On a recent morning, Forrest Ault walked into AdventHealth Celebration with tremors in both arms so severe that he struggled with simple tasks such as drinking from a cup, writing or clearing the dinner table.

Just hours later, he drove back to his Central Florida home with his left arm restored to how it once was — the uncontrollable shake was gone.

“I was a one-armed man and now I have two arms again,” said Ault as he reflected back on those first moments after he became one of the first patients to undergo an incision-free brain surgery called Focused Ultrasound recently launched at AdventHealth.

Ault, who began experiencing tremors as early as his teens, had developed rhythmic shaking in both arms, but his left side – the one that was treated – was far worse. For years, doctors told him there wasn’t much that could be done to help.

Massive Impact of Minimally-Invasive Brain Surgery

That changed when he learned about the procedure technology by Insightec and talked with Dr. Chandan Reddy, a neurosurgeon at AdventHealth in Central Florida who performs the procedure.

“Talking with Dr. Reddy made me feel better than anything,” Ault said. “He was great.”

He said he was skeptical when he learned the results would happen so quickly and be so transformative.

“In your mind, you’re going, ‘Yeah, sure OK,’ and I was hoping for a 70% reduction or something like that,” he said. “But it was instantly no tremor at all!”

Ault’s wife, Anne, said she was stunned by the outcome. “When I saw him and he held out his hand, I just broke out crying,” she said. “The joy of seeing what that surgery did and accomplished… there aren’t any words.”

Reddy said he knew when he met Ault that the procedure could be a “life-changing event” for him as it is with many patients who suffer from essential tremor, which often interferes with everyday tasks and can cause discomfort or embarrassment in social situations.

How this Minimally-Invasive Brain Surgery Works

During the procedure, the patient undergoes an MRI while wearing a helmet with transducers that can focus more than a thousand beams to heat the exact point in the brain that is causing the tremors.

“The MRI allows us to target and also measure the temperature in the brain,” Reddy said. “This technology allows us to very precisely target and destroy a tiny area in the brain that’s part of the tremor circuit.”

While the Focused Ultrasound treatment is incision-free, patients must have their heads shaved and have a frame attached to their head to keep them motionless during the treatment.

The traditional alternative surgery to treat essential tremor typically requires an overnight hospital stay and weeks of recovery time because the skull must be opened to access the portion of the brain causing the tremor.

The minimally invasive nature of the Focused Ultrasound procedure played a big role in convincing Ault to move forward. His procedure was at 11 a.m. and he and his wife were on their way home by mid-afternoon, he said.

Orlando Offers Minimally-Invasive Brain Surgery

AdventHealth Celebration, just beyond Orlando, which launched the innovative treatment earlier this year, has performed more procedures than any other location in Central Florida with patients traveling from as far as Alaska.

The offering is the latest in AdventHealth’s suite of minimally invasive brain surgery techniques along with GammaKnife, LITT (Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy), Endoscopic endonasal skull-base surgery, endoscopic microvascular decompression and port-based surgeries.

AdventHealth, which is one of the Top 50 neurology and neurosurgery programs in the country, according to US News & World Report, has built its minimally invasive brain surgery program over 20 years to treat a variety of brain tumors and other disorders. Those techniques have provided excellent outcomes to a growing number of patients who seek out care at AdventHealth, said Dr. Mel Field, neurosurgeon and medical director of AdventHealth’s Minimally Invasive Brain Surgery Program.

“These procedures offer a gentler approach than traditional surgeries for certain tumors or disease that already have established treatments – and the outcomes are typically equal or better than those standard treatments,” Field said. “Minimally invasive brain surgery also offers people who have no other options, a way to treat deep or complicated brain disease.”

For Ault, the Focused Ultrasound procedure allowed him to return to things he loves such as cooking and painting and even perform simple chores like clearing the table after dinner and a “bunch of little things that no longer complicate your day.”

“If you qualify, you should go for it,” Ault said.

Too much Halloween candy got you spooked? Try some of these healthy tips for party snacks and trick-or-treats. These ideas are so good, it’s scary!

Curb the Candy Craze

The kids look adorable in their costumes and are counting down the days until the spookiest day of the year (October 31)! Are you ready for the sugar rush? With a little creativity, you can find fun ways to include some healthy options in the mix, whether you’re having a party with friends or trick-or-treating in the neighborhood.

