Getting a flu vaccine during 2020-2021 is more important than ever because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Flu vaccination is especially important for people who are at high risk for the flu; many of whom are also at high risk for COVID-19.
It has been recognized for many years that people 65 years and older have a greater chance of developing serious complications from the flu compared to young, healthy adults. This risk is due in part to changes in immune defenses with increasing age. While flu seasons vary in severity, during most seasons, people in this age group bear the greatest burden of severe flu disease. The same can be said for COVID-19.
But age is not the only risk factor. Adults of any age with any of the underlying medical conditions listed below are also at increased risk.
Asthma and COPD – Heart disease – Diabetes – Chronic kidney disease – Liver disease – Cancer – Pregnancy – Obesity – Smoking/History of smoking
People with these types of conditions, and those who are immunocompromised for other reasons, are more susceptible of developing serious complications from the flu. Many of these conditions also increase the likelihood for serious outcomes from COVID-19.
If you fall in the high-risk category, vaccination is especially important. When you get vaccinated for the flu, you reduce your risk of getting sick and possibly being hospitalized or even dying. In turn, by staying healthy this flu season, you help conserve potentially scarce health care resources needed to help those battling COVID-19. Click here for more flu-related information.

Oklahoma man battling rare disease inspires others

For many families, COVID-19 has changed the way we celebrate Thanksgiving this year. Still, a young father of four in Elgin, Oklahoma shows others that gratitude can exist even in the face of adversity.
Tyler Fikes is not one in a million, but he is one in about 100,000 people each year who develop a rare condition known as Guillain Barre Syndrome, a disorder in which the body’s own immune system attacks its nerves. The cause of GBS is not clear, but it is preceded by a viral infection in some people. Fikes recalls he had just gotten over a cold when he first noticed symptoms.
“It was Thursday about noon. I’d been working at my computer. It had kind of the same sensation as if your arm or something went to sleep and it was waking up, that little pins and needles feeling. I thought well maybe I’m holding my hands against the side of the desk or something and I didn’t really give it much thought,” he said.
Within days, though, he was in the hospital, paralyzed from the neck down.
“So, from Thursday at noon to early Monday morning, that’s how long it took. I went from being able to do whatever I want to literally not being able to scratch my own nose,” Fikes remarked.
Doctors prepared Fikes and his wife Savannah for the worst. The disease was progressing fast and there was a very real possibility that Fikes would lose the ability to breathe without the help of a ventilator. Still, Fikes did not lose his faith or his determination.
“You do what you do. This is the hand that I was dealt, and God said, ‘Do it.’ and we said, ‘Okay.’ I had a lot of prayers. I actually had people praying for me from the Philippines, India, you know all over the world. By the next morning, they said, ‘it looks like it has stopped progressing. It should be all recovery from here. And here we are two years later still recovering,” he said with a smile.
That was two years ago. Today, at Valir Physical Therapy in Elgin, Fikes continues to do the hard work of recovery. Physical therapist Stephani Chambers has been at his side month after month, witnessing firsthand his true grit in action.
“He doesn’t have that give up factor. He’s like, ‘No, let’s try it again even when he is purely exhausted,” Chambers said. “He would always be like, ‘No, let’s give it one more, come on we can try it again.’ I’m like, ‘OK, let’s try it again.’ You could throw a lot at him and he’s going to give it every ounce of effort he’s got. He’s going to give it everything plus some.”
Steadily, Fikes made progress. He experienced wins. First, getting out of the wheelchair, then the ability to dress and feed himself. The road to recovery was not without setbacks, but those never phased Fikes. For him, it was just part of the process.
“You’re working, you’re making progress, leaps and bounds and then it just stops for a while; and then all of the sudden, it’s like, I haven’t tried that in a while. And you try it, and it just works. It’s like, hey, that’s motivation to get to the next plateau,” he explained. Chambers says Fikes has always had the right combination of commitment and belief.
“I always tell patients therapy is 50 percent what you put into it and 50 percent what you believe about it. He’s got both components. He’s got the mind component and the effort component. So, his process is 100 percent his to gain,” she said.
Fikes has definitely seen gains over the past two years at Valir. He regained not only the ability to walk, but the ability to drive again too. He struggles still to regain full use of his hand; but when his fourth child was born, he cut the cord himself – another meaningful victory for Fikes. His newest goal is to regain the ability to pick up his children.
“Right now, I can kind of cradle them in my arms and use my shoulders and my core to kind of pick them up, but being able to pick them up with my hands and do stuff would be really nice. But we work around what we got,” he said.
Fikes’s never-say-never attitude is inspiring to all who know and meet him.
“To see the different milestones he’s hit each time is really rewarding. We’ve all cried with him when he’s cried and Savannah’s cried, and we all have those happy tears when we hit those other milestones,” Chambers said. Through it all, both the ups and the downs, Fikes and his wife Savannah stay rooted in faith, always looking to the future with optimism. Although it is not the path he would have chosen to take over the past two years, Fikes believes there is always light even in dark times. He explained that were it not for the tests done when he developed GBS, a nodule on his thyroid might have been missed.
“You know, if I hadn’t had this, I would be walking around with potentially deadly cancer and I wouldn’t know it. So, you know, it’s all going to work out and my job is to just keep working,” he said.
And in a year that has pulled the rug out from under many people everywhere due to COVID-19, Fikes shared this perspective:
“You with deal with what life gives you. You keep on going and the sun comes up in the east and sets in the west. That’s what you do.”

