Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

Many high school students dread getting up and going to class, but for Brittany Hutchinson the day she will be one of her sweetest.

She has been homeschooled since she received a kidney transplant Aug. 25. Before that, the 17-year-old was attending Wiregrass Ranch High.

“My doctor said I should be able to go back in January, but I’ll need to wait until the end of flu season,” said Brittany, a senior. “I’m taking immune (system) suppressors so my body doesn’t reject the kidney and I have to wear a surgical mask most of the time so I don’t get sick.

“It’s been hard,” Brittany said of the recovery. “I haven’t been able to go to school or hang out with my friends. Of course I’m glad to have this kidney. I’m living life again.”

Brittany had suffered from extremely high blood pressure since age 8 and was on medications to treat it, but her health started declining while on a trip to Washington D.C. in August 2009. She became very tired, had chest pains and was retaining water while losing her appetite.

She had several tests, the last being on her electrolyte levels. Her doctor told her she had the readings of a dead person and had only 11 percent kidney function.

Brittany had end-stage renal failure and had to use a dialysis machine each night for eight to nine hours. Four bags of a sugar-water solution would be pumped through a tube into her and back out to clean her body from the waste her kidneys left behind.

“It was so unexpected because as far as we know we don’t have any history of something like this,” said Debbie Hutchinson, Brittany’s mother.

“It was very frustrating to see your child in such rough shape,” said Tony Hutchinson, Brittany’s father. “A teenager who couldn’t go out with her friends because she has to get home in time to go on dialysis.”

The family was very impulsive before Brittany’s diagnosis. They would pack up and go on trips with little planning just because they wanted to, but having to travel with the machine and all of Brittany’s supplies made things more difficult.

“We bought our SUV just so we had the space to take everything,” Tony said. “Once you have 10 boxes of the big bags you don’t have much room for anything else.”

Brittany had to use the machine for about a year. The call she had been praying for finally came at 12:20 a.m. Aug. 25. Doctors at Tampa General Hospital had a compatible kidney.

“It was a school night,” Brittany said. “At first I thought it was a dream. I remember the night before I told my mom I think something amazing is going to happen. When it happened, I had to pinch myself. We all thought we were dreaming and my dad thought it was a prank call because we got it so late. I had to finish my treatment that night before we went to the hospital.”

Brittany had been praying to receive a transplant before going to college. It would have been hard for her to be on dialysis while at school.

“The transplant couldn’t have come at a better time,” Brittany said. “Really, it was perfect.”

Brittany still has to take several medications and limit the amount of salt she eats and to stay healthy. She has been very disciplined with following her plan and has seen improvement in her health.

“It’s so much better now,” said Mark Hutchinson, Brittany’s 13-year-old brother. “Now we can stay up late and watch movies again. Before she’d have to go to bed and be on the machine.”

She was only on the waiting list for a kidney for two months, a very short time according to Betsy Edwards of LifeLink. The nonprofit organization is designated by the federal government to handle the logistics of and educate the public about organ donations in the Tampa Bay area.

“Right now there are 109,000 people on the national waiting list for an organ and 70 percent of those are waiting for a kidney,” Edwards said. “In some cases it can take three to five years for someone to get an organ that is a match for them. It really is amazing to get one after two months.”

Brittany has become a youth spokesperson for LifeLink and said she wants to start a club at Wiregrass Ranch to educate students about becoming organ donors when they get their driver’s licenses. She has also spoken at several events to advocate for organ donation.

“One person who becomes an organ donor can save up to 60 lives,” Brittany said. She then added, “Going through this has changed my whole outlook on life. I wanted to be a lawyer, but now I’m going to be a renal transplant coordinator. What they do is make sure people are ready on all levels for a kidney transplant and go to schools to talk about organ donation.”

More information about organ donations and becoming a donor can be found at www.donatelifeflorida.org or by calling (800) 262-5775. In addition, the Hutchinsons have many boxes of supplies still sealed from when she was on dialysis. The family said anyone is welcome to the supplies if they are in need and can reach them at .

While the last year has been very difficult for the family, things are much better now. They were even able to have a normal Thanksgiving dinner.

“This, in a way, has been a blessing to her,” Debbie said. “This journey has changed her and it’s certainly not over, but now we are very happy she is getting better.”

By Kyle LoJacono

Last year, the Eastside 8 Rotary clubs helped 300 needy families have a special holiday dinner and additional support will allow them to do much more in 2010.

The eight Rotary clubs on the east side of Pasco County came together last winter to make food bags that were distributed through the public elementary and middle schools to those who most need them.

