March 13, 2021 Issue, Page 1 of 8

Page Text

; Western Oklahoma Since 1901 Saturday, March 13, 2021 Life with Lanee: Elk City family celebrates their daughter leading up to World Down Syndrome Awareness Day Atlantis Aquarius to play Elk City’s Blockhouse By Shonda Little Jordan Cain, the lead singer for Dallas's high-charging South- ern Psych band Atlantis Aquarius, is at ease in his soul after moving his family back to his hometown. ‘As a 2002 graduate of Elk City High School, western Okla- homa has always been the home of his heart. When he moved to Dallas, as a bright-eyed 18-year-old he was eager to see the world, Now he's accomplished that, having earned a success- ful career in the music industry. He’s been featured on national nightly television shows and magazines. “T’ve gotten to travel the country performing,” he said. “I have played in the big city in the big arenas and little towns in tiny venues. Each one is unique and fun in its own way. But, few things compare with getting to play in your hometown.” And on March 20, he and his bandmates will do just that when they take the stage at Elk City’s Blockhouse. Located on North Van Buren about a mile or so north of Barber Dyson, Cain is eager to bring his music to the people he grew up with. “Then it is funin a whole different kind of way. My bandmates Above, is Lanee as a baby. Left, have been here once before to play. We played at the Blockhouse Ryan, Lindsey, Halle, Lanee and in December, too. One stayed with me, and the rest had motel Drake Shockey. Courtesy photos. ‘rooms, but they all basically stayed with my mom. After a show, we have our time loading out. By Shonda Little “While I was in college, God directed me to write a paper about Interestingly, that is what I feel like is ‘our time’ together Down syndrome in children. Neither Ryan nor I had anyone in our as a band. I watched that documentary about Andre the Giant Like most children, 10-year-old Lanee Shockey is the apple of her families who had it, so I didn’t know much. It was nice to learn, and the other day. In it, he was saying that no one could come in parent's eyes. I knew it would be useful while working as a PTA. I had no idea how the dressing rooms except the wrestlers. Well, at one point, his She laughs and plays with sass and stubbornness. She has her fa- much that paper would help melater on with my own child” Lindsey driver wanted to go back there. His driver was one of his best vorite friends and television shows. said. friends, but Andre was like, ‘no, man. I love you and you are my She delights in her younger siblings and also gets annoyed with Lanee was born in Clinton when her mother was 37 weeks preg- buddy, but we don’t break this rule.’ For me, that is kind of what them. nant. Lindsey and Ryan were first-time parents. Like most, they itis like when we have finished the show and are loading out. So In other words, she is a typical child. The fact that she also has were unsure what to expect. All of her prenatal ultrasounds and that night, after we were finished, we went to Mom’s because Down syndrome is merelya small detail in her rich life. testings had come back standard. The young couple had no reason she had all this food out for us. By that time, it is like 3 a.m., “With Down syndrome, there are things that are additional chal- to believe that their child would face challenges. and the guys just crashed there. It was really nice because we are lenges. But what kid does not have additional challenges? I know as. “She was beautiful and perfect when she was born, just as she is like a family in itself. They love Elk City too. It makes me proud an adult that I face them. This is just part of who she is but is not all now,” her father Ryan said. “But she was having low blood sugar and to get to show them my hometown. It is almost like showing off that she is,” her mother Lindsey explained. low oxygen. The doctor had noticeda crease in the palm of her hand. one of your kids,” he said. Destined to be an Elk City girl, Lanee’s mother graduated from ‘These are all symptoms of Down syndrome. The doctor told us from ‘The show is set to start that evening at approximately 8 p.m. Elk City High School in 2003. Her father, Ryan, son of the iconic the beginning that we could possibly be facing this, but the pressing Cain expects the band to play for two hours. math teacher Roger Shockey, graduated the following year. worry at that time was getting her oxygen and blood sugar to where “The show is sponsored by BTB Records,” he said. “Man, it is Before Lanee was born, her mother was already a physical therapy it needed to be.” so cool, everything that Brady Butcher is doing to foster the arts assistant. See Downs page 2. here in Elk City. He is like a beckoning light. There's no reason that living in a small town should mean that you are sacrificing these beautiful and important things in the arts. Brady is work- Elk City parents create sneaker decorating business ing hard to bring that here” me wrong — these were brand new shoes we were giving the kids for Christmas. But the specialty designs made them next level, and the kids loved them,” Bagby recounted. To his dismay, his children were not the only people excited about their shoe creations. “Teenagers, as you know, are most hip to the trends of today. ‘Their friends saw what we made and thought it was banging. But then adults saw it and made orders for themselves,” Bagby said. ