Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

Zephyrhills resident Burvellee Cook had her left knee completely replaced in 2008, which prevented her from walking for about two weeks.

She had to go to a short-term rehabilitation center for three weeks and was not back to full strength for months. After that experience, she was overjoyed to hear Florida Hospital Zephyrhills now has a way to cut that recovery time dramatically.

“I was so thankful to have it done this way,” said Cook, who had her right knee partially replaced at the Zephyrhills facility. “I was able to get up right after the surgery and walk around with a walker. The next day I didn’t even need a walker.”

The fast rebound was made possible because the facility now uses robotic arm guided surgery to perform partial knee resurfacing of those with early to mid-stage osteoarthritis.

“The MAKOplasty system fits perfectly and allows for perfect precision when we’re putting in a plate,” said Dr. Randolph Knight, orthopedic surgeon with Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Orthopaedic & Spine Institute. “It’s less invasive and more of the patient’s natural knee remains. The goal is for patients to have more natural knee motion post-operatively. It’s the first major improvement in partial knee replacements.”

The new procedure allows patients to use fewer painkillers after the operation, while losing less blood in the process. Knight added the hospital is the only one in Pasco County currently offering the procedure.

The new robotic system allows surgeons to make a pre-surgical plan that details the techniques for bone preparation and customizes the positioning of the implant using a CT scan of the patient’s knee.

“Precision is the key in planning and performing partial knee surgeries,” Knight said. “We can put a plate in that is within one-half of a millimeter.”

During the operation, the system creates a 3-D virtual view of the patient’s bone surface and applies the image to the surgical plan. This limits the plan to viewing only the problem areas for each individual.

The surgeon is then guided by a precise robotic arm to resurface the joint before it becomes severe osteoarthritis, which would require more invasive and extensive surgery.

“The surgeon is still holding the tool and making the cuts, but the arm doesn’t let me cut somewhere I’m not supposed to,” Knight said. “It means only the damaged area is replaced.”

Another advantage is the MAKO replacements last much longer than traditional ones, which failed after a few years. Knight said he trusts them so much that his father F. Coyne Knight, who lives near his son in Zephyrhills, had both his knees partially replaced with this method. Knight said his father hobbled along with a walker, but today is moving around fine and has very little if any pain.

Knight said the older population in east Pasco will benefit from the procedure because the condition is very common, especially in older populations. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and a leading cause of disability in the world, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.

Cook had her right knee surgery on March 7, the first at the hospital. She said the pain is similar to her first operation, but the recovery time has surprised her.

“It’s only been a couple days, but I’m able to cook and clean and do the other daily chores again,” said Cook, who started having problems with her other knee about a year ago. She then added. “Before I had so much pain I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t take my dog (Dee Dee) for walks anymore.”

Cook has had Dee Dee for five years and said the two would go on walks of about a mile each day. While she cannot do that yet, she hopes to be out with her companion again very soon.

“We’ll be able to take our long walks again,” Cook said. “That will be quite a treat.”

By B.C. Manion

Makoto Fujimura — an artist and Christian thinker — will be speaking on “Faith and Art” at Saint Leo University at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 29.

All are welcome to attend the free talk, which is scheduled to be at Selby Hall on the university campus in Saint Leo.

Fujimura, who has been featured in Christianity Today, World Magazine, The Wall Street Journal and Forbes, is the last to be featured in the University Speaker Series this year.

“We try to invite a broad spectrum of speakers from political leaders and scientists to journalists and authors,” Mary Spoto, the dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Saint Leo University, said in an e-mail.

Fujimura’s visit follows the recent release of an illuminated, English Standard Version of The Four Holy Gospels by Crossway Publishing.

It also falls within the season of Lent.

“His focus for the evening is particularly appropriate as we think about Christ’s sacrifice and our faith at this time,” noted Spoto, an academic leader at one of the nation’s largest Catholic universities.

Fujimura, the founder of the International Arts Movement and a presidential appointee to the National Council of the Arts (2003-2009), is widely known as a cultural commentator.