“We first decided to do this because we thought we could help a few kids, but the more we’ve gotten into it, the more people we learned need this kind of help,” said Randy Gailit, Land O’ Lakes club board member. “You think in a place like our community you’re immune to poverty, but that is just not true.”

In fact, 53 percent of the children in county public schools receive free or reduced priced lunches, according to Pasco School District spokeswoman Summer Romagnoli. These are the children who are given the food baskets.

“One of the things that I like about the program is it helps the kids while keeping it kind of anonymous,” said Ben Alexander, president-elect of the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel. “We give the food to the schools and they get it to the kids who need it the most just before they leave for the winter break. We’re pretty sure the schools are only going to give it to the families that need it.”

The food in the bags will mainly be nonperishable items like canned ham and vegetables, boxed mashed potatoes and cereal. There will be enough food to feed a family of five for a couple of nights.

Gailit said the groups first decided to join together in the effort because of having strength in numbers. They are able to pool their resources and buy in bulk, allowing them to buy the food at a discounted rate.

The Eastside 8 put together 300 food baskets last holiday season and matched that number before the summer break earlier this year. The group’s actions have been deemed worthy enough for a $3,000 grant from Rotary International, according to Gailit. Each basket cost about $11, so the donation will allow the Eastside 8 to almost double their food gifts.

Also donating to the cause is Wade Thomas, owner of Thomas and Son car dealership in Zephyrhills. Thomas is giving $1,000 for the drive as a way to support the community his business has served for more than 40 years.

“I’ve always believed in helping people and this is a great way to make sure the kids get help,” Thomas said. “I’ve done it before, but was only able to help 40 or so families. With Rotary, we can help 100 families right here in Zephyrhills. We think it’s just the right thing to do.”

Thomas also encourages others to give to the drive.

“It doesn’t matter if you give $1 or $1,000 as long as it is going to the right place,” Thomas said.

Gailit said right now the group has enough money to make about 700 food bags, but the goal is to help 1,000 families.

“Anyone who wants to help should get in touch with us,” Gailit said. “We will be packing up the food on Saturday, Dec. 18 at Shepard Park in Zephyrhills, so we’d need the donations before then say by Wednesday the 15.”

The food will be given to the area schools later in the week. For more information on the food drive or the Eastside 8, visit www.rotaryeastside8.com. From there, people can contact their local group to make donations.

By Elizabeth Gwilt

Laker Correspondent

Call it young love, but 21-year-old Land O’ Lakes native Errol Keith and his new wife, 20-year-old Krystallyn Taylor, insist they are in it for the long run. The couple is in the Marine Corps and plan on serving their country in the upcoming years.

Keith and Taylor make their relationship work even when they’re separated.

“Trust and understanding is key,” said Keith. Taylor adds, “Plenty of phone calls, Skyping and visits whenever we can manage it keep us strong.”

Keith grew up in the Land O’ Lakes area where his mother still lives, while Taylor’s family hails from Georgia. Both are currently in California for school.

A six-month courtship followed after the couple met at a language institute in Monterrey, which led to them announcing their engagement this past August.

Keith and Taylor are studying to become linguists, and they have committed to at least three years of service. Keith is expected to be deployed to Afghanistan in the spring, and Taylor hopes to follow her husband, but she adds that nothing — even the guarantee of being deployed together — is ever certain in the military.

That’s why the couple got married Nov. 26 in an intimate ceremony, just in case something unexpected prevented them from being wed before getting deployed. They’re “getting married” again in a more traditional affair, Dec. 18 in Lutz.

“Getting married that Friday was a precaution,” Taylor said. “We are not going to let the military put our wedding on hold. We are looking forward to the wedding with family and friends though.”

Keith and Taylor are finding the wedding planning to be difficult, as Marines and students they don’t get paid much, and Taylor says that money is tight.

“I make basic pay, a couple hundred bucks, nothing luxurious,” she said.

Their financial situation, along with their dedication to the country, compelled others to begin helping the couple by donating services and items like flowers and food.

Keith’s mother, Michele, took the lead on organizing the wedding.  She received plenty of support from her friends, including Ione James and Janice Karski.

“They don’t make much, but they’re great kids and really deserve a memorable day,” Keith said. “It’s nothing extravagant, but everyone is pitching in and doing what they can.”

Karski is paying for Taylor’s hair appointment, and James, who has made the groom’s birthday cakes since he was a child, is making the wedding cake herself.

“They are just like so many other couples, everyone is struggling nowadays,” James said. “The fact that they are putting their lives on the line for us made me all the more determined to help.”

The newlyweds say that they are extremely grateful to their families and friends.

“We appreciate it so much, everything they’ve done it going to make our day that much better. There were a lot of things we couldn’t do ourselves,” the groom said.

