South Hills Living

May-June 2025

New coffee shop brings Parisian flair to Mt. Lebanon

Innovative treatments provide hope after stroke contents May/June 2025

Cafe Flore PGH brings Parisian flair to Mt. Lebanon

from the editor

Ideas are everywhere

Therapeutic horse-riding program gallops into new facility

I get story ideas all over the place. My eyes and ears are always open and looking for new businesses, trends and people to profile. Sometimes, I get suggestions from readers or coworkers. Other times, I happen upon something organically in the wild.

I do research in person and online, and I recently stumbled upon a newer coffee shop that opened in Mt. Lebanon, Cafe Flore PGH. I love coffee, especially visiting new cafes and trying different and interesting seasonal drinks. One of my favorite vacation activities is finding local spots for meals and nights out. Still, we can find exciting new places in our backyard if we know how and where to look.

My thought process for deciding what merits coverage can't be described with any specificity. It's an art, not an exact science, honed over years of experience writing and editing in local news. Usually, it's just a gut feeling. Often, though, I feel that if I have a question or want to know something, someone else in our readership area must have also thought the same at one time or another. But I invariably want to know whether or not

I'm on the mark. If you have a suggestion for a piece, please let me know. I'm always happy to hear from our readers. Please email me at tthurston@observer-reporter.com

Thank you so much for reading. Take care, stay safe and see you in the next edition.

south hills living

Washington & South Hills 724.222.2200

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Editor

TRISTA THURSTON

tthurston@observer-reporter.com

Advertising Director Carole DeAngelo

Contributors

April Barbe

Michele Gillis Rick Shrum

on the cover

Courtesy of Cafe Flore PGH

Cafe Flore PGH crafted a Lucky Charms latte topped with whipped cream and marshmallows for St. Patrick's Day. The Mt. Lebanon shop opened in January.

NOW LEASING MOVE-IN READY

BInnovative treatments provide hope after stroke

By Rick Shrum

eth DeRunk paused to provide a small element of comic relief that, likewise, was a profound truth.

“I could talk about strokes forever,” she said over the telephone, before expounding upon a serious health issue that, according to the World Health Organization, strikes an estimated 15 million people across the globe each year.

The medical definition of a stroke is “a loss of blood flow to part of the brain, which damages brain tissue.”

DeRunk, the stroke coordinator at St. Clair Health, was speaking ahead of National Stroke Awareness Month, recognized in May to increase understanding of stroke, its warning signals and how to prevent it.

An estimated 80% of strokes can be avoided via healthy lifestyles and managing risk factors. But, lamentably, many people either shirk their self-care duties or may be lax at heeding possible warning signs and making a medical appointment.

“We stress the importance of following up with your primary care doctor and have someone monitor your blood pressure or cholesterol,” DeRunk said. “People who are wary about seeing a doctor and what they may say have to look at this as a chance to prevent bigger things.

“A lot of times, people have symptoms and figure they will go away or are not so severe,” she said. “But sometimes that’s our warning sign to get to the hospital and find out what caused that to happen. Sometimes people say they didn’t sleep well and correlate it to something else.”

Tests have shown that some patients who go to a hospital with a medical concern are told they had previously had a stroke. “We do imaging on their brain,” DeRunk said. “If it was a small stroke, they may not have realized that it had happened.”

“Strokes also are increasing in younger populations than we saw before. A stroke can happen at any age. It can happen to babies, a child. Stroke doesn’t discriminate.”

The list of risk factors for stroke is lengthy and daunting. Foremost among them are: high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, atrial fibrillation (a-fib), diabetes, smoking, alcohol abuse, substance abuse, heart disease, certain blood disorders and physical inactivity. Strokes are common and can occur quickly, said DeRunk, who also heads a community support group, Life After Stroke, for stroke survivors at St. Clair Hospital in Mt. Lebanon.

“I feel that a lot of times, people don’t think (a stroke) will happen to them,” she said. “Yet almost everyone knows someone who had a stroke, or they may be that someone.”

“Very few people in America are not touched by this,” said Alexander Whiting, a neurosurgeon and director of epilepsy surgery for Allegheny Health Network’s Neuroscience Institute. “It’s almost become part of the human experience. There are different kinds of strokes, and they differ in severity.”

Whiting recently broke medical ground in the region when he performed the first three Vagus Nerve Stimulation procedures for recovery from stroke in Western Pennsylvania. He did so at Allegheny General Hospital on Pittsburgh’s North Side.

It is called Vivistim Paired Vagus Nerve Stimulation, an FDA-approved system. This mostly new technology is designed to assist stroke survivors in regaining movement in their upper extremities.

The procedure uses mild, repeated electrical pulses to the vagus nerve, which runs from the brain stem through the neck and into the upper body. The intent is to stimulate the nervous system through the vagus nerve to create new pathways in the brain, enabling a patient to regain function and strength faster than through therapies.