He was featured on the September 2008 cover of Christianity Today as one of “The New Culture Makers.”

The Four Gospels, recently published by Crossway Publishing, includes original abstract paintings the publisher commissioned from Fujimura.

The illuminated paintings he created, unlike other illustrations, depict light shining from the page. It was a common technique in the Middle Ages, when texts and artworks were handcrafted.

But that practice was virtually abandoned when the invention of the printing press made mass production of manuscripts possible.

Thus, the illuminated works in The Four Holy Gospels marks the re-emergence of a lost tradition.

Fujimura also created unique lettering and embellishments for the book, so that his distinctive artwork is noticeable on every page.

The 2011 release of The Four Gospels coincides with the 400^th anniversary of the King James Bible. The English Standard version uses contemporary language and is a direct descendant of the King James’ version of the Bible, according to Crossway.

A cloth-bound edition of The Four Gospels, which retails at $130, will be on display at the event.

Fujimura graduated from Bucknell University and received a Master of Fine Arts degree from Tokyo National University of Fine Art.

His paintings are regularly on exhibit in New York, Asia and Europe.

If you go:

What:  Makoto Fujimura speaks on “Faith and Art”

Where: Selby Hall at Saint Leo University, 33701 SR 52, in Saint Leo

When: 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 29

How much: The event is free. All are welcome.

By Tammy Sue Struble

The North American Country Music Association International picked Ashley Shannon of Zephyrhills’ CD “Read My Lipstick” as Album of the Year for 2011. In the entertainment category, she was awarded the Horizon Award for Entertainer of the Year.

Born in Dade City, Shannon sang to all the Disney movies as a toddler.

“I had a feather duster I always carried around and sang into it. I would sing with The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast.”

Shannon continued with entertainment dancing from age 3 to 12, modeling at 6, back to singing at 11. She got hooked on singing when she got her first standing ovation during a talent show at the age of 13. Shannon is 24 now.

The 2005 graduate of Zephyrhills High explained that “Read My Lipstick” is her first album with all original songs not previously sang or recorded by others; it has been out since November 2010.

Shannon was happy with the recent win, she wanted it; however, she has learned to be realistic.

“I have learned not expect a win, so I won’t be disappointed; yet, I remain positive.” Shannon could not pinpoint a favorite song off the album…she liked them all.

The young entertainer had to compete at state level to qualify for the event. Of the different age and music categories, Shannon competed against other adults 21 and older and chose traditional country and new country categories. Other categories included gospel, bands and dance.

“It’s intimidating,” she described of the competition, “so many people, so much talent, and very good competition for next year!”

When asked about stumbling blocks along the way, Shannon explained that there appear to be a lot of people making representations about who they were or how they could help her. Even when she started singing Christian music her junior year in high school, people would make promises — saying they knew someone who could help, but it wasn’t true. When singing karaoke in Nashville last year, Shannon was approached by a “tour manager” who actually gave her a web site to check out. It did not pan out and did not appear legitimate.

“Many people aren’t as legit as they say they are. Look for triggers that something’s not right,” Shannon warns others. Watch for business people who make promises without so much as a business card.

The “Read My Lipstick” CD has a mixture of traditional and new country songs and a couple with a patriotic tone. Shannon hopes to be playing on the Grand Ole Opry stage some day, “That’s what I’m shooting for.” And continued, “It’s fun. When I’m actually performing, I enjoy it. Once I’m in it, I don’t want to stop.” She does some writing, but prefers performing — and keeps an open book with her at all times, just in case. For more information, log onto www.ashleyshannon.com.

By B.C. Manion

Therese Seal was just 9 years old when she gave her first swimming lesson.

“I got $5 for it. Do you know how much money that was back then?” said the woman who went on to found Seal Swim School, a company with three locations that has taught thousands of children the love of swimming.

Seal grew up in Wall Springs — just south of Tarpon Springs.

“My family owned and operated Wall Springs,” she said. “People from all over went there to picnic and swim. It was a spring-fed pool and lake.”

