The Future Looks Bright!

Hello All,

Looks like we have turned a corner with the pandemic! I am praying that this good news continues. Though I will be the first to admit, I have not quite graduated to taking off my mask yet, even though I am fully vaccinated. And neither has little mom. Took me a year to get it straight – LOL! I expect I will be a bit cautious for a little longer. It may also be my new habit to mask up during flu season, because all of these processes definitely made an impact on the flu!

The reason I am writing about the future being bright is because of the incredible young people that I have been reading about. Young people who are doing incredible work – who are reaching out to help others – who are creatively reinventing things that could change the world – who are blazing new trails. These young people fill me with hope and amazement – wise beyond their years!

Seventeen year old Dasia Taylor is tackling a true staple in the medical field – sutures! Dasia had read about sutures that used technology to detect wound infections – actually sutures coated with a conductive material that can “sense the status of a wound by changes in electrical resistance and then relay the information to the smart phones and computers of doctors and nurses.” (I didn’t even know that!) This impressive young woman thought how wonderful BUT. What do patients do when that technology is not available? What about areas of the world where technology and medical care is sparse? How could the patient or the patient’s family catch changes earlier? And she also wanted to look at this through a racial equity lens as well. She began to research information about surgical wounds. What caught her attention? Infections after Caesarian infections!

Dasia discovered that in some African nations up to 20% of women who give birth via Caesarian section develop a surgical site infection. She wanted to see what could make a difference – what could be used across the world. She began to do research and experimentation under the guidance of her chemistry teacher, Carolyn Walling. Human skin is naturally acidic, with a pH around 5. Infections make the pH rise to 9. She also learned that changes in pH can be detected without electronics – fruits and vegetables are “natural indicators that change color at different pH levels.” (So that is what happens to my bananas!) With trial and error, she found that beets changed color at the perfect pH level that corresponded with infection! “Bright red beet juice turns dark purple at a pH of 9.” Now she had her coloring agent, she need a suture material. Dasia tested 10 different materials for how well they picked up the dye and changed colors. She found a cotton-polyester blend that worked perfectly and had the strength to hold wounds together. She plans to patent her invention. Dasia hopes this will make a difference across the globe – bringing equity in global health – increasing access to resources – and providing patients and their families the opportunity to identify issues and receive follow-up care quicker. Dasia’s research could be a game changer!

Have you heard of Alena Wicker? This 12-year old – yep, 12 year-old –  has already graduated from high school and is on her way to Arizona State University! She plans to double major in Astronomical and Planetary Science and Chemistry! Her life goal – to work at NASA and help build rovers like the one that recently landed on Mars. She also wants to encourage other girls of color to consider the sciences in school and as a career. In fact, she is so passionate about this that she created her own brand called Brown STEM Girl. She is currently working on a podcast that will bring together women scientists to do presentations and answer questions for young girls. She said “It doesn’t matter what your age is or what you’re planning to do. Go for it, dream it, then accomplish it.”

Twenty-two year old Amy Bockerstette made history this month as the first person with Down syndrome to compete in a national collegiate athletic championship, the National Junior College Athletic Association’s golf national championship. She is a sophomore at Paradise Valley Community College in Phoenix, Arizona. She was also the first person with Down syndrome to earn a college athletic scholarship. I became a big fan of this young lady back in 2019 when she played the 16th hole at the Scottsdale before the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open with PGA tour player Gary Woodland. She hit into the bunker on the par-3 hole – and hit par after telling everyone “I got this” – before she sunk an 8-foot putt! “I got this” was and continues to be Amy’s mantra as she again and again breaks down barriers! She and her family created the I Got This Foundation in 2019. The foundation provides ‘golf instruction and playing opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She warms my heart!  

On May 1, 2021, the country announced a new United States Chess Federation National Master –10-year old Tanitoiuwa Adewumi. He became the 28th youngest chest player in history to ever do this! He is a true chess prodigy. He won the 2019 K-3 New York State chess championship at the age of 8 AND after only playing the game a year…..while living with his refugee family (they sought religious asylum after being threatened with violence in Nigeria) in a homeless shelter! His first experience was learning a chess-like called “Latter” on a homemade board with pieces made from Play-Doh. He wanted to join an expensive club run by Coach Russell Mafosky. When Coach Mafosky heard his story, he waived the joining fees. In early 2018, he played in his first tournament – and one year later had won seven trophies! Tanitoiuwa’s new ambition? To become the youngest chess grandmaster ever! I have absolutely no doubt that this brilliant young man will achieve that goal.

Inspirational. Creative. Overcoming obstacles. Breaking barriers. Making an impact and a difference. These young people have already changed the world. I can’t wait to see where they will go next!

The future’s so bright, we all need to wear shades!

Phyl