill games and more. Reservation deadline is July 31; please call Melissa Clark at 330-807-6682 or email her at melissac1989@gmail.com. To donate or to volunteer, please call 717-469-5462 (LINC).
Jewell Cardwell can be reached at 330-996-3567 or jcardwell@thebeaconjournal.com.