Growing up near the water helped her to develop a love for it, and a healthy respect for its potential dangers.

“I’ve always loved kids and I’ve loved the water,” Seal said, adding she had no idea she would end up opening a swimming school.

That happened after Seal began helping with swimming lessons when her two youngest daughters were in preschool. After being a helper, she was asked to take over the classes. Then some parents asked her to offer private lessons and Seal Swim School was born.

That was in 1980 and the school was at her house.

Over the years, the operation expanded and it now has three locations. Each is under the direction of one of Seal’s daughters. The one in north Pinellas is led by Shannon Seal; the one in south Tampa is led by Micha Seal Beatty; and the one in Lutz is under the direction of Erin Seal Grande.

The Lutz facility, at 19509 N. Dale Mabry Highway, provides lessons for children from Lutz, Odessa, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel, Dade City, Zephyrhills, North Tampa, Carrollwood and other nearby communities.

Besides passing along the joy of swimming, Seal said the schools also help keep children safe, in a state which is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, and where lakes, rivers and swimming pools abound.

“We lead the country in drowning,” she said.

“I have a little book that I actually wrote and published, and we base our water safety program on it,” she said.

“We go into preschools and elementary schools” to teach the program, if they request it.

“That’s our gift to the community,”

Water safety can’t be emphasized too much, said Erin Seal Grande.

When a child is missing, the first thing people need to do is to check the pool, or any other nearby body of water.

“Children are so fast. If a child is missing, even for a second, you go to the pool first,” she said.

The school preaches that families need a ring of safety which includes supervision, pool barriers, swim lessons, CPR knowledge and water safety education, she said.

Seal Swim School strives to teach not only pool safety, but also a love for swimming, Seal said. “It’s a gift for life.”

The swimming school likes to begin teaching children to swim when they are still infants, said Seal, who said she’s happiest when she’s in the water.

“We like to get them when they’re 6 months. They have no fear of the water. They love it,” she said.

The little ones come to the pool — some of them wide-eyed; others, crying.

“I tell the parents, ‘We’re strangers. It’s a whole new environment.’ We’re asking them to do things that the parents haven’t asked them to do.”

Then Seal tells parents: “Give us a little bit of time and they’ll be crying when they’re leaving, not when they’re coming.”

Besides teaching children the proper techniques, they also encourage fun, she said.

“You’ve got to have that fun,” she said. “Our instructors have to make it fun for the kids — they’re kids.”

Learning to swim is a unique experience for each child, Grande said.

“Just like a child walks and talks differently, each child is going to swim differently,” she said.

“The little ones learn to turn and float,” she said. Over time, they learn how to get to the wall and pull themselves out.

“Each skill that we teach, we start at the very basic and we build on top of those,” she said. “I have 4-year-olds out there that are doing freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and the beginning of butterfly.”

The school offers parent-tot classes for children from 6-20 months. It also has group lessons and private lessons for older children.

“We have levels. Each child goes into a level that’s appropriate for their age and ability,” Grande said.

“Each child is so different when they come in. We have a series of questions that we ask parents.

“We have to be sure that they go in the right spot, that they always are appropriately challenged,” she said. “If we have a child that’s a strong swimmer and we put him in with little ones that aren’t, he’s going to be bored and not get a thing out of it.”

Chris Anderson, who lives in Grand Hampton, has two children taking lessons at the school, 6-year-old Reese and 2 ½-year-old, Sage.

They’ve been taking lessons there for about a year, said Anderson, noting she doesn’t have the expertise to teach her children.

She gave Seal Swim School high marks.

“”We’re really happy with it,” Anderson said.

Children generally come once or twice a week when they’re beginners, Grande said.

If they’re committed to weekly lessons, they will learn to swim, she said.

The school also has a class that helps children perfect their swimming techniques and operates much like a swim team, she said.

“We try to get them so they’re ready to go. When they go to that swim team, they know everything. They just don’t have the speed.”