For the Trick-or-Treater

• Fill up first. What kid doesn’t want to eat their favorite candy right when it goes into their trick-or-treat bag? Having a healthy meal BEFORE your kids go trick-or-treating can reduce their temptation to snack while walking or to overindulge because their tummies will be full.
• Bag the monster bag. Choose or make a smaller collection container for your child and steer clear of the pillowcase method. If you encourage kids to only take one piece of candy from each house, they’ll be able to visit more houses in the neighborhood.
• Get moving. Get some exercise by making Halloween a fun family activity. Walk instead of driving kids from house to house. This may be especially important for members of the disability community to note because statistics show that people with disabilities are less likely to be of healthy weight and more likely to be obese than people without disabilities. So, for Halloween, set a goal of how many houses or streets you’ll visit, or compete in teams to do as many as you can. Bring a bottle of water and a flashlight, and wear comfortable shoes for walking.
• Look before you eat. Check expiration dates and inspect all edibles before allowing children to eat them. Don’t let children eat anything with questionable or unknown ingredients, especially if they have food allergies.
• Have a plan. Halloween can be a great time to talk with kids about moderation and making smart eating choices. Plan in advance how much candy they’ll be allowed to take at each house, keep and eat. If they’re old enough, let them help decide what to do with excess candy. [See suggestions later on in this article.]

For the Party Host

• Up the fright factor. Serve healthy snacks dressed up in the Halloween theme. There are lots of creative ideas online at this time of year, like banana ghosts, apple monster mouths, carrot witch fingers, and candy-corn-colored fruit popsicles or parfaits!
• Play with food. Incorporate healthy foods into party activities, such as decorating oranges like Jack-O-Lanterns and bobbing for apples.
• Keep ’em on their feet. Include plenty of physical activities, like a zombie dance party, three-legged monster race, spider crawl, or pumpkin toss.
• Rethink the drink. Don’t forget that cutting back on sugary treats includes soda and sugar-sweetened beverages. Offer water, unsweetened tea, 100% juice, or fat-free/low-fat milk instead. Make a Halloween-themed punch from sparkling water and a splash of 100% orange juice, garnished with plenty of orange slices and black grapes or blackberries.

For the Stay-At-Home Crew

• No self-service. Hand out treats to each trick-or-treater – one per child – instead of letting them decide how much to take. If you have more than one item, ask them to choose which they prefer. This can help you get control of your Halloween budget, too!
• Avoid the whole mess. Want to avoid candy altogether, not to mention masses of kids at your door? Dress your family up in costumes and go see a movie or deliver healthy Halloween treats to your local police or fire station, nursing home or children’s hospital.
• Be that house. You don’t have to pass out candy on Halloween. Start a new tradition and give out healthier treats or non-edible items. Don’t worry, we’re not talking about toothbrushes! Get creative, and keep it colorful and kid-friendly. Here are some ideas…

Healthier edible treats:

• Clementines, blood oranges, or oranges decorated like Jack-O-Lanterns (with non-toxic ink)
• 100% juice boxes or pouches
• Snack-sized packages of pretzels, popcorn, graham crackers, dried fruit or vegetables, trail mix, nuts, or pumpkin seeds
• 100% real fruit strips, ropes or leathers
• Squeezable yogurt tubes or pouches
• Single-serving containers of mandarin oranges
• Sugar-free gum
  
  Non-edible items:
• Glow sticks or small glow-in-the-dark toys
• Bouncy balls
• Mini plush toys and wind-up toys
• Crayons and coloring books (or intricate coloring pages for older kids)
• Stickers or stamps
• Temporary tattoos
• Bubble makers
• Spider rings or vampire teeth
• Slime, putty or squishy toys
• Friendship bracelets

Be careful to avoid giving very small items that could be a choking hazard to little ones.

What to Do with Excess Candy

Afraid you’ll be dealing with an excess of Halloween treats until long after Valentine’s Day? Here are some ideas for enjoying the evening’s haul responsibly and getting rid of leftover candy:

• Let each child keep enough candy to have one or two pieces a day for one or two weeks (long enough for the excitement to wane). Throw away, donate or re-purpose the rest.
• When your child asks for a piece of candy, pair it with a healthy snack, such as an apple, banana, nuts, or celery with peanut butter.
• “Buy back” candy from your child with money or tokens they can trade in for a fun activity, like a day at the zoo, an afternoon playing at the park, going ice skating, or a day at the pool.
• Some dentists’ offices have buy-back or trade-in programs, too.
• Save it for holiday baking.
• Save it to fill the piñata at the next birthday celebration or give out with Valentine cards.
• Use it in an arts and crafts project or to decorate a holiday gingerbread house.
• Donate excess candy to a homeless shelter, children’s hospital, or care package program for troops overseas. A familiar sweet treat from home can be comforting during the holidays.