Courtesy of St. Clair Health

Beth DeRunk is the stroke coordinator at St. Clair Health

Scott Pavlot, 66, of Wexford underwent this procedure in February 2024 after having an ischemic stroke. The stroke paralyzed his left arm and hand, but he is again pursuing a favored pastime — playing bass guitar.

wife, Holly, were coming back from the West Virginia football game and picked me up and took me to St. Clair Health.”

Whiting said AHN was the first system to do this in the county, and a few other care facilities are following.

One type of stroke, a transient ischemic attack, accounts for 87% of all strokes. “Some people call them ‘mini-strokes,’” DeRunk said. According to the American Stroke Association, a TIA happens when a vessel supplying blood to the brain is obstructed.

“What happens with those people is they have a stroke and symptoms go away for an hour or so,” DeRunk said. “A person thinks they’re back to normal. One in three people who had a TIA and let it go untreated will have a stroke.”

Stroke aftermaths vary as well. “Some people say, ‘This is the worst headache of my life,’” DeRunk said. Some stroke survivors deal with vision changes, balance and coordination issues while walking.

An acronym — F.A.S.T. — is used to help identify and respond to an individual displaying signs of a stroke. F is for facial droop, A is for arm or leg (sometimes one side is affected), S is for speech and T is for timely response being paramount.

“I went to the emergency room, and within a minute, I became unconscious and surrounded by a team of doctors. I will never forget that.”

McAleer was diagnosed with an ischemic stroke. He said doctors used a “stroke buster,” clot-busting drugs to dissolve blood clots and “restore blood flow to my brain.

“I was told that if I got to the hospital within an hour, they can do this. We did, thanks to my son. He saved my life.”

Mark’s father said that after his hospitalization, he found out “some people with the aortic procedure have a possibility of a stroke.”

McAleer spent a week there in recovery and met DeRung, who, upon McAleer’s discharge, asked him to join the stroke support group, which meets the third Wednesday of each month at 4:30 p.m., near the hospital’s main entrance.

Tom McAleer of South Fayette has become a student of strokes and a staunch supporter of DeRung’s support group. That wasn’t the case a year and a half ago.

McAleer, now 79, had aortic heart valve replacement at St. Clair Health in September 2023. A month later, he met friend and fellow military veteran, Michael Currin, for dinner in Washington.

“I dropped my fork and felt weak. I never drop my fork, and I had no symptoms,” McAleer recounted. “My son, Mark, and his

“After one-and-a-half years of meeting,“ he said, “I’ve learned about all kinds of strokes, and the group is diverse. Beth runs an excellent program.”

An occupational therapist and a physical therapist assisted in his recovery at home. Using his walker, McAleer started by going from one end of the hallway to the other and back, but was encouraged to do that 22 times. Within three months, he said, McAleer was able to complete 22 revolutions.

He had balance issues as well and did exercises while holding the sink. McAleer, a Navy veteran, was also taught to walk up and down steps, take laundry to the laundry room and get mail at the mailbox. “They also gave me an elastic band to do exercises.”

Thankfully, one of his offspring is local. “Mark today always says, “I saved your life. He did.”

“I think I’m doing pretty well,” said Tom McAleer, who also has a son, Michael, who resides in Arizona.

Courtesy of Tom McAleer

Tom McAleer, center, surrounded by his sons, Michael and Mark

Courtesy of Allegheny Health Network Scott Pavlot can play his instruments again after his stroke treatment

Cafe Flore PGH brings Parisian flair to Mt. Lebanon

Cafe Flore PGH opened in January and is located at 698 Washington Road in Mt. Lebanon.

By Michele Gillis

Cafe Flore PGH patrons may feel as if they’ve been transported to a cafe in New York or Paris. The full-service cafe sports a floral decor reminiscent of cafes in Paris.

“I wanted to create a welcoming environment that people wanted to be in,” said Bailey Grabowski, owner of Cafe Flore PGH. “I didn’t want anything to be an afterthought.”

Customer Dana Tecza said Cafe Flore PGH is adorable.

“The food and atmosphere is amazing,” said Tecza.

Grabowski has been a barista and in restaurant management for 10 years. She said moving into ownership was the natural next step for her.

She opened Cafe Flore PGH in January. She previously owned Grounded Cafe and Bakery for five years, but decided she wanted to move to a larger location and rebrand.

The space used to be a taco restaurant, so she had some minor changes to make to transform it into her vision.

“We did some minor upgrades and improvements,” said Grabowski. “We mostly changed the aesthetics of the space, and transformed it from a taco place to a beautiful cafe.”

She took inspiration from a cafe in Paris called “Cafe De Flore” and just slightly “Americanized” the name to create the name Cafe Flore PGH.

Cafe Flore PGH is known for its unique flavors.

“With my 10 years of experience, I have had a lot of time to perfect my coffee and make it truly wonderful,” said Grabowski. “I also offer more unique flavors for my lattes, such as baklava, churro and butterscotch brownie. We also do holiday drinks like the Lucky Charms latte on St. Patrick’s Day or the Santa’s cookies latte around Christmastime. I also offer a wonderful tea selection featuring chai and ceremonial grade matcha.”

In addition to their unique coffee flavor creations, they also serve food and bakery items such as a full breakfast and lunch menu.