OKLAHOMA CITY ZOO MOURNS DEATH OF MALE INDIAN RHINO, ARUN

The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden is sad to announce the death of male Indian rhino, Arun, 30. Caretakers discovered Arun in the Zoo’s rhino barn at Sanctuary Asia on Thursday, October 29 at approximately 7:30 a.m. when they arrived to start their day. Arun came to the OKC Zoo in 2019 from the Fort Worth Zoo as part of a breeding recommendation through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros Species Survival Plan (SSP) and was paired with the Zoo’s Indian rhino Niki, 12. They are the parents of the Zoo’s week-old, female rhino calf born on Friday, October 23. (Story continues below)

Caretakers reported that Arun had exhibited some abnormal behavior in being less eager to participate in training over the last few weeks. However, he still participated in blood collection practices almost daily, and his most recent bloodwork came back normal. The Zoo’s veterinary team will conduct a necropsy (animal autopsy, including histopathology) to help determine the cause of death. The median life expectancy for Indian rhinos according to the AZA’s Species Survival Statistics is 30.2 years.
“Arun was a great rhino and ambassador for his species who had a special connection with our caretakers and guests alike,” said Rachel Emory, OKC Zoo’s curator of elephants and rhinos. “Though we are sad by his loss, we know Arun’s legacy will live on through his daughter. We look forward to watching her grow and are hopeful she too will contribute to the survival of this species through a successful breeding program.”
Weather permitting of 50 degrees or warmer, Shanti, Niki and her calf will be on view at Sanctuary Asia. Niki and baby will have outdoor access to a secluded habitat area viewable to guests riding the Elephant Express tram.
Native to India and Nepal, Indian rhinos, also known as greater one-horned rhinos, can weigh more than 3,000 pounds. These impressive animals are known for their single horn and tough skin that resembles body armor. Indian rhinos are currently listed as “vulnerable” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Through successful conservation programs, Indian rhino populations in the wild have increased to more 3,600 animals. However, there is a continuing decline in the quality of their natural habitat and the species continues to be illegally hunted for its horn.
The OKC Zoo is helping save Indian rhinos by supporting the International Rhino Foundation’s efforts to protect vulnerable and critically endangered rhinos and their habitat in India with money from the Round Up for Conservation Fund. The Zoo’s Round Up for Conservation program encourages guests to donate their change from any Zoo purchase to help protect wildlife and wild places around the world. Members of the Zoo’s American Association of Zookeepers chapter have also raised more than $373,000 for rhinos in Asia and Africa through its fundraising efforts since 1990.
Zoo fans are invited to post favorite photos and memories of Arun on social media at Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
The Oklahoma City Zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Advance tickets are required for all guests and ZOOfriends members and can be purchased at www.okczoo.org/tickets. Zoo tickets are limited each day to ensure safe social distancing among guests. Located at the crossroads of I-44 and I-35, the OKC Zoo is a proud member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the American Alliance of Museums, Oklahoma City’s Adventure District and an Adventure Road partner. Regular admission is $12 for adults and $9 for children ages 3-11 and seniors ages 65 and over. Children two and under are admitted free. Stay up-to-date with the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and by visiting Our Stories. Zoo fans can support the OKC Zoo by becoming a member. Memberships can be purchased at ZOOfriends.org or any place admission is sold in the Zoo’s Entry Plaza during regular business hours. To learn more about this event and Zoo other happenings, call (405) 424-3344 or visit okczoo.org.