Have no fear – you got this! Let’s make Halloween fun, spooky, and a little healthier, too.

Source: American Heart Association

For more Halloween-themed content, check out the following AmeriDisability articles:

• Colored Pumpkins Boldly Promote Disability Inclusion & Other Efforts
• How to Make Halloween Inclusive for all Trick-or-Treaters
• Bootifully Adaptive Halloween Costumes for Trick-or-Treaters of All Abilities

With back-to-school schedules in full swing, mornings are pretty hectic for families. For parents of children with ADHD (like mine), the struggle seems especially tough attempting to navigate getting out of bed, serving a picky-eater-approved breakfast, tackling morning hygiene, dressing efficiently, monitoring medications, and packing all of the day’s necessities.

As a mother of a child with ADHD, mealtime is NOT my favorite time of day. Yes, it’s common for little ones to be picky eaters. But then layer on a suppressed appetite, sensory issues, and so on. Still, I know that packing my babe with nutrition is important on many levels. And that, of course, holds true for all parents, whether your child has ADHD, other special needs, or is considered typical. A healthy breakfast can give your student a brain and body boost that’ll last all day long.

It’s possible to prepare easy breakfasts that’ll power little learners, in spite of the morning rush. Fresh fruit is a breakfast staple, and a nutritious option like watermelon is a sweet way to satisfy hunger (and thirst). As a refreshing ingredient or standalone treat, watermelon includes just 80 calories and no fat. It’s an excellent source of vitamin C (25%) and because it’s made of 92% water, it’s a flavorful way to encourage kids to start a busy day well hydrated.

A bowl of watermelon cut into cubes, balls, or fun shapes is a winning idea, but you can also think outside the rind. Here are ways to give watermelon a place at your breakfast table:

• Top a grain-based cereal like corn flakes or oatmeal with bite-size bits.
• Make watermelon donuts for a grab-and-go delight.
• Freeze cubes overnight and use them in place of ice in smoothies.
• Put a twist on a breakfast favorite with watermelon oat flour waffles.
• Add a layer of oat crumble to a bowl of watermelon balls for a savory, satisfying treat.

It’s All in the Preparation

Kid-Friendly Cuts
It’s no secret that kids gravitate toward fun foods. Watermelon is a versatile fruit that offers plenty of serving options that let kids get hands-on and creative.

Slices
A classic watermelon slice may be basic, but it does have a few tricks up its sleeve. With the rind on, it’s an instant finger food with a built-in “handle.” Add a wooden stick for watermelon you can eat like a sucker, or pop it in the freezer for a cool way to start the day.

Cubes
Simple and versatile cubes are a solution for banishing breakfast boredom. You can cube a melon and use them differently every day of the week by eating them on their own, mixing in a fruit salad, layering with other ingredients, blending in a smoothie and more.

Sticks
There’s nothing like a dipper to get kids’ attention. A watermelon stick offers a bit of rind to hold onto and a juicy strip of sweet melon that’s perfect for dunking in a cup of yogurt or fruit dip.

Cutouts
Cut watermelon into thin slices and use cookie cutters to create a treat that shows off creativity.

Recipes for Success

Try these yummy recipes…

Watermelon Oat Flour Waffles
Yield: 8 waffles

Ingredients

Waffles:

• 1 cup old-fashioned or regular oats
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup watermelon juice
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 4 egg whites
• nonstick cooking spray

Garnish:

• 2 cups plain Greek yogurt
• 3 cups watermelon, diced 1/2 inch
• fresh mint leaves
• powdered sugar (optional)
• honey (optional)

Directions

• Preheat Belgian or regular waffle iron.
• In a blender, process oat flakes into flour.
• In a bowl, mix oat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix in watermelon juice and oil.
• Whip egg whites into stiff peaks and fold into batter.
• Spray hot waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray. Pour batter into waffle iron and bake 3-4 minutes, or according to waffle iron instructions. Repeat with the remaining batter.
• Garnish waffles with yogurt, watermelon cubes, mint sprigs, powdered sugar, and honey, if desired.

Watermelon Donuts
Servings: 1

Ingredients

• 2 slices seedless watermelon, 1 1/2 inches thick
• 2 tablespoons nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 pinch sugar
• vanilla, to taste
• 9 slivered almonds

Directions

• Cut out donut shapes from watermelon slices.
• Sweeten Greek yogurt with sugar and vanilla, to taste, to create the frosting.
• Frost half of watermelon donuts with half of the frosting. Add a layer of remaining watermelon donuts and top with remaining frosting.
• Sprinkle toasted almonds over top and serve.

