Sunday, May 5, 2013

You Never Know What You Have Until It's Gone

On Sunday, October 14th, 2012, at 1:30 pm, Mary Anne Snedden, 54, was driving down Brown Avenue in Turtle Creek, PA on her way to Walmart when a woman ran a red light on Tri Boro Avenue and broadsided Mary Anne’s car on the driver’s side. The force of the impact pushed Mary Anne’s car into oncoming traffic and she collided with two other cars. One car was pushed onto the sidewalk on the other side of the road. Mary Anne was the only one in the multi-vehicle accident to suffer major injuries. She was wearing her seat belt.The paramedics had to use the Jaws of Life to remove Mary Anne from her vehicle.

This picture shows how the Jaws of Life are used to open a vehicle
This is a Google Earth image of the intersection where the accident occurred

Mary Anne was taken to the trauma unit of Presbyterian University Hospital. She suffered multiple injuries to her pelvis - two breaks and three fractures, as well as a rib fracture. This type of injury is extremely serious and potentially fatal as the pelvis houses many important internal organs and if broken can cause severe internal bleeding. The following morning she was taken to surgery and a bar external to her body was screwed into her hips to stabilize her pelvis while it healed.
Mary Anne demonstrates how the stabilization bar was screwed into her hip bones to keep her pelvis in place

After spending ten days in the hospital Mary Anne was transferred to LGAR (Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic), a nursing home, until she was able to care for herself again. During this time she was not allowed to put any weight on her pelvic area. She had to sit at a 60° angle in a wheelchair. The stabilizing bar was removed after six weeks. She had to wait another two weeks before she was allowed to try to walk. Her first attempts at standing and walking exceeded everyone’s expectations. After only a few days with a walker she was able to walk with minimal assistance, and was released from the nursing home after spending a total of 58 days there.

She arrived home a few days before Christmas, two months earlier than anticipated. No adaptive equipment was necessary in her home. Even though her recovery to date has been remarkable, she still has a long way to go. She suffers with daily pain and is unable to return to her former job. Mary Anne and husband Terry, 58, feel family support and religious faith got them through. “I believe this experience has brought my wife and I closer together,” Terry said. Mary Anne and Terry have two children, Dan, 28, and Carissa, 22. 
Mary Anne and husband Terry stand tall seven months after the life-changing accident
Mary Anne Tells Story of Her Near-Fatal Car Crash Mary Anne Talks About Her Nursing Home Experience Mary Anne Talks About Her Recovery and What Got Her Through Mary Anne's Husband Terry Tells How The Accident Affected Him

Sunday, April 28, 2013

You Never Know What You Have Until It's Gone

The subject of my biography is my aunt, my father's brother's wife. She was in a near-fatal car crash in the Fall, and broke her pelvis in 3 places. After she was released from the hospital she was placed in a nursing home since she was not allowed to put any weight on her pelvis area for 2 months and had to learn walk again. 

Monday, April 22, 2013

Around the World in 3 Hours

I attended the Pittsburgh Folk Festival on Saturday April 20th for 3 hours in the evening and took pictures of various cultural exhibits including foods, crafts, and clothing from different countries as well as videos of cultural dances from China, England, and India. The countries covered throughout the evening were Hungary, Syria, Slavic countries, China, England, India, Peru, Lithuania, Turkey, and Poland.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Around the World in 4 Hours

For my Meograph assignment I would like to attend the Pittsburgh Folk Festival this coming Saturday April 20th from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm and capture my experiences through a timeline. I'll be eating the various foods, visiting the vendor market places, and watching dance performances and musicians from various countries around the world.

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Men in Skirts, a Tartan Day Celebration

Paul Thompson and Don Campbell, in their tartan (plaid) skirts, celebrate their Scottish heritage. The unique tartan patterns often identify a Scottish clan or regiment.
The Pittsburgh Tartan Day celebration was held on April 6th, 2013 at the Bethel Presbyterian Church. This is the event’s 15th year.This event celebrates Scottish Americans as well as the Scottish Declaration of Independence (Arbroath) in the year 1320 from English rule. The American Declaration of Independence was modeled after the Scottish Declaration of Arbroath. This Tartan Day was sponsored by the St. Andrews Society of Pittsburgh whose mission is “to preserve and promote Scottish Heritage and traditions through educational, philanthropic and social endeavors.” Events included Celtic music, Scottish foods, Scottish ware vendors, educational cultural workshops, and a silent auction to raise money for the Scottish arts. There was no charge for this event, but donations to the St. Andrews Society were encouraged. The donations and proceeds from the auction contribute to anyone who wishes to pursue studies in the Scottish arts. This event was of interest to me because of my Scottish heritage. 
The Pittsburgh Tartan Day Celebration was held at the Bethel Presbyterian Church on April 6, 2013 from 10:00 to 5:00 pm




The Callan Celtic music group, a band from Pittsburgh combines traditional Celtic music with modern jazz influences for a lively, upbeat sound. The word callan means ruckus in Gaelic. 




The cultural educational workshop topics included ones on Scotch whisky, geneaology, weaving, playing bagpipes, speaking Gaelic, Scottish surnames, jewelry making and Celtic symbols. This video includes snippets from some of the workshops and a swordsman in the exhibit area. The swordsman, Jim Roberts is a member of the Cateran society, which teaches how to use the Highland Broadsword, a Scottish fencing sword from the 1700s.


Kathy Wells demonstrates the traditional Scottish spinning of wool




Saturday, March 23, 2013

The Zircus Comes to Town

The Zany Umbrella Circus celebrated its tenth anniversary by performing "Cake" in Market Square in Pittsburgh, PA on Friday March 22, 2013. "Cake" integrates trapeze, clowning, mask-work, and other circus acts.