Dear Savvy Senior,

Writing a will has never been a high priority to me but this lingering coronavirus crisis has changed my thinking. Can you recommend some good do-it-yourself resources to help me write a simple will?

Getting Older

Dear Getting,
The coronavirus crisis has changed the way a lot of people look at things, including wills. Currently, fewer than half of American adults have prepared a will. But having a last will and testament is important because it ensures that your money and property will be distributed to the people you want to receive it after your death.
If you die without a will, your estate will be settled in accordance with state law. Details vary by state, but assets typically are distributed using a hierarchy of survivors. Assets go to first to a spouse, then to children, then your siblings, and so on.
You also need to be aware that certain accounts take precedence over a will. If you jointly own a home or a bank account, for example, the house, and the funds in the account, will go to the joint holder, even if your will directs otherwise. Similarly, retirement accounts and life insurance policies are distributed to the beneficiaries you designate, so it is important to keep them up to date too.
Online Will Makers
If you have a simple, straightforward estate and an uncomplicated family situation, writing your own will – with the help of a good online will making program – is a viable alternative to hiring an attorney and much cheaper. Like tax software, these online tools will guide you through a series of questions and will insert your answers into a will for you, and it usually takes less that 20 minutes from start to finish.
Three top-rated do-it-yourself options include the Quicken WillMaker & Trust 2021 downloadable software (available at nolo.com) that costs $100 and works with Windows and Macs and is valid in every state except Louisiana; LegalZoom (legalzoom.com), which offers basic wills for $89 or $99 if you’d like assistance from an independent attorney; and Trust & Will (trustandwill.com) which charges $89 for a basic will.
If that’s more than you’re willing to pay, consider FreeWill (freewill.com), which is a completely free will making resource made possible with the support of nonprofit organizations.
When to Hire a Lawyer
If you have considerable financial assets or a complex family situation, like a blended family or child with special needs, it would be smart for you to seek professional advice. An experienced lawyer can make sure you cover all your bases, which can help avoid family confusion and squabbles after you’re gone.
The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (naela.org) and the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils (naepc.org) websites are good resources that have directories to help you find someone in your area.
Costs will vary depending on your location and the complexity of your situation, but you can expect to pay somewhere between $200 and $1,000 to get your will made. To help you save, shop around and get price quotes from several different firms. And before you meet with an attorney, make a detailed list of your assets and accounts to help make your visit more efficient.
Make it Valid
Be aware that to make your will valid, you must sign and date it and have it witnessed according to the laws of your state. Most states require two witnesses who are not listed as beneficiaries in your will to watch you sign it. Some states also require that a notary witness the signing as well. Nationalnotary.org can tell you if a notary is needed to legalize a will in your state, if remote notary services are available, and how to access such online services to execute your will if you are sheltering at home during the pandemic.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

Calls Continue For Congress To Replenish Emergency Funding For Hospitals And Long Term Care Facilities And For States To Take Additional Measures To Control Community Spread

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), representing more than 14,000 nursing homes and assisted living communities across the country that provide care to approximately five million people each year, released a report today showing nursing homes in the U.S. continue to see a record number of weekly new cases this month due to the community spread among the general population, surpassing previous peaks since the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) started tracking cases in nursing homes.

