Plainfield Magazine September 2021

SEPTEMBER 2021

MAGAZINE

CULTURAL CELEBRATION

International Festival Returns in October

NATIONAL BABY SAFETY MONTH

Tips to Ensure Safety During Baby’s First Year

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International Festival Returns in October

EMDR Therapy Helps to Reprocess Traumatic Events

CULTURAL CELEBRATION

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SEPTEMBER WORD SEARCH

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NATIONAL BABY SAFETY MONTH Tips to Ensure Safety During Baby’s First Year

A HEART FOR GIVING

Local Girl Spreads Joy Through Selflessness and Creativity

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A WEIGHT LIFTED

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QUAKER DAY FESTIVAL & PARADE

7 REASONS TO GET EXCITED FOR FOOTBALL SEASON KEY CONTRIBUTORS ABIGAIL HAKE / CHRISTY HEITGER-EWING DR. NICOLE STEBER / JAMIE HERGOTT / STEPHANIE SINGH

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CULTURAL CELEBRATION International Festival Returns in October

Writer / Stephanie Singh Photography Provided

On October 5, 2019, flags from across the world lined the trail and hung from tents at Talon Stream Park in Plainfield. Music from different cultures blasted across the park. Colorful attire, delicious food and rich traditions invited people into vendor booths. Neighbors walked away from the free event enriched by the sounds, conversations and sights, shared with them from unique perspectives.

Nearly 2,000 people came out to the inaugural Plainfield International Festival to learn about different cultures through

dance, food and conversation. The need for culture acceptance and celebration was alive and well in Hendricks County, and the world would feel the need for such an event in 2020.

Unfortunately, the global pandemic would also put a stop to such a meaningful affair.

During a local diversity council meeting in June of 2020, a Plainfield resident said he had never been prouder of his community than on that October day in 2019. The committee members who created the festival set their eyes on a second annual International Festival for the year 2021, knowing events like these make the community a better place to live, work and play.

6 / PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / SEPTEMBER 2021 / TownePost.com

There’s great pride in Hendricks County, and there’s undoubtedly great pride in sharing various aspects of one’s culture. The event organizers enjoy the opportunity to bring the two together. Discussions with the Hendricks County Community Foundation, following their Community Needs Assessment, opened the door to renaming the event the Hendricks County International Festival, to help build community unity across all towns in the county. The Plainfield International Festival board voted to change the name to broaden their reach.

Performers with roots from Japan, West Africa, Mexico and Scotland will showcase their cultures through song and dance.

Vendors and educators from India, Poland, Russia, Kenya and Peru - to name a few - will be set up to interact with festival goers. And what’s a festival without food? Vendors representing India, Jamaica, Mexico and Thailand will offer samplings and

platters for those who have an appetite.

The 2020 Census shows us that Hendricks County is more diverse than it’s ever been before, and an event like this invites us to learn from our neighbors.

The leaders of the festival invite community members near and far to enjoy this free event, created to introduce diverse cultures to our community, in order to encourage and increase awareness for the people representing many cultures who live, work and reside in the county. The Hendricks County International Festival takes place on the first Saturday in October at Talon Stream Park, located just north of the Richard A. Carlucci Recreation and Aquatic Center in Plainfield.

For more information and updates on the event, visit facebook. com/hendricksinternationalfest.

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A HEART FOR GIVING LOCAL GIRL SPREADS JOY THROUGH SELFLESSNESS AND CREATIVITY Writer / Jamie Hergott Photography Provided

At the tender age of 11, Ellie Hart has already been through enough medical procedures and doctor’s appointments to rival many adults. However, no one would ever guess it when they witness her sweet smile and joyful countenance.

“I’m in sixth grade,” Ellie says. “I like training my cat, playing video games with my brother Corban, and I love doing clay.”

Creating clay items, specifically handheld hearts, is a passion and hobby that was born out of her life’s greatest adversity so far. She creates multicolored hearts out of polymer clay and passes them out to anyone she can find, to spread love and kindness.

At 6 years old, Ellie was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis ( JRA). She woke up one morning and came into her

parents’ room, unable to walk with a swollen key to finding out Ellie had JRA. As an autoimmune disorder, JRA causes Ellie’s knee. body to attack itself, including her joints and eyes. She began weekly shots right away.