“We have a variety of breakfast sandwiches and

avocado toast,” said Grabowski. “We also serve salads and sandwiches for lunch, soup during the fall and winter and pasta salads in the summer. We also have pastries. Some are made in-house, such as our cookies and croissants. We also have gluten-free and vegan pastries.”

Mami’s Bakes is a wholesale partner of Cafe Flore PGH, and they plan to add more wholesale partners soon.

Grabowski said Mami’s Bakes has been wonderful to work with and provides the most delicious vegan and gluten-free baked goods she has ever tried. They are also individually wrapped, so their customers with allergy concerns don’t have to worry. The baked goods are delivered to them every Friday for those who want the next fresh batch.

“Great coffee spot,” said Shane Fetsko. “I stopped in for a quick coffee, and the owner was very kind. I also got a delicious breakfast croissant.”

Coffee shops are a great place to relax with a book, get some work done or spend time catching up with friends.

“My coffee shop is truly unique,” said Grabowski. “It is such a cozy and sweet place to be, which definitely makes everyone want to stop by. They stay for our single-origin coffees, high-quality teas and delicious breakfast and lunch. We make everything fresh daily, and all of our products are high quality. Nothing is an afterthought for us.”

Photos courtesy of Cafe Flore PGH

Bailey Grabowski owns Cafe Flore PGH. Her previous cafe was Grounded Cafe and Bakery, but Grabowski wanted to rebrand and open a larger coffee shop

The shop can be rented for after-hours events for those looking for a charming space to hold an event.

“Cafe Flore PGH is a beautiful spot with fantastic coffee,” said Darrell Daman. “They are very welcoming as well.”

The hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and closed Monday.

Cafe Flore PGH is located at 698 Washington Road in Mt. Lebanon.

SpringHouse Creamery, Eatery, Country Store and Catering opened in 1975 on the Minor family’s dairy working farm in Eighty-Four. In our old-fashioned country story, you can enjoy family-recipe meals, goodies in our from-scratch bakery, a smokehouse for old-fashioned hickory smoked hams, classy catering, ice cream concoctions galore and, of course, farm fresh milk and famous rich chocolate milk.

1531 Route 136 Washington 724.228.3339

springhousemarket.com

At CRUST! Café and Pizzeria we pay attention to quality and that starts with the dough. Our mission at CRUST! Café and Pizzeria is to give you the freshest product, made with the best ingredients, prepared by people who care. 509 Painters Run Road

A Pittsburgh family tradition since 1958. Our dough is homemade from scratch, our sauce is slow cooked from Italian tomatoes, our signature cheeses are hand grated daily... just as John Mineo did in 1958. We believe never change a great family recipe. 713A

Therapeutic horse-riding program gallops into new facility Annual Belmont Jewel planned for June 7

By April Barbe

Photos courtesy of Horses with Hope

Inspired by the birth of her daughter, Jamie, who was born with Down Syndrome in 2007, Anne Davis decided to start a program to help others with disabilities.

As the founder of Horses with Hope, Davis works to help people improve their physical, mental, emotional and social health.

“HWH’s programs were designed to offer support to underserved and often overlooked individuals — children and adults living with disabilities, including behavioral health disorders,” Davis said.

Davis said Horses with Hope started with three students, but it quickly grew to serve 27 people per week with the help of more than 75 volunteers.

Today, Horses with Hope is Southwestern Pennsylvania's largest nonprofit organization providing equine-assisted services.

And because of the program’s popularity, Horses with Hope recently moved into a new facility at 496 Sugar Camp Road in Venetia.

“We were excited to come into an agreement with the new owners of Empress Farms in Venetia. As we prepare to transition the therapeutic riding program to our new facility, we are poised to extend our reach and deepen our impact,” she said.

The state-of-the-art amenities at Empress Farm, including an extensive indoor arena, will allow year-round programming. Davis said they expect to accommodate the 80 families from the waitlist once additional staff and horses are brought in.

The Knaus Farm on Brush Run Road will continue to offer unmounted equine-assisted activities to individuals with intellectual disabilities and veterans.

“This spring, we look to welcome three lambs at the Historical Gilfillan farm in Upper St. Clair and introduce 4-H and educational programs,” Davis said.

Although Horses with Hope serves both youth and adults, about 80% of its clients are ages 5 to 18, according to Davis.

Davis holds a certification as a certified therapeutic riding instructor from the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International, a therapeutic riding instructor from the Pennsylvania Council on Therapeutic Horsemanship and an equine specialist from the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association.

Horses with Hope’s largest annual fundraiser will be held at 5 p.m. on June 7 at the St. Clair Country Club, 2300 Old Washington Road, in Pittsburgh.

The sixth annual Belmont Jewel will include an evening of cocktails, appetizers and dinner. Attendees will get to watch the Belmont Stakes, and raffles and games will also be included.

Tickets are $150 per person or $1250 for a table of 10. Visit hwhbelmontjewel2025.eventbrite.com for tickets.

For more information on Horses with Hope, visit horseswithhope.org.