Recent data released by Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) show that with the recent spike in new COVID cases in the general U.S. population, weekly nursing home cases are also on the rise. According to Johns Hopkins University, weekly new COVID cases in the general U.S. population rose by 229 percent to 796,761 new cases the week of November 8. A correlating uptick in new cases in nursing homes occurred when cases in the surrounding community started rising back in mid-September.
As experts have repeatedly noted, COVID-19 cases in a surrounding community is a top factor in outbreaks in nursing homes. University of Chicago’s Tamara Konetzka, a nationally recognized expert on long-term care, recently said, “Trying to protect nursing home residents without controlling community spread is a losing battle.” Dr. David Grabowski, professor of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School recently stated, “The strongest predictor of whether or not we’ll see cases in [a particular setting] is community spread.”
“Our worst fears have come true as COVID runs rampant among the general population, and long term care facilities are powerless to fully prevent it from entering due to its asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic spread,” stated Mark Parkinson, President and CEO of AHCA/NCAL. “Our health care heroes are doing everything they can to prevent it from spreading further, but this level of COVID nationwide puts serious strain on our workforce, supplies, and testing capacity. If everybody would wear a mask and social distance to reduce the level of COVID in the community, we know we would dramatically reduce these rates in long term care facilities.”

During the second week of November, nearly half (49 percent) of new COVID cases in nursing homes were from Midwest states with major spikes in community spread in the upper parts of the region. As a result, the Midwest region saw a 275 percent increase in weekly COVID cases in nursing homes since mid-September.
After seven weeks of declining cases in nursing homes through mid-September, nursing home cases began to increase as nearly all 50 states have started to see rising levels of COVID cases. New weekly cases in nursing homes grew by more than 110 percent nationwide between mid-September and the week of November 8.
The report also showed COVID-related deaths in nursing homes are starting to rise, 69 percent increase since late September. Nursing home residents are typically older adults with multiple chronic conditions, making them most vulnerable to COVID-19. Residents of long term care facilities account for only eight percent of the nation’s cases, yet 40 percent of its deaths. While mortality rates have decreased compared to the spring due to a better understanding of the virus, better treatments, and government resources to help reduce spread, industry leaders remain deeply concerned that the rising number of new COVID cases in facilities will ultimately lead to an increasing number of deaths.
“We are especially concerned that this situation will only get worse with Thanksgiving just around the corner,” continued Parkinson. “The public must realize that their actions not only endanger our nation’s most vulnerable, but also trigger government lockdowns of facilities, keeping these residents from their loved ones. This is detrimental to their health, wellbeing and happiness. We urge everyone to do their part to slow the spread immediately and exercise caution when celebrating Thanksgiving.”
With rising new COVID cases across the country, Parkinson said Congress must prioritize frontline health care workers and long term care residents during the lame duck session. Last week AHCA/NCAL released a list of actions that Congress should urgently take to help nursing homes and assisted living communities respond to the uptick in new cases.
Most of the $175 billion Provider Relief Fund provided by the CARES Act back in April has already been distributed and Parkinson said health care providers, including long term care facilities, will need additional funds to continue the response to the COVID pandemic heading into the cold and flu season. The financial aid is crucial in helping long term care facilities acquire personal protective equipment, conduct regular testing, and hire additional staff or reward current caregivers for their heroic efforts. “Congress must fulfill its duty,” stated Parkinson. “Without adequate funding and resources, the U.S. is repeating the same mistakes made during the initial outbreak last spring and the major spike over the summer. We need Congress to prioritize our vulnerable seniors and their caregivers in long term care facilities, by passing another COVID relief package during the lame duck session on Congress.”
For more information, please visit www.ahcancal.org/coronavirus.