“She hadn’t injured it, and it was warm to Her mom had to administer them, and not the touch,” says Ellie’s mom, Mindy Hart. only were they painful, but as a low dose of “We kept an eye on it and eventually she chemotherapy they also made Ellie sick. could bear weight on it. This went on for about two weeks.”

Finding out the answer to Ellie’s health issues was both relieving and terrifying to Mindy and her husband finally took Ellie Mindy. to her pediatrician. After X-rays, doctors still couldn’t pinpoint the problem so they assumed Ellie had injured it. Mindy knew “On one hand, it was a relief to know there something wasn’t right. After sitting for long was a reason for her struggles,” Mindy periods of time in school assemblies, Ellie says. “It was also definitely overwhelming. wasn’t able to walk. Finally, an orthopedic Learning to give her those shots, especially doctor suggested they see a rheumatologist when they hurt her and made her sick, was for blood work. so hard. I felt like I was poisoning my child.

We got through it with the amazing support At this point, Ellie’s eyes were becoming of friends, family, and church family.” affected with inflammation. This was the SEPTEMBER 2021

Ellie doesn’t remember too much from those early days of her diagnosis, but she does remember the shots.

“I remember being scared,” Ellie says. “It was painful, but soon my body knew that I’d also get sick after my shot so it got really hard.”

Ellie has always had the support of her older brother Corban. She loves playing video games with him, and he’s always been sympathetic to her health struggles.

“Corban has been so understanding,” Mindy says. “Usually in a family, when one

kiddo is sick, the other one can struggle. He never did.”

After two years, Ellie’s body began rejecting the chemo, but by that point she was in non-medicated remission. She still enjoys remission now, and is staying busy with her clay project.

Her passion for clay came from a general interest in crafting. She could never do a lot of sports because of her health, so Hobby Lobby became a place to find things to do.

During the COVID pandemic, Ellie wanted to do something to help others. She knew how it felt to miss out for health reasons,

and her empathy compelled her to act.

She discovered that she could flatten polymer clay, use tiny heart-shaped cookie cutters to make little hearts, bake them, and create beautiful handheld creations to pass out. She decided to make a batch of hearts and pass them out at a local nursing home.

She passed out 80 hearts that day and knew she was onto something.

“It just felt good to make people happy,” Ellie says. “Especially during COVID, when people couldn’t have visitors, I just felt so bad. Some people cry when I give them the hearts. Most are just really appreciative.”

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Since then Ellie has created more than 5,000 hearts, with plans to create even more. Sometimes she creates custom orders with the colors people ask for.

Other times, she just passes out what she has.

Mindy remembers one specific time when their family was in Nashville, and Ellie spotted a homeless man in a motorized wheelchair. Ellie tugged on her mom’s arm, asking, “Mom, do you have any hearts? Quick!” Ellie grabbed one, jumped out of the car, and gave the man one of her clay hearts.

Personalized vascular care close to home

“He was so touched by this little girl getting out of a car and giving him a heart,” Mindy says. “He put it in his pocket and said he’d hold onto it forever.

She has chased down people in stores before and once people realize she’s just doing it to brighten their day, their countenance changes.”

The Hart family is part of several Facebook groups connecting families struggling with JRA. The groups offer community and support, and through those groups, Ellie has been able to make and send hearts to multiple locations across the globe including Europe, South Africa and Australia.

Ellie has also made items for Riley Hospital for Children, and hopes to make connections to pass out hearts for Veterans Day at the VA medical center in Indianapolis. She’s created batches for birthdays, holidays and special events.

People have even asked her to create and sell batches so that they could pass the hearts out themselves. Armed with business cards, her plan for the near future is to create batches of 20 hearts for $5 to help others spread the same cheer and kindness that she does.

“We just love the idea of helping others spread kindness too,” Mindy says.

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Corban is inspired by his little sister’s resilience and mission to spread love.

“She just spends hours in her room making them,” Corban says. “Once after only about two days she made 1,000

Sarah Strot, DO Vascular Surgery

Ascension St. Vincent © Ascension 2021. All rights reserved.

