A program with its own mind; fitting dresses to their dreams
By ERNEST HOOPER
Published March 3, 2004
He touched a brain, and he touched a skull.
And he thought it was great.
Bucs linebacker Shelton Quarles, Vanderbilt-educated, always has been known as a smart player. After his participation in the Tampa General Hospital White Coat Program last week, Quarles is even more cerebral.
In fact, Quarles can speak with a degree of sagacity about cysticercosis, a systemic illness caused by dissemination of the larval form of the pork tapeworm. He also witnessed a brain bypass while shadowing neurosurgeons Harry van Loveren, Fernando Vale, Curt Rozzelle and neurosurgeon resident Evan Packer.
The sound of it leaves me a little queasy, but Quarles came away unfazed by the blood and overwhelmed by the skill of the doctors.
"They love what they're doing," Quarles said. "In football, we always talk about how you have to have a passion to be good, and the passion displayed by the doctors showed me why they are the best."
For a Pro Bowl linebacker to rave about doctors like a wide-eyed fan is an interesting reversal, but Quarles' reaction is not uncommon. Stacey Packer, executive director of the TGH Foundation (and Evan's wife), said nearly all of the 120 people who have gone through the program since its inception in 2000 have come away impressed.
"We take participants out of their surroundings and their normal clothes and put them in white coats and scrubs to experience medicine at its finest," Packer said. "The day is completely unscripted and participants learn everything."
While participants come away impressed with the doctors, I'm impressed doctors are willing to make such a huge commitment. Packer said the physicians embrace the program as a means of spreading the word about TGH, and because it's a teaching hospital, they're accustomed to being observed.
The program is held three times a year and is usually limited to eight to 12 participants. Invited participants attend an orientation meeting, a wrapup meeting and spend a day with a physician.
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WFTS-Ch. 28 reporter Sarina Fazan had the privilege of wearing a Tom Mazas dress at Sunday's Tampa Theater Oscar party. Privilege? Mazas, who lives in Lutz, is a designer-to-the-stars whose dresses have been spotted at a number of top-flight events, including the Oscars and the Grammys.
For Fazan, he put together an eye-catching dress with a form-fitting black bodice and a silky red floating bottom.
"It felt so glamorous. I felt like I was in Hollywood," Fazan said. "People are drawn to the red carpet and the outfits women wear. To wear a custom-designed dress was a dream come true."
The dream ended when Fazan returned the loaner. She said it was just a little bit outside of her price range.
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Speaking of dream outfits, the folks at Dream-A-Dress are again looking to outfit high school girls who find prom gowns way out of their price range.
The charitable organization annually helps 200 to 300 girls fulfill their dream of arriving in style at the prom. Dianne Jacob said a week into this year's effort, the group already has its first Saturday all booked up.
"We're on target again and if we need to make more time for fittings, we will," said Jacob, director of business development at Hardin Construction.
If you need a gown or can donate gently worn dresses, costume jewelry, shawls, handbags or other accessories - there's always a need for large-sized dresses - please contact Jacob at 354-0995.
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I got the funniest e-mail Monday. Organizers of the inaugural Brandon BBQFest wanted to know if I would be willing to be a barbecue judge for the three-day event (April 2-4) at the Westfield Shoppingtown. It'll feature acts such as Molly Hatchet and Vince Neil of Motley Crue. Proceeds benefit the Millennium Sertoma Youth Charities.
Let me get this straight: barbecue, beer and live music, and you need a judge for the final day? Like you had to ask. Oh, in case you're wondering, I will be fasting on April 3.