When Mary Schneeberger’s 100-year-old pecan tree snapped during October’s ice storm, part of her heart broke right along with it.
“It lost a major portion of its trunk and its future is in jeopardy,” said Schneeberger, who lives in Oklahoma City’s Mesta Park neighborhood. “It’s just a beautiful tree that adds so much to the house and the property. I was devastated.”
But her boyfriend, Adam Cohen, offered up a silver lining thanks to coworkers at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. Cohen, OMRF’s senior vice president and general counsel, knew that foundation scientists Patrick Gaffney, M.D., and Michael McDaniel had decades of experience as woodworkers. (Story continues below)

“I called Pat and Mike and they hurried over to look at the tree,” said Cohen. “They each told Mary they thought they’d be able to make her keepsakes from the wood.”
Gaffney said he thought he could fashion some tables, while McDaniel would aim for a selection of salad bowls and vases. “We’re very excited, because we’ve seen their work, and they’re both incredibly talented craftsmen,” said Cohen.
But Schneeberger’s silver lining will take time. Like science, woodworking has its roots in patience.
Gaffney and McDaniel recently wrapped two years of work on nearly 30 original tables, bowls and vases from an ailing sweetgum tree. The diseased tree belonged to Gaffney’s senior lab manager, Kiely Grundahl.
“Sweetgum is a challenging, unpredictable wood to work with,” said McDaniel, whose work from the tree is on display at The Art Hall in Oklahoma City through Nov. 30. “But once I saw it had a fungus, all kinds of possibilities and options started racing through my head.”
Under the right conditions, fungal growth in wood results in a sought-after feature called “spalting.” The natural decaying process develops unique coloration, dark lines and patterns in lumber. Art, meet science.
Divided between the artisans, the wood from Grundahl’s tree was stored for a year to allow spalting to continue and for the lumber to dry. For Gaffney and McDaniel, the wood proved a boon for all the extra time spent around the house in 2020.
Like most of OMRF’s workforce, Gaffney spent the early days of the pandemic working from home. If he got stuck on a research problem, he’d head out to the small woodshop in his garage to do some thinking while sanding slabs or treating the wood from Grundahl’s sweetgum. “I think it even made me more productive with my science. It was the perfect place to think,” he said.
McDaniel also finds respite in the craft. A self-taught woodworker, he fell in love with the hobby when a storm knocked down several Kentucky coffeetrees on his property.
“Every step is rewarding and peaceful in its own way. It’s honestly not too complicated, just time-consuming and requires creativity when things don’t go as planned. Part of the fun is finding the beauty in the chaos,” McDaniel said.
Gaffney and McDaniel’s garages are now full of future projects. Oklahoma City officials estimate the recent ice storm generated 100,000 tons of debris, and the pair got plenty of calls.
OMRF’s Cohen said he knows it may be years before he and Mary see what beauty can be found in the storm’s damage, but it will be well worth the wait.
“If Pat and Mike are able to take a moment of loss and transform it into something beautiful Mary can treasure,” he said, “that will make her immensely happy.”

OU Health, Mercy and SSM Health St. Anthony are teaming up with 100 of the nation’s top hospitals and healthcare systems to deliver an urgent plea for all Americans: Mask up, because wearing a facemask is the best chance at slowing the surging COVID-19 pandemic.
More than 11 million Americans have tested positive for the virus – including an additional 1 million in just the past week – leading to 245,000 deaths. In Oklahoma, nearly 160,000 people have been infected by the virus and more than 1,500 people have died. Last week, Oklahoma saw a 74.8% increase in cases over the week before, according to data from the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

“We’re seeing more COVID-19 patients than ever coming into our emergency departments in desperate need of care but we are running out of room,” said Jim Gebhart, Community President of Mercy Oklahoma Communities. “We have to reduce the exponential increase of community spread before it’s too late.”
“The nation’s top hospitals and healthcare systems are partnering at this crucial time to deliver a unified message: Wear a mask to slow the surge of COVID-19,” said Chuck Spicer, President and CEO of OU Medicine, which is part of OU Health. “We urge people across Oklahoma and the nation to do their part to decrease the spread of COVID-19. This is a time when we must all join together to defeat a virus that is taking far too many lives.”
“As caregivers, our mission is to care for all patients with all conditions at all levels of care, but our hospitals are at maximum capacity,” stated Joe Hodges, Regional President, SSM Health Oklahoma. “We coordinate daily to create capacity where we can, but we are running out of ways to do that. We need the community’s help to support our valued physicians and nurses on the frontlines by wearing a mask to stay safe and reduce the infection rates.”