SEPTEMBER 2021

hearts. After seeing people’s reactions to her, it’s just nice to know she’s doing something that’s making her and everyone else happier. She’s doing something good and something she enjoys. It’s amazing.

She’s going to be a sensation.”

Ellie’s mom sees a greater purpose at work in her daughter’s diagnosis and hearts. As Ellie has latched onto her clay heart project, Mindy sees the healing that has come to Ellie by focusing on others in her time of struggling with JRA. “It helped her in her pain,” Mindy says. “It helped her focus on other people instead of focusing on what was going on with her.

She has always been really sensitive to other people and their needs, so it’s amazing to see that sensitivity and compassion for others nurtured and heightened.”

To stay up to date on Ellie’s clay heart project, visit facebook.com/ ElliesClayCreations.

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7 REASONS TO GET EXCITED FOR FOOTBALL SEASON Writer / Abigail Hake Photography Provided

F

ootball season is right around the corner and while you may or may not be a diehard fan, lots of people are ready for the season to get started, not only because of the game but because of all that goes along with it! Many Americans would suggest that football is the best sport in the world. Here are seven reasons why fans and non-fans alike are ready for the season to start again.

1. TOGETHERNESS No matter what you think, football brings us together.

At all levels of the game, people come together to cheer or boo. You bond with those sitting next to you in the bleachers or standing next to you on the field. You root for your team and hope for a win together with all the rest of the fans around you. You watch together with your family and friends in the comfort of your own home. It’s a common bond between you and those on your favorite team.

2. RIVALRIES Don’t say you like all teams because that’s not true, and you know it.

We all know there are teams that just don’t get along and don’t like each other. Like the Packers and Bears, the Cowboys and Eagles, and obviously the Colts and the Patriots. Rivalries bring out the best in athletes and encourage competition, but the most intense rivalries are amongst the National Football League teams. And a good rivalry is not only exciting, but great for ratings!

SEPTEMBER 2021

3. FOOD Football food is just the best. Dips, pretzels, burgers, nachos, beer.

What more could you ask for? The best part of watching a game is lingering around the kitchen island or visiting the concessions during halftime at the stadium. And did you know that more food is consumed on Super Bowl Sunday than at Thanksgiving?

4. TAILGATING When you go to a game, high school, college, or NFL, you don’t show up right at gametime. Like any good fan, you arrive a little early and with a cooler! Hanging outside the venue with friends for hours before the big game is a must-have experience and can be extra special if you are visiting somewhere like Lambeau Field or Notre Dame Stadium. No matter the weather, tailgating is all about having fun and indulging in unhealthy food, drinks and games. Oh, and you

might even make friends with those on the other side!

5. TRADITIONS Football is a tradition most enjoyed on Friday nights while growing up and Sundays with family. If you love the NFL, it’s very likely that you grew up watching with relatives who followed a favorite team or just the sport in general. I mean, what do you think of when Thanksgiving comes around? That’s right, food and football. Families across the country go out to play America’s favorite sport on the front lawns and when they are done, everyone heads back inside to watch the game. It’s almost religious.

6. FANTASY FOOTBALL The return of the NFL also means that fantasy football is upon us. Not only is it a hobby for many, it’s a multi-million dollar industry that paved the way for all other fantasy sports. People

SEPTEMBER 2021

can compete with friends by picking and following their favorite players to create their fantasy team. It requires a little savvy and strategy, but is fun to follow and also to try to one-up your friends!

7. THE SUPER BOWL Even those who don’t like football love the Super Bowl. Considered a national holiday by many, this is a spectacle enjoyed by all. The rivalries are fierce, the stadiums are packed, the half-time shows are unreal, and obviously the commercials are amazing. The Super Bowl is the culmination of the entire season and watchers

everywhere stay up late and call in sick the next day just to enjoy the entire show.

In the end, when fall rolls around, we are totally ready for Fridays to be spent at the local game, Saturdays to be taken over by the best college games, and Sundays to be taken over by pregame shows and commentators. We all feel better when football is back in action and we can enjoy the season for all the right reasons, with family, friends and even those who are cheering for the other side.

