By SARAH DOOLITTLE, Four Points News

Pierce Your Heart, an event that is free and open to the public, will be hosted on Valentine’s Day Feb. 14 at the Medical Towers at Riverplace to benefit Four Points resident Pierce Broe.

Pierce Broe, his face slightly swollen from steroid therapy, shows off his fishing skills. 

Pierce, an 11 year-old student at River Place Elementary, is in many ways an ordinary fifth grader–he has two brothers and one sister and loves fishing, lacrosse and his friends.

In June of 2013, Pierce spent a lot of time at home making the colorful woven paracord bracelets so popular with other kids his age. He kept having to ask his mom for help, though, because he couldn’t grip with the fingers on his left hand. His parents, Janel and Kevin Broe, were stumped but mostly unconcerned. Pierce is, after all, a boy’s boy and they assumed he had injured the arm in some act of daredevil athleticism.

Over the next couple of weeks, however, his left arm continued to weaken. Gradually Pierce’s stride also changed until, her son no longer able to walk without difficulty, Janel took him to see the family pediatrician. That was on a Friday afternoon. Within hours, tests had detected a tumor in Pierce’s brain and he was admitted to Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas. By Sunday, Dell neurosurgeon Dr. Timothy George performed a biopsy. Continue reading →

By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

Photos by Paula Schumann

River Place Elementary hosted its first Family Night Out to Build a Healthy Heart recently and dozens of families came out to enjoy.

“We had over 250 people brave the cold and ice to come eat, shop a farmers market, be active and listen to Lindsey Carmichael speak,” said Sara Milam, RPE volunteer and organizer of the Jan. 23 event.  

Carmichael gave a demonstration and spoke about  “just try it,” you never know what might happen. That’s how she became an archery Olympian and scholar.

Carmichael, who is from Lago Vista, was diagnosed at the age of four with McCune-Albright syndrome. She experienced a number of bone fractures and surgeries. This required her to use body casts, crutches and a wheelchair at various times. She overcame numerous obstacles as her femurs and tibias eventually required the support of steel and titanium rods.

In the 2004 Paralympic games in Athens, Carmichael placed sixth overall in archery and set a world record. In 2008 at the Beijing Olympics, she took bronze. In 2011, she was listed on the University of Texas Dean’s Distinguished Graduate list. Continue reading →

The newly opened Medical Towers at Riverplace hosted its grand opening event last week with office tours and refreshments. Four Points Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting too. 

Arise Capital Investments CEO Eric Perardi introduced the various doctors and their practices at the event.

Shown in the above photo are many of the doctors and executives at the new site or soon to come.

Here is a list of those practicing at Medical Towers:

• Advanced Rehabilitation, Dr. AJ Zelinski 
• Texan Urgent Care, Dr. Jesse Steven Rodriguez
• Texan Urgent Care, Dr. Ashish Singhal
•  River Place Imaging and Women’s Center, Dr. Josh Lucas
• Austin Pain Associates, Dr. Adnan A. Khan
• River Place OBGYN, Dr. John Thoppil
• Happy Mental Wellness Center, Dr. Nadia Bening
• Precision Podiatry, Dr. Ryan Shock
• Hill Country Apothecary, Jana Downing, Pharm D
• Hill Country Apothecary,  Adam Metcalf, Pharm D
• Arise Hospital with Arise Imaging Center, Diana Zamora, CEO
• Neurology Clinic, Dr. Marci Roy
• Greater Austin Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, Dr. Ron Cox and Dr. Eric Schultz
• Dr. Marty Molina, who will open up a med spa coming early summer 2014.

Also in the photo is Perardi, Jared Leger, CEO Arise Heathcare, Bruce Johnson, CDO Arise Healthcare, Marcena Sorrels, CFO Arise Healthcare, and Rick Benson CFO Arise Capital Investments.

Arise Capital Investments CEO Eric Perardi introduced the various doctors and their practices at the event.

By LIZ BARNARD, Four Points News

Canyon Ridge Middle School math APS teacher, Jill VanVoorhis, is 26 and fighting Stage 2 cervical cancer.

VanVoorhis completed her first treatment and from the side effects alone, she made the decision to take a leave from work.

“It was a choice I didn’t want to make, but felt like it was best for me,” she said. VanVoorhis will be taking leave unpaid. Medical expenses will not be entirely covered by insurance and, of course, VanVoorhis and her husband will suffer an impact from lost wages.

This is the second year VanVoorhis has been teaching at CRMS.

“I moved here for the job. I didn’t know anyone or have any family here.” She grew up in a small town south of Dallas. New to Austin, VanVoorhis turned to Google to locate a new church. On that first Sunday, she was running late. She saw a different church than her original destination, Cedar Park Church of Christ, and realized as people were filing in, that she should just go there and be on time.

That day she met a great friend, Rachel. “I invited her to sit with my parents and I and tried to get to know her a little bit before worship services started. It was very exciting to have another girl at church my age with similar backgrounds and interests,” Rachel said.

From there, Rachel introduced VanVoorhis to other young adults in the church, including her brother Lance. As it turns out, VanVoorhis married Lance only seven weeks after their introduction.

Lance and Jill VanVoorhis

“I think we have the best love story ever,” said VanVoorhis.

Continue reading →