In this joint campaign, OU Health, Mercy and SSM Health and the nation’s top healthcare systems emphasize that current trends in the pandemic are daunting and frightening. If the nation stays on its current course, hospital leaders are increasingly concerned that more healthcare facilities will be overwhelmed as shortages of healthy caregivers make it difficult to handle a rapidly increasing number of patients. Unfortunately, this is already happening in parts of the country.
“The next several months will be critical,” Spicer said on behalf of the campaign. “Although there has been positive news about vaccine development, no one knows when those vaccines will be ready for widespread use. In the meantime, everyone must remain vigilant, take precautions and follow public health orders. The country has reached a tipping point. The power to do what is right is now in the hands of everyone everywhere.”
Beginning today, OU Health, Mercy and SSM Health St. Anthony join their national partners in sharing public service messages for the #MaskUp Campaign. In addition to messaging across Oklahoma, the #MaskUp campaign will be featured in The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times.
The message reads:
“As the top nationally ranked hospitals, we know it’s tough that we all need to do our part and keep wearing masks. But, here’s what we also know: The science has not changed. Masks slow the spread of COVID-19. So, please join us as we all embrace this simple ask: Wear. Care. Share with #MaskUp. Together, wearing is caring. And together, we are saving lives.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention points to recent studies that have shown facemasks successfully limit spread of the COVID-19 virus. Wearing facemasks protect in two key ways: by protecting the wearer against inhalation of harmful pathogens and particulates and by preventing exposure of those around the wearer.
In addition to masking, the CDC suggests that everyone minimize the number of non-household contacts, maintain a physical distance of at least 6 feet, and limit the amount of time around others, especially while indoors and in poorly ventilated areas.
For further information about masking guidelines and the #MaskUp campaign, visit EveryMaskUp.com.

Hospice nurse grateful to help COVID-19 patients

Story and photo by James Coburn, Feature Writer

Candy O’Neal’s biggest challenge in today’s nursing environment of COVID-19 has been the transition of caring for home-bound patients to those living out their final days in a nursing home, she said. She had to give up her previous patients up to another nurse to only work in one facility.
But O’Neal is used to being flexible in her career with a history in medical surgical care, emergency room care, and clinical nursing. Hospice is all about comfort and quality of life.
“Right now to me, this COVID stuff has kind of put people into a depression,” said O’Neal, RN case manager at Companion Hospice in Guthrie.
O’Neal understands the need to quarantine COVID patients to a room. But it has caused them more weight loss and cognitive changes. (Story continues below)

“It’s not getting out in the dining areas — not getting to have activities — not seeing their loved ones. Having a parent or a child come visit through a window that you can’t open is not the same. They’re lacking that though, and so that’s been pretty hard on them.”
O’Neal wouldn’t change being a nurse. She knows that she is making a difference in life the best she can. Helping families cope with their loved ones facing a terminal illness is heartfelt for O’Neal.
“This team here works well together. We all get along — all of us. And that’s hard to find,” said O’Neal, who has worked as Companion hospice nurse for nearly three years.
A friend of hers who is now a nurse practitioner had been trying to recruit O’Neal to Companion for a couple of years before she accepted an interview. At first she was hesitant to accept being a hospice nurse who answers families’ hard questions about an impending death. After three weeks she accepted her new journey in life.
“Something just told me to do it,” she said. “And so I did, and honestly this has been the best decision I’ve made. It changed my outlook on life. I feel like I’m the one that feels rewarded from this. It kind of makes me emotional. I feel like we both end up at peace if that makes sense.”
Oftentimes people ask O’Neal how she endures being a hospice nurse every day. She is helping people make a transition in life during a profound time of need in their lives.
“I’m helping them comfortably pass over. But you not only care for the patient — you care for the families a lot,” she explained. “We do a lot of close interaction with the families.”
Helping families brings a continuity of care that O’Neal cherishes. She learns so much about their lives and what brought them to their present point in life, she said.
Hospice care does not focus on waiting for a family member to pass on. It’s more of a celebration of life and what life has meant. The nurses meet their patients in whatever state of mind they are experiencing in life.
There are some patients that she has had a few years. They are re-certified for hospice as long as they continue to decline, she said.
“I get really attached to my patients. It’s hard not to,” O’Neal said. “But it’s almost like losing a family member. You get close to them when you see them two or three times a week, and then as the disease progresses you may see them every day.”
Her endurance in being a nurse stems from when she decided to become a nurse during her early twenties. She was studying to become a veterinarian when her grandparents became sick. She was told her grandfather was dying of cancer.
“I thought I already like doing it for animals. I think I want to do it for people,” she said.
O’Neal was auditing courses in nursing school when her grandfather passed away. She took a break from her nursing studies after he died and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in veterinary school. She had a baby. Her family needed her, so she shifted her career to work as a medical assistant in the office of Dr. Todd Krehbiel, who persuaded her to go back to school to earn a nursing degree. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing at Langston University.
During the holiday season, O’Neal says she is thankful for life itself and that her family and friends are all healthy during a time of uncertainty.
“Right now, it’s uncertain even though we wear masks everywhere, you still don’t know,” she said. “I’d say I’m grateful for holidays but I’m really just thankful for life because right now there’s a lot of people that are struggling.”