Taylor feels the same way, “Those amazing people can expect big hugs and thank-yous coming their way,” she said. “It gives me ramification in my heart, knowing that I’m serving extremely kind people like them.”

The more traditional wedding to includes the couple’s families and friends is taking place next week, but there is still a much to be done. Candles, a photographer, plates and cutlery are items that are yet to be purchased on their limited budget.

“We’re not looking for handouts, if someone wanted to donate—that’s awesome, but if anyone knows where we might be able to find cheaper or discounted items, it would be greatly appreciated,” Keith said.

She adds, “They are great kids with good heads on their shoulders. Even though they are young, they know what they want from life, and they love each other. Being brave marines just makes them all the more admirable.”

By B.C. Manion

Shopping, office parties and gatherings with friends aren’t the only things happening during the holiday season – special events also are being offered at various venues throughout northwest Hillsborough, Central Pasco and Eastern Pasco County.

Visitors to Richland Baptist Church in Zephyrhills can travel back in time at the church’s 16^th annual presentation of “The Walk Through Bethlehem.”

Each year volunteer crews transform a patch of land near the church – roughly a third of the size of the ancient city of Bethlehem – into a city that feels like it is part of the first century town where the baby Jesus was born, said Roger Denis, a volunteer on the construction crew.

Those taking the walk will be guided through the reconstructed city, where they will see a census taker, city people of all ages, shopkeepers and Roman guards all in period costumes.

As visitors make their way through the city, they’ll hear a conversation between their guide and the various shopkeepers, as the story of the birth of Christ is told, and then they will see a live Nativity scene.

But the tour won’t end there, spectators also will see the crucifixion scene and the empty tomb.

The event is scheduled for 6-10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10; 6-10 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 11; and 6-9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12. The church is at 40443 Stewart Road, about half-way between Zephyrhills and Dade City. Admission and parking are free.

Another live nativity scene is planned on the grounds of the Church of the Latter-Day Saints at 7851 Lutz-Lake Fern Road in Odessa.

Three modern-day carpenters recently were working under a blazing afternoon sun, sawing wood, drilling screws and aligning walls as part of a massive effort to create the setting for a re-enactment of those ago days when a baby named Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem.

When the work is done, “A Night in Bethlehem, a Live Nativity,” will be presented to the public now in its fifth year, is being presented to the public by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 7851 Lutz Lake-Fern Road.

About 100 people are involved in the annual effort. Some transform the field on the east side of the church into the city of Bethlehem, complete shops, inns and a stable. Others assume roles in the nativity, or help with the logistics of putting on the event.

Those attending the event will be asked to sign the “census” as they enter the city of Bethlehem. At the gate, they’ll be asked to pay their taxes – a can of nonperishable food that will be donated to Metropolitan Ministries.

Once inside the city, visitors will find a gift shop, a carpenter’s shop, a pottery shop, a bakery, a candle shop and a Hebrew school.

Kids will be able to play with a dreidel, learn to write their names in Hebrew and sample some pita bread, dried fruit, oranges, olives and cheese.

The spectators will see a depiction of Mary and Joseph looking for a place for stay, said Marilyn Thompson, a volunteer who pitches in each year on the project. Mary will arrive on a horse. Inn keepers will turn away Mary and her husband, Joseph. One innkeeper, however, will allow the couple to stay in a stable.

Near the stable, shepherds will tend their sheep and three kings from the Orient will come to pay homage to the baby Jesus.

Music will accompany the various scenes at the live nativity.

Presentation of the live nativity will happen every half-hour, beginning at 6:30 p.m., with the final presentation beginning at 8:30 p.m. Free refreshments will be served in the church.

ending at 9 p.m. Free refreshments will be served in the church. The event is scheduled nightly, Dec. 9-12.

In another Christmas celebration, Exciting Idlewild Baptist Church, on North Dale Mabry Highway, just north of Van Dyke Road, will be hosting “A Home Town Christmas,” a dramatic musical presentation.

Senior Pastor Ken Whitten and his daughters, Kim Whitten and Tana Whitten Knouse, wrote the script for the production, which includes a 300-voice adult choir, 75-piece orchestra and 125-voice student chorus. The cast is an ensemble of about 20 members.

The production, which runs about two hours, establishes a setting, Creates a sense of connection with the audience and delivers a spiritual dynamic, said Ron Upton, the church’s minister of music and worship and producer and director of this show.

Hundreds of people spend countless hours to pull off the annual event, Upton said. “It’s a major undertaking.”

Besides the singers, musicians, actors and script writers, there also are ushers, greeters and parking attendants, he said.

This year’s event is at 7 p.m. nightly, Dec. 10-12.