For more watermelon recipes, visit watermelon.org.

Nancy DeVault is an award-winning writer/editor contributing to local and national publications. Her storytelling spans a wide range of topics, including charity, disability, food, health, lifestyle, parenting, relationships, and travel. She is married with two kiddos and describes herself as a lover of the outdoors, fitness, news, traveling and binge reading magazines while sipping coffee.

Can you believe it’s been seven years since social media newsfeeds were dominated by the Ice Bucket Challenge? In case your brain is frozen in time from all that ice, let me refresh your memory. In 2014, the Ice Bucket Challenge was the hottest (well, coolest) viral sensation intended to generate awareness for ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), and specifically for The ALS Association. This nonprofit is dedicated to finding a cure for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, and supporting those afflicted with the progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.

How It Worked

The challenge was this: Either pour a bucket of ice water over your head or make a meaningful donation to an ALS charity to advance research ─ preferably both. Participants were then asked to share video proof on social media and tag (to nominate) others to partake in the icy dare too. Maybe the shock of the ice was intended as punishment for those that chose to just do the social bucket dump rather than donate to the cause. I’m not sure. But millions bravely poured buckets and, thankfully, donations poured in as well.

Did It Work?

The Ice Bucket Challenge was perhaps the coolest dare of its kind to date. But, as awareness campaigns tend to do overtime, the online push naturally burnt out. According to The ALS Association, however, the Ice Bucket Challenge has a lasting impact. Here are some things we learned: 

• The Power of One (to Millions): Pete Frates and his family helped start this groundbreaking effort. The former Boston College baseball captain was diagnosed in 2012 at the age of 27. Then, in 2014 as an active volunteer for The ALS Association (Massachusetts Chapter), this one warm-hearted person started the coolest challenge with simple, good intentions that impacted the cause (and your own social media page) beyond expectations.
• Social Media Driven: Seven years ago, I was thrilled and impressed that The ALS Association achieved monumental attention with this viral dare. Seriously, think about how big the Ice Bucket Challenge became. Professional athletes, politicians (including Presidents), celebrities and, of course, tons of your Facebook friends all participated. It was incredible to watch social media influence millions of people and, as a result, drive philanthropy.
• Money Talks: An estimated 17 million people raised more than $200 million worldwide for the fight against ALS. According to The ALS Association website, the Ice Bucket Challenge generated $115 million for their national office in 2014 alone. This spurred a massive increase in the Association’s capacity to invest in promising research, the development of assistive technologies and increased access to care and services for people living with ALS. An independent research organization reported that donations from the 2014 Ice Bucket Challenge enabled The ALS Association to increase its annual funding for research around the world by 187 percent!

Let’s Keep Awareness Cool

Presently, as stated by The ALS Association, people with ALS are at risk of even greater life-threatening complications if they contract the coronavirus. For the ALS community, that means extreme isolation to ensure that persons with ALS, and their family members, are not exposed to COVID-19. To keep ALS awareness and fundraising going during these uncertain times of the pandemic, the Association recently produced a PSA that illustrates when the pandemic weans, people living with ALS will still struggle to do the things most take for granted every day if we don’t come together around the cause. Check out the “When This is Over” PSA here.

Sadly, Pete Frates died in December 2019 at the age of 34. He left behind a loving and supportive family, including his wife Julie, daughter Lucy, parents John and Nancy, and siblings Andrew and Jennifer. Pete also left behind a lasting legacy that we can all learn from.

His selfless leadership helped The ALS Association become a top funder of ALS-related research and advances. Most recently, in September 2021, the Association announced it had created a new diagnostic guide, called thinkALS. This will help neurologists more quickly diagnose ALS. Earlier diagnoses allow patients to participate in clinical trials and access treatments and benefits sooner, as well as receive care services support.

I tip my bucket — oh, I mean my hat– to the Frates family, The ALS Association and, of course, the many participates who took the challenge and, more importantly, now keep the conversation surrounding ALS advancement going. Look, the Ice Bucket Challenge significantly broadened the audience to hear The ALS Association’s important call to action. Until there’s a cure, there has to be care. Seven years later, I still care. Do you? I hope so. Check out ways to get involved at als.org/get-involved.

Nancy DeVault is an award-winning writer/editor contributing to local and national publications. Her storytelling spans a wide range of topics, including charity, disability, food, health, lifestyle, parenting, relationships and travel. Married with two kiddos, Nancy describes herself as a lover of the outdoors, fitness, news, traveling and binge reading magazines while sipping coffee.