By Nick Thomas

Many performers have recorded videos of encouragement for fans throughout the COVID-19 pandemic months. But few, if any, have been as prolific as Neil Sedaka.
With more than 150 mini-concerts posted since April on his YouTube channel NeilSedakaMusic, the singer, pianist, and composer of 60s hits such as “Calendar Girl” and “Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen” continues to churn out the casual performances from behind his home piano several times a week and plans to continue into the Christmas season and beyond. (story continues below)

“The response from people all over the world has been unbelievable, even those who were never really Neil Sedaka fans before,” said the 81-year-old singer from Los Angeles. “They can’t believe my body of work.”
Sedaka’s repertoire would impress any artist.
“I started writing songs when I was 13 and have composed over 800,” said Sedaka who, in late March, was one of the first entertainers to post a video of hope during the early pandemic days in the US in the form of rewritten lyrics to “Oh! Carol,” his hit from the late 50s.
A week later, his first mini-concert – filmed by his wife on a cellphone from their New York home with the family parrot in the background – consisted of a medley of a half-dozen Sedaka hits.
“I just thought the music could be therapeutic for people locked down at home,” he recalled. “Then people began requesting songs on my Facebook page, so I decided to continue the mini-concerts.”
For Sedaka, too, the performances have helped get through the months of isolation after moving to the family’s Los Angeles home earlier in the year.
“I’ve continued to play all the big hits, but I’ve also done a lot of my lesser-known songs that I like to call my forgotten or neglected children,” he said. “Some of them I wrote 60 years ago and haven’t played for years, so it can take a while to relearn the lyrics along with the chords and rhythms. But it’s been very enjoyable for me as well.”
Trained as a classical pianist at New York’s Juilliard School, Sedaka discovered pop music as a teen and teamed up with lyricist Howard Greenfield to co-write the songs mentioned above and many more. In later years, other hits were written with Phil Cody (“Laughter in the Rain,” “Bad Blood”) but Sedaka’s love for classical music never waned.
“There are not many singer-songwriters of my era who can play Chopin, Debussy, and Bach!” he said. “I’ve even performed a few piano pieces during the mini-concerts.”
Like other artists, Sedaka’s live tours have been postponed until 2021 (see www.neilsedaka.com) and he says the mini-concerts have helped fill the void all entertainers are experiencing this year. He’s also been appearing monthly on the Sirius XM channel ‘50s on 5’ with his program “In the key of Neil.” While he’s looking forward to returning to live concerts next year, don’t expect to hear any new Neil Sedaka songs since he stopped composing several months ago.
“I felt if you can’t top it, you should stop it,” he said. “I think the reason I’ve been around so long is I’ve always been able to raise the bar, reinvent Neil Sedaka, and to develop and grow. It’s still very gratifying to hear my music played on the radio – the songs will outlive me.”
Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, Ala., and has written features, columns, and interviews for over 850 newspapers and magazines.