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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JULY 10, 2022
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Ex-NFL player now scores for real estate clients BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff Writer
Wearing sunglasses that impair vision, headphones that blare static and thick gloves that hamper finer motor skills to get a feel for what dementia patients go through, Darcy Brodison’s students struggle to follow instructions and complete simple tasks. (Courtesy of Hospice of the Valley)
‘Dementia Moments’ teach high schoolers compassion BY LIN SUE FLOOD Progress Guest Writer
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rcadia High School teacher Darcy Brodison knows the best way to drive a lesson home is to touch a student’s heart. So she decided to immerse her class in a unique experience called “Dementia Moments” that demonstrates what it’s like to live with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. She invited Hospice of the Valley to share the 8-minute simulation with juniors and seniors in her AP Psychology class. The eye-opening exercise pressed them to perform everyday tasks as if they were living with cognitive impairment. They put on sunglasses that blurred their vision and wore thick gloves to
mimic the numbness that comes with arthritis and neuropathy. They donned headphones that blared static, making it hard to understand instructions to sort loose coins, put on a belt, button a shirt, pair socks together, read and sign documents. The tasks were frustrating and the students were vocal about it. “I’m struggling!” they shouted. “I can’t open this. I can’t remember what I’m supposed to do. What do we do with the socks? I can’t hear anything clearly!” After the experience, Hospice of the Valley dementia educator Helena Morgan asked the students to share their feelings. “We were anxious,” they confessed. “Overwhelmed. Disoriented. Confused.”
see HOSPICE page 24
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rowing up as the son of New York Jets wide receiver Al Toon taught Nick Toon several life lessons. From having the ability to play several sports before settling on football to learning how to be advantageous with real estate, Nick heavily revered his father. Because of this, Nick knew there were two things he wanted to do with his life; play professional football and sell real estate. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin and being drafted 122nd overall by the New Orleans Saints, Nick Toon embarked on a three-year stint in the NFL where he caught four touchdowns and received 287 yards through his 17 games of action. However, it was after having a career year in 2014 where he scored all of his NFL touchdowns that Toon and teammate Lance Moore decided to take an offseason trip to Scottsdale with Moore’s future wife Kasey Trione and her college roommate, a girl named Annie who would later become Toon’s wife. Although he fell in love with Annie on his trip, Toon also fell head over heels for Scottsdale. “I love the weather and the vibe of Scottsdale,” Toon said. “I love to be outside and I love exercising. I’m a big cyclist, I love to hike and I love to run so, to have the ability to do those things all year is awesome.” After trading in his football jersey for a blazer and tie, Toon got to work alongside his wife Annie, launching the “Toon Team” – which is brokered by the luxury estate brokerage firm Retsy. They also
Former NFL wide receiver Nick Toon is now scoring properties instead of touchdowns with the help of his wife Annie at Toon Team realty. (Special to the Progress)
used connections made through Nick’s playing days to score some sweet sales. “I’ve had several people that I’ve played with that have either referred my business or have contacted me with interest in and doing something out here. A lot of our business is referral based. So, we’ve been very fortunate from that standpoint,” Toon said. Toon also had the scorching housing market on his side. “We have a lot of people moving here from all different parts of the country. A lot of people have come from California, Chicago, Washington and other parts of the country as well,” he said. “We’re also seeing a lot of job opportunities down there where a lot of corporations and businesses moving here, creating jobs and building large campuses. “We have the semiconductor plant up
see TOON page 25