Like her mother, Grande said she simply adores the water and teaching others to swim.

“I have a degree in education and a master’s degree,” she said, but there is no place else she would rather be.

“It is such a wonderful thing we do.

“It’s a job. I still have those days that are better than others,” she said. However, she added, “I don’t how many people can go in to work and say they love what they do every day.”

Seal Swim School info box

For more information about Seal Swim School call (813) 229-7946 or visit, www.sealswimschool.com

Family Fun Night

Besides teaching children to swim, Seal Swim School, at 19509 N. Dale Mabry, hosts a family fun night each spring, fall and winter.

The Spring into Summer event is scheduled for 4-7 p.m. on Friday, March 25.

The event includes arts and crafts, face painting, inflatables and other fun stuff — except swimming.

All are welcome and the event is free, except for food items that are available for a nominal charge.

Water Safety Tips

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that between 2007-2009 there were 4,200 children younger than 15 who were treated at an emergency department for submersions in a pool or spa.

Children between the ages of 12-35 months accounted for 47 percent of the children receiving treatment.

The majority of deaths and injuries at residential settings involve children between the ages of 1 and 2, the commission adds.

Here are some ways to improve safety:

Never leave a child unattended at a pool or a spa.

Teach children basic water safety skills.

Keep children away from pool drains, pipes and other openings.

Have a telephone nearby, to enable a quick call to emergency agencies.

If a child is missing, check the pool or spa first.

Learn how to do CPR.

Install a four-foot fence around the perimeter of the pool, with a self-closing, self-latching gate.

Having life-saving equipment such as life rings or floats available and easily accessible.

For more information, visit www.PoolSafely.gov

By Gary S. Hatrick

Zephyrhills High senior and Boy Scout Brandon Meier received his Eagle Scout rank in a Scout Troop 72 ceremony at the Rotary Scout Building at Shepard Park in Zephyrhills on Saturday, March 19.

Meier received his rank from Troop 72 Scoutmaster Bill Moorehouse in the presence of his parents Peter — himself an Eagle Scout — and Chris Meier, as well as other family and friends.

Eagle Scouts Greg Hilferding, past Troop 72 scoutmaster who received his rank in 1997, and Raymond Morris spoke giving charges and challenges to the newly-fledged Eagle Scout.

In order to earn the Eagle Scout rank, a candidate has to complete a community project. Meier’s took at least 150 hours to complete.

“My final project was to restore the two basketball courts in town, one at Krusen Field and one in Lincoln Heights,” Meier said. “They were all cracked and you couldn’t see the paint anymore. I pressure washed them, filled in all the cracks, picked up trash and then painted them.”

Meier joined Boy Scout Troop 72 in 2004 and has risen through the ranks from den chief, troop guide, patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader and four terms as senior patrol leader. He was also the senior patrol leader at two summer camps, meaning that he was in charge of the scouts in attendance. He was inducted in to the Order of the Arrow in 2004 and served as OA representative for the troop.

While advancing in rank, Meier earned merit badges in camping, citizenship in the community, citizenship in the nation, citizenship in the world, communications, life saving, environmental science, first aid, personal management, swimming, personal fitness, fingerprinting, rifle shooting, art, golf, aviation, leatherwork, wilderness survival, photography and farm mechanics

In addition, Meier has earned the rank of first sergeant in the ZHS JROTC program.

Of his achievement, Meier said, “It’s probably one of the best achievements I’ve ever had,” and he encourages other boys to get involved. “Some of the best memories of your youth will be with scouts,” he assures.

Meier is now continuing with the scouting program as assistant scoutmaster. When he graduates this year, he plans to work on a tugboat n Alaska with his uncle for six months and then return where he will enroll at Pasco-Hernando Community College to study engineering.

Meier is the first Eagle Scout to come from Troop 72 in six years. Troop 72 has a long history in Zephyrhills boasting among former Eagle Scouts such members as former city council members Sam Surratt and Bob Winters, both Eagle Scouts from 1960.