digging deep Families
digging deep Families trace their roots By Bianca Kasawdish Some people never have the desire to look back on where they came from, believing they know all they need to know. Many Chaldeans, coming from a family with hundreds of relatives, may think of everyone as a cousin. For some, learning exactly how the family has come together is an exciting idea. Candice Shallal and her sister, Vanessa Haddad, were talking one day about how since their family is so big, they could probably pass a first cousin on the sidewalk without even knowing it. The two then came up with the thought to research their family tree. They went online to Google and typed in “online family tree” for ideas on getting started. The sisters decided to reach out to several family members and map out their own family tree rooting from their mother’s parents, the late Aziz and Shammama Karmo. They wanted to learn who their cousins are now, and saw this as an opportunity to pass this information onto their children and extended family. “For some of our cousins, without looking at this board they would never know or recognize each other,” Haddad pointed out. “And the bloodline really isn’t that far.” The sisters decided to create a black matte board with color pictures representing each person. Grandparents were placed at the top and families were grouped in columns with the males on the left and females on the right. Each child per family was placed in the middle of their parents, as were their children, and so forth. To help their research, the sisters reached out to many family members and social networking sites including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. They also combed through old photos and even old Christmas cards. The hardest part was finding all the necessary photos, and they found themselves making connections with members of their family they never expected. After months of researching and much cutting and pasting, they mapped out 128 family members on one board, all but three still alive. “It’s not necessarily going to back into history,” Shallal said. “It’s an immediate collection for ourselves to put a name to a face.” It became a bonding experience for the sisters, who worked on the project every day for a month with the help of their cousins Amy and Amber Kalasho. They made their selfimposed deadline of Mother’s Day, when the family all gathered in honor of their grandmother, Shammama Karmo, who was also celebrating her 90th birthday. They plan to pass the family tree around to different relatives who can learn from it as well. Also digging into the family roots Amber Kalasho, Vanessa Haddad, Candice Shallal and Amy Kalasho display their Karmo family board at a Mother’s Day celebration. is Jeff Denha, who said he was always asking his father and older relatives how certain family members were related. “Everyone always says we’re all related …and that’s true, but I want to know how,” he said. “I was always fascinated by that.” About 15 years ago, Denha visited his cousin, Peter Denja, who was originally from Mexico but eventually moved to Michigan. He gave him a copy of the Denja family tree. That spurred Denha onto further research into his own immediate family. He’s questioned all sorts of family members and a few, he said, have been very significant in his research: His father, Mike Denha, Sabri Denha, Shamoun Denha, Hassina Denha- Kalabat, the late Hermiz Denha, and Fr. Michael Bazzi from California. “These were key people. I couldn’t have done it without them,” Denha said. “This was a collaboration of people.” Denha worked backwards — far backwards — to gather all the names he needed. He worked on the project as time allowed, and it became a passion. Every few months, Denha met with a member of the family, took notes and then organized his findings. Denha’s family tree goes back to about 1750 and roots to the first Denha, perhaps when the family came to Telkaif, Denha said. There are easily 500 Denhas within the tree, not including members who have passed away. He’s learned much more than names and dates; every relative he met shared family stories, and he learned a little bit of history from each. This has become a huge topic of conversation in the Denha family, with relatives coming up and asking him how they are related to the next person. “I’ve drawn a road map,” he said. “I know exactly where the line goes.” Denha hopes to have a family tree board finished within a year in time for a large Denha family reunion. “Stories upon stories were the most fun of doing this,” Denha said. “Yeah, I connected the dots. But I have learned so much of the history that has made me so proud. So many have shut the door to the history, but this is who we are. This is our story. Know it, and be proud of it.” 38 CHALDEAN NEWS JULY 2012
A Conversation in Health with Doreen Ibrahim, MD Internal Medicine, Providence and Providence Park Hospitals A PASSION FOR HEALING What role does a primary care physician play in the health of the patients? A primary care physician (PCP) is the first line of defense when it comes to preventing disease and often plays a key role in good health. As a PCP, I am an advocate for patients and often their initial contact when they have health concerns. I look beyond just the clinical needs and see the whole person. I often interact with the entire family as well. By understanding my patients’ health histories and their personalities, I am able to customize treatment plans that fit their lifestyles. What do you value most in your relationship with your patients? Trust. It is very important to build relationships on trust, and that also applies to the relationship between the PCP and patient. This allows the physician to understand the nature of the illness, and how to better assist the patient. In your opinion what should patients look for when seeking a primary care physician? Patients should seek a doctor that is accessible, easy to talk to, and someone who understands you as an individual. It is important that your doctor is a good listener. He or she should take the time to counsel you on how to improve your overall health and how to manage the disease. Every patient is different. My philosophy is to tailor the treatment plan specific to that person. What are some common complaints, ailments that you see? As a PCP, I work with all types of patients, ages 18 and above. This gives me the opportunity to see a variety of complaints from the simplest, like a cold/flu or annual physicals to managing multiple chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, or heart disease. How do you work with patients with chronic illnesses or issues? Patients with chronic medical conditions or serious illness require close monitoring and frequent doctor visits to ensure the stability of the disease. As a PCP, I offer continuity and accessibility of care – which is especially important when multiple specialists are involved. I can interact with specialists, interpret confusing medical terms, and provide guidance to help patients make informed decisions about the direction of their care. In addition, I work closely with my patients to educate them about the importance of having a healthy lifestyle and how to better manage their disease. If each of your patients would commit to doing one thing to improve their health, what would you ask them to do? I would ask my patients to seek medical assistance early on. In order to prevent negative outcomes, I encourage my patients to lead healthier lifestyles, by helping them navigate their diet, exercise, stress management, smoking cessation and other lifestyle choices. People also need to stay current on vaccinations and screenings, such as pap smears, mammograms, colonoscopies and prostate examinations to help prevent life-threatening diseases like cancer. Doreen Ibrahim, MD 30055 Northwest Highway, Suite 170 Farmington Hills, MI 48334 Phone: 248-539-0729 • Fax: 248-539-0740 TO LEARN MORE ABOUT A ST. JOHN PROVIDENCE PHYSICIAN NETWORK DOCTOR, PLEASE CALL US AT 866-501-DOCS (3627). JULY 2012 CHALDEAN NEWS 39