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SEPTEMBER 2021

A WEIGHT LIFTED

EMDR THERAPY HELPS TO REPROCESS TRAUMATIC EVENTS Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided

It was a sunny August day in 2017, the week following her son Matt’s 23rd birthday, when Teresa Youngen experienced a tragedy that no parent should ever have to endure. She was outside vacuuming her pool, and came inside and knocked on Matt’s bedroom door. When he didn’t answer, she opened the door and was horrified to find that he had taken his life.

Anyone who has ever lost someone to suicide can tell you there is no moving past such a catastrophic event. From that moment forward, there is “before” and “after,” but never again “normal.”

“It’s horrifying to walk into a room and realize that the person you love so, so, so much has done this to himself,” Youngen says.

pills to numb herself.

“I knew I couldn’t go on living at that level of agitation and horror,” she says.

One day when she was attending a suicide survivor support group at Hendricks Regional Health, someone suggested she try eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. During “It was like I’d been struck by a lightning EMDR the patient thinks about the bolt,” Youngen says. “In my mind’s eye, I’d see Matt in the closet and my blood pressure trauma, while the therapist waves a hand would spike, my throat would go dry, I’d feel or baton in front of them as they follow the sick to my stomach, I’d burst into tears, and movement with their eyes. The therapy, I’d be right there, back in the moment.” which helps the brain process memories and reduce negative feelings about them, It got so bad that Youngen considered taking has been around since the 1980s but has As the weeks and months passed, Youngen was plagued by the terrible vision that was seared into her mind.

SEPTEMBER 2021

grown in popularity in recent years.

“With EMDR, we go back,”says Wendy Byrd, president of the EMDR International Association. “We look at how your past may be affecting what’s happening to you currently. It’s changing the way that the experience is stored, and when the brain changes the way it’s stored, you feel differently about it.”

Through EMDR, Youngen found that her brain was pulled away from reprocessing certain thoughts.

“It’s like being stuck in a rut that you can’t get yourself out of, but with EMDR there is this second thing that’s going on, so now your brain is distracted and is able to reprocess it,” Youngen says. “You’ll never forget it, but you get away from that autonomic response of sky-high blood pressure, anxiety, crying and crashing.

The memory is still painful, but EMDR made it so that it’s no longer debilitating.”

Emily Koehler, LMHC, lead therapist at the Willow Center in Brownsburg, finds

this therapy to be beneficial for clients who have experienced trauma that is negatively impacting their life.

“This could be something that happened last week or several years ago,” says Koehler, noting that the eye movement portion of EMDR helps to stimulate both hemispheres of the brain, assisting with bypassing the part of the brain that has gotten stuck due to the trauma. “I love utilizing EMDR because it empowers clients and helps them build new beliefs around their trauma, promoting inner peace. Each session begins and ends with grounding and stabilization practices, and clients build the inner resources to self-regulate between sessions.”

reprocessing this traumatic image, Youngen decided to use EMDR to help her reprocess other thoughts that trigger her. For instance, the sequence of events that led to finding her son began with entering her house through her back door. As a result, she has refused to use that door ever since.

“It’s as if my brain is telling me, ‘If you never go through that back door, that event never happened,’” Youngen says.

“My brain processes that door as the portal to hell and that if I go through it, my life will be forever horrible.”

She even hung a blanket over the door to avoid seeing it.

Koehler notes that in cases where eye movements are not possible or appropriate for a client, they can offer alternatives for bilateral stimulation.

“It’s been my coping strategy, but the problem with coping strategies is that they get you through the day, not the rest of your life,” Youngen says.

Youngen felt instant relief after just the first session.

In March of 2020, she decided she was ready to tackle this issue so she started EMDR sessions with her therapist.

Because EMDR worked so well with SEPTEMBER 2021

Following her first appointment, she felt so empowered that she drove straight home and removed the blanket from the door.

“I was super excited,” she says. “As I looked outside I thought, ‘I can do this. I’m going to reclaim an area of the house that I truly enjoy.’”