Tickets are available at www.idlewild.org, or may be purchased at the door. They sell for $12, $10 and $8 each.

By Molly McGowan

Laker Correspondent

Programs like Pasco County’s Elderly Nutrition services thrive because of the generosity of others, and for the past 33 years, the meal service has been able to provide free food for participants over 60 at eight dining sites throughout Pasco County.

However, back in June, the existence of the Zephyrhills location was threatened when the church partner, which had housed the service for 19 months, was no longer able to afford the cost of hosting the program. Elderly Nutrition Program Manager Gabriel Papadopoulos was left to scramble for a new church in the area that could afford to host the 35 seniors who depended on the lunch service. And that’s where Father Ed Scully stepped in.

Originally from St. James Episcopal in Albion, Mich., Father Scully had just relocated to Florida in March and had been with St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal for only a short time when Papadopoulos contacted him in July. Though Scully’s congregation is in Zephyrhills, he lives in the Temple Terrace area, and thus was astounded that Papadopoulos had located him so soon after his arrival to Florida.

“What’s the probability that this guy would find me in a county I don’t even live in?” Scully said, remembering Papadopoulos’ phone call. “I thought, ‘How can I refuse a guy named Gabriel? He must be an angel.’” So after four months without a church home, Pasco County’s Elderly Nutrition program was able to serve lunch again in Zephyrhills Mondays through Fridays.

Scully is no stranger to serving the elderly community. Back in Michigan in 2002, he spearheaded the campaign to build a soup kitchen in an area with a great deal of poverty. Scully said he remembers how limited both the menu and turnout were that first night. He said the meal consisted of 24 cans of Progresso lentil soup and “there were more professionals there (to view the opening) than there were clients.” By week three there were six clients and the number finally grew to 50, “depending on the meal we were serving,” Scully said. The menu had also evolved, to barbecue or turkey dinners, with salads and desserts.

The program in Michigan relied heavily on volunteers and donations, as does the Zephyrhills branch of Elderly Nutrition Services. According to Papadopoulos, there are about 20 volunteers at the location, and its popularity is growing; the old location usually hosted about 35 patrons, but the new location at St. Elizabeth’s is seeing upwards of 50 on average. Both Papadopoulos and Scully are excited about the program’s growth, and Scully is thrilled by all the different activities provided for the elderly. He said that in addition to church parishioners volunteering on a daily basis, a health and wellness team visits monthly to run blood pressure checks and other basic services. Encouraged by the joined forces of Elderly Nutrition Services and St. Elizabeth’s, Scully wants to do even more for seniors in the area. “There are still too many community elderly who go hungry or fall by the wayside because they don’t have money, he said.”

Regardless of any potential plans for the program, Papadopoulos feels blessed to have made an ally of Scully, and Scully said he feels led by God to provide his church as the Zephyrhills location. “That’s what we’re about,” he said. “Food for the journey.”

By Kyle LoJacono

In Lutz, the holiday season does not officially start until Santa stops by the Old Lutz Schoolhouse for breakfast.

For the last 14 years, local residents have organized Breakfast with Santa, which is always the second Saturday in December so it does not conflict with the Lutz Arts and Crafts Festival. This year the event is Dec. 11 from 8:30-11 a.m. at the schoolhouse, 18819 US 41 in front of Lutz Elementary.

“It started when we stopped doing the haunted house at the school,” said Phyllis Hoedt, one of the directors of the Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Women’s Club and a committee member of the Citizens for the Old Lutz Schoolhouse. “It was a way to say thank you to all the people who helped put that event on and to the community for coming. We knew we wanted to keep doing something at the schoolhouse so we came up with this.”

The group did the haunted house for about 20 years, until it was deemed a fire hazard.

Old St. Nick poses no such danger.

Children will get to meet Santa himself and parents can take their own pictures. The continental breakfast is $2 and also includes crafts for the kids and a tour of the schoolhouse, which will be decorated for the holiday season. Once decorated, it is known as the Christmas house.

“It’s just a great morning with the family,” said Bill Westcott, commander of the North Tampa-Lutz Squadron and committee member of the citizens group. “People come out and have a lot of fun with Santa and it’s become a tradition here.”

Hoedt said the money goes to support the schoolhouse. The building is very old and needs various repairs on a regular basis. It recently had two windows replaced with money raised from similar events. Women’s Club and Civil Air Patrol Squadron help decorate the schoolhouse for the breakfast. There are various holiday events at the Christmas house in the days following the morning with Santa, including nights of singing holiday songs.

The Christmas house will be open to the public from 6:30-9 p.m. each Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday following the breakfast except the week of Christmas and New Year’s Day. For more information, call Hoedt at (813) 949-1937.