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Success Stories

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A new heart needs medicine
A chair for Vanesa
Justin and Tim get a big lift
A special night

A new heart needs medicine

Boy's heart transplant makes others look at life differently
BY KRISTY KENNEDY Daily Herald Staff Writer
Six weeks ago, 11 year-old R.J. Panek's parents would have yelled at him for playing the stereo too loud. Now, concerns like that don't seem to matter as much to Bob and Ann Panek. Not after their son came close to dying when a virus attacked his heart. A transplant was required to save the Schaumburg boy's life.

"You see how lucky you are, said Bob Panek, who grew up in Schaumburg. "Everyone I know is looking at life differently.

Calls and cards come in daily from family members, friends and even people the Paneks don't know very well.

People like Rose and Tom Dorsch, whose son Thomas is R.J.'s best friend. "Your first inclination is to send him a card and a Beanie Baby, said Rose Dorsch, who also lives in Schaumburg. "That just wasn't enough. It's about community and teaching children to care.

So Dorsch started organizing fund-raisers to help pay hospital bills that Children's Memorial Hospital officials estimate could reach as high as $432,000 over the first year. A fund called R.J. Panek Heart for Life has been set up at Harris Bank, 3250 Kirchoff Road in Rolling Meadows. Donations to the fund can be sent to the bank. People also should watch for fund-raisers.

One is being planned by the Schaumburg Athletic Association, where R.J. plays baseball, basketball and soccer, Dorsch said. A brownie sale in R.J.'s honor also will be held by fellow fifth-graders at Aldrin School.

After the first year, hospital officials estimate R.J. will spend $1,500 a month for the rest of his life on medication to keep his body from rejecting the heart.

"I'm getting used to it," he said, adding it tastes like shampoo.

Because of You
On January 25, 1997 at our annual Candlelight bowl you did it again. You successfully made our goal, to provide R.J. with his monthly medicine.

R.J. Panek is an 11 year old, in which one day a virus attacked his heart and he ended up having to have a heart transplant.

Because of you...he has been provided with medicine every month (for the past 12 months) to keep his body from rejecting his new heart.

I'd like for all of you to take the time right now and applaud yourselves for reaching another goal. This could only happen because of you.

Tonight we meet another challenge, another goal, so open your hearts and pocket books and because of you we can make it happen again.

Thanks to all of you.

The Night Hawk Foundation

A chair for Vanessa

What started out as an Indian dance troupe has been transformed into a charitable foundation to assist physically and mentally challenged residents of the area.

The Nighthawk Foundation has made life easier for 13 handicapped youngsters since it was incorporated on Jan. 11, 1994.

The Streamwood-based organization has raised nearly $8,000 in its two-year existence. The funds have been raised at candlelight bowls during the past three Januarys at Espo's Country Lanes in Elgin.

This year's event, which attracted 280 people, brought in $3,300. Some of the money was used to enlarge the wheelchair of 9-year-old Vanesa Sanchez of Elgin.

One of three daughters of Maria and Agustin Sanchez, Vanesa was born with spina bifida and attends Huff Elementary School in Elgin.

The remainder of the 1996 proceeds went to outfit a family van with a lift for 10-year-old Justin and 7-year-old Tim Romanowski, who have muscular dystrophy. Confined to wheelchairs, the brothers live in Schaumburg with their mother, Margaret, a single mom.

The first candlelight bowl in 1994 raised $2,500 and the funds assisted nine children. Eight of the youngsters were residents of the Marklund Children's Home in Bloomingdale, who were sent to summer camp.

In 1995, Nighthawk raised $2,100, which helped to purchase a talking aid for Amanada Graff. The 11-year-old Elginite has cerebral palsy.

The foundation traces its roots to the Nighthawk Indian Dancers, founded in 1989. Children from three families, who were members of Explorer Post 2189 of Hanover Park, were eager to form a similar group after seeing a performance of the Hiawatha Dancers in Elgin.

Fund-raisers were necessary to launch the Nighthawks and that was handled by three sets of parents:

Karen and Hank Sembdner of Hanover Park. Hank, who is part Native American, serves as president of the Nighthawks and Karen is vice president. They have two daughters and a son, who were all members of the dance team.
Alice and Frank Scardina of Streamwood. Alice is secretary-treasurer of the group and Frank is a trustee. They have one daughter and two sons. One son was a Nighthawk.
Joann and Joseph Canella of Elgin, who serve as trustees. They have three daughters and one son. Their son was an Indian dancer.

The money was used to cover a number of expenses, including costumes. The Nighthawks performed at a variety of area events such as Scout dinners. They also danced before fraternal organizations, nursing homes and church groups. The dancers also performed at the Illinois State Fair and were guests of the governor during an Octoberfest celebration.