Unfortunately, soon thereafter, COVID-19 hit and she was unable to see her therapist in person. Without that reinforcement, she found herself draping the blanket over the door again. Now, however, she is once again seeing her therapist and making progress using EMDR. “I needed relief because there were days when I thought I was going to fall off this cliff and be completely unable to function,” says Youngen, who encourages anyone who struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder to consider EMDR. Veterans, survivors of violent crime, those involved in accidents or natural disasters, and emergency responders can find healing in this therapy.

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Y O U ’ R E L O O K I N ’ AT I T Y O U ’ R E L O O K I N ’ AT I T

Youngen has seen others who have benefitted from this type of therapy. For instance her niece, who was an emergency medical technician, witnessed a traffic accident that was burned into her brain, making it difficult for her to eat and sleep.

Youngen recommended EMDR. “While it’s not a panacea or a one-sizefits-all kind of thing, it can be so helpful if you’re open to it,” Youngen says.

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SEPTEMBER 2021

NATIONAL BABY SAFETY MONTH

TIPS TO ENSURE SAFETY DURING BABY’S FIRST YEAR Writer / Dr. Nicole Steber, Riley Hospital for Children Pediatric Hospitalist at IU Health West Hospital Photography Provided

September is National Baby Safety Month. During a baby’s first year, they develop many skills such as how to focus their vision and explore their environment. It’s important to understand how to keep your baby safe.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH. One of the best things we can do for our children is take good care of ourselves.

Postpartum anxiety and depression are very common. Talk with your doctor if you are feeling down, stressed or having scary thoughts. It’s normal for babies to cry up to three hours per day, and they are often more awake and fussier at night. It’s important to know that it’s OK to lay them down on their back in their crib and take a break nearby.

Don’t hesitate to ask for help whenever possible.

PROTECT YOUR BABY FROM

SECONDHAND SMOKE. Infants and young children are extremely vulnerable to the poisons in secondhand smoke. Protect your baby from secondhand smoke by not letting anyone smoke near baby. Make sure your home, car and day care are smoke-free. Anyone who smokes should change clothes before holding baby.

KNOW YOUR ABCS. The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly encourages safe sleep to decrease the chance of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) and suffocation. The ABCs of safe sleep are: Alone on their Back in a Crib (or bassinet). Make sure there are no toys, stuffed animals, pillows or loose blankets in the crib. Be very careful not to fall asleep with your baby, especially near cushions, pillows or blankets.

OPTIMIZE NUTRITION AND AVOID CHOKING HAZARDS. For the first four to six months, babies should only have breastmilk and/or formula.

Drinking water or other fluids can lead to SEPTEMBER 2021

abnormal electrolyte levels and possibly seizures. After four to six months, it’s OK for babies to have soft table foods like avocados, cooked carrots, bananas and pureed baby foods.

Babies explore their environment with all senses, including putting anything they can reach in their mouth. Make sure any small toys or objects such as pills, magnets or batteries are stored away securely. It’s important to always follow the age recommendation listed on your child’s toys.

STAY UP TO DATE WITH VACCINATIONS. Routine vaccinations are crucial for your child’s health and safety. Delaying your child’s vaccines leaves them vulnerable to diseases and can cause serious complications. Talk with your child’s pediatrician to make sure their vaccinations are up to date. It’s also important to make sure everyone around your baby is vaccinated.

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church basement.

It has since become a festival and parade the entire community looks forward to. The Plainfield Chamber of Commerce organizes the parade while the Plainfield Friends Meeting church handles the festival, although both groups work together along with many community groups and volunteers to put on a memorable event.

Writer / Jamie Hergott Photography Provided

The Plainfield Quaker Day Festival, a highly anticipated event each year featuring a parade, vendors and food, celebrates the heritage of Plainfield. But this well-run and celebratory event, bursting at the seams with activity and tradition, has humble beginnings in the basement of a church.

In the 1970s, a group of women at Plainfield Friends Church decided to have a “Church Mouse Sale,” a rummage sale to support the missions of the church. Through the years the rummage sale grew into an annual craft sale on the church lawn with hot dogs, sloppy joes, barbecue pork, lamb, and burgers served out of the

“It’s amazing for community development,” says Brad DuBois, president and CEO of the Plainfield Chamber of Commerce. “It brings the community together. They sit along the street, they mingle - it offers that small-town feel that everyone is craving when they live in the suburbs.”

The Plainfield Chamber of Commerce has sponsored the parade for several years. It’s an opportunity for many local nonprofits, businesses and political candidates to introduce themselves to the community. Many groups go all-out on their floats, sometimes even including live bands playing on their float throughout the parade.

DuBois says flyovers have been a fun addition since moving the parade back to U.S. Highway 40, and organizers hope to continue the trend this year.

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The parade was famous for its route down U.S. 40 until it was rerouted due to construction a few years ago. In 2019, thanks to some help and collaboration from many people including the Indiana Department of Transportation and the Town of Plainfield, the parade returned to its home route on U.S. 40.

Interest exploded, and there were more than 100 floats in the parade that year.

Typically there are about 70 floats in the parade, which starts in Duke Energy’s parking lot, drifts onto U.S. 40 west of Dan Jones Road, and goes all the way to Vestal Road. It’s a two-mile walk for participants.

“It’s really amazing how many people bring floats,” DuBois says.

“We had a flyover the very first year and the last year. The police and fire departments both participate as well as the National Guard and the Plainfield High School band, and we have a deejay to get everyone amped up.”

Each year the parade has a theme. This year the theme is “Love Your Neighbor” - fitting after a year of community rallying to endure the pandemic. There is also a float contest every year. The judging takes place before the parade, and winners are put in front of the parade and given banners to hold, announcing their status as a top float.

The festival, which takes place on the lawn of the historic Western Yearly Meeting of Friends, has always been a place for 28 / PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / SEPTEMBER 2021 / TownePost.com

local crafters and vendors to share their wares and missions. Among the many tents, attendees will find homemade soaps, kitchen and home decor items, baked goods, local honey, and many other handmade goods. There is even a car show from noon to 4 p.m., featuring vintage and classic cars.

Cathy Harris, pastor at Plainfield Friends Meeting, says in previous years, hot dogs, lamb burgers, pork chops and sloppy joes were served in the church basement. This year there will be food trucks serving lunch on the lawn in front of the church.

“There will be a variety of homemade crafts, some churches and businesses, the Lions Club, the American Legion, and even some who sell commercial products,” Harris says. “Any of the money raised goes to local missions and some Quaker missions. Some goes to church needs but most goes to missions.”

The Quakers were some of the earliest settlers in Plainfield. When they moved here from North Carolina to settle, they named it Guilford Township, which is a Quaker name. The local school mascot is even the Quakers.

“This event is one of the things we’re known for,” Harris says. “The church works so hard, but everyone has a lot of fun doing it. It’s just

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like going to the county fair. You get to see lots of people you haven’t seen in a while. Especially this year, after everyone’s been cooped up after a lockdown, everyone is ready to get out so we’re excited about it.”

While the event enriches local community connection and involvement, it also has ripple effects around the world. Once the festival is over, Plainfield Friends Meeting splits the proceeds and supports local groups and missions, such as Family Promise, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Food Pantry, the Church Federation of Greater Indianapolis, Stability Builder’s Network, and other local organizations and Quaker missions.

In the past, proceeds from the car show supported My Daily Walk, a local organization that assists low-income families with donations of shoes, coats and clothing.

This year, proceeds from the car show will benefit the HandiCapable Camp, an outdoor camp for people with physical, mental and emotional challenges. Several church members are involved with the camp, and according to Harris it’s an important mission of the church.

Another Quaker mission that benefits from the festival is Belize Friends Ministries. Dale Graves, who was well-loved in the local Hendricks County and Morgan County communities as well as in Quaker circles, was the director there. He passed away a year and a half ago, which makes supporting the mission even more important.

“That school has a very special place in our hearts as a church,” Harris says. “We try and support them however we can.”

The festival will take place this year on September 18 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 105 South East Street in Plainfield. The parade starts at 10 a.m. and the car show starts at noon. Many come as early as 9 a.m. to secure their spot along the route. The event is free, but attendees are encouraged to come prepared to shop the local vendors at the festival.

For more info, visit quakerdayfestival.org.

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