As the children grew older, and work and school schedules began to conflict with dancing, the group evolved into a charitable organization. "We disbanded on a high note," says Alice Scardina. "We work great together," says Karen Sembdner of the decision to continue as a charitable group.

"The money goes to the kids," says Joann Canella. "We don't get paid."

Since incorporation, Dori and Scott Zornow of Hoffman Estates and Anne and Bob Marks of Chicago have joined the foundation.

"We're out here to help," note the three women.

Justin and Tim get a big lift

BY ALLISON KAPLAN Daily Herald Staff Writer
Finally, l0-year-old Justin Romanowski of Schaumburg will be able to propel himself through the shopping mall without his mother's help.

The Nighthawks, a charitable organization based in Streamwood and Hanover Park, has donated a wheelchair lift for the Romanowski family van.

Muscular dystrophy confines Justin to a wheelchair, and the lift will make it possible for his mother to take him out of the house in the powered chair he can operate on his own.

Justin's mobility comes as a big relief to his mother, Margaret Romanowski, since her younger son Tim, 7, also is in a wheelchair due to the same debilitating disease.

"The insurance company says the lift is a luxury item, but I don't think of it as convenience to be able to take my kids to the doctor ," said Romanowski, a single mother.

Justin's power chair weighs 300 pounds, so Romanowski said there is no way she can get it in the car manually. Without any help, she had only been able to take the boys out in folding wheelchairs, which means she has to push both.

"We all feel really great about doing this," Nighthawks secretary Alice Scardina said. "It's heart wrenching to see a family with one kid who needs aid, but then to have two.

The local fund-raising group was established three years ago by some parents whose children had grown out of Boy Scouts and Explorers. Their kids moved on, but the group of about 10 adults decided they enjoyed raising money for good causes, Scardina said.

The Nighthawks mission is to help people like the Romanowskis who are unable to get assistance any other place.

The goal is to make a donation that can enhance life for mentally or physically handicapped children.

When it comes to medical bills, even people who have insurance often are unable to afford the "extra" things that would make life easier or more enjoyable for the children.

Romanowski, who lives with her parents and takes care of the boys full time, said there is no way she could have afforded the $3,300 wheelchair lift.

"This is such a godsend, Romanowski said. "For once in his life, Justin can be independent from me."

Justin, a third-grader at Einstein Elementary School in Hanover Park, said his first mission will be to steer himself straight into the shopping mall arcade.

The money for the wheelchair lift was raised through the Nighthawk's annual candlelight bowl in January. The group raised $4,000 and now is working out the details for a second donation this year, Scardina said.

Applications for aid from the Nighthawks are available at area schools and hospitals. Romanowski learned about the group from one of her son's teachers.

A special night

A great night for a special child
I just met Karen and Hank at the Night Hawks Foundation Fund Raiser last night and came away with a really good feeling. Hank and Karen and all their supporters do so much good in a small powerful and very direct way.

If you are not familiar with The Night Hawk Foundation and more than likely are you are not, let me tell you about it. The founders Karen and Hank started out just doing the normal fund raising thing that every family does when you have kids in the Boy Scouts or Blue Birds. You sell cookies, neighborhood get-togethers, etc. Then when a neighbor needed help, Karen and Hank thought “we can do this, we’ve done it before”. They helped raise $5200.00 for a canine helper for a little boy with Cerebral Palsy. Caught up with the joy that they could bring with the small sacrifices that they make, they continued to find one on one cases where children needed specific items that were not monetarily out of reach but next to impossible for the child’s family without help.

For the fund raiser, they had gotten hundreds of supporters to donate items to be used as prizes, door prizes, food, and raffle items. There was an excellent buffet meal for everyone, followed by a few very short speeches. The most memorable one was given by a little boy who thanked everyone for helping his sister. He had been unable to talk without his speech synthesizer, something his sister is all to familiar with. You see she also needs a speech synthesizer. He is a man of few words but he managed move the audience to tears.

Hank, dressed in his native Indian wardrobe, also spoke to the crowd about the foundation. The recipient of the donations and the family are considered the guests of honor. Hank is very motivational and becomes openly emotional when speaking about this child that we will be helping tonight. We all promised to reach the goal $8,000.00 tonight, what ever it takes.

The festivities included bowling, followed by dancing and awarding of the prizes. Then the announcement was made that the goal amount had been reached and a great cheer arose from the crowd of 240 people. It was a wonderfully uplifting night.

What makes the Night Hawk Foundation so special, is that the money raised goes to help the children. All of the time and efforts are completely donated by the very generous individuals who help to make it operate, (Alice & Frank Scardina, Joe & Joann Canella, Dori & Scott Zornow, Bob & Anne Marks and Hank & Karen Sembdner).

Hank says that “We need the handicap as much as they need us.” They teach us about the importance of compassion, giving and love, which is something this whole world could use a lot more of at this time. Without out these things, we as human beings are nothing. I have to agree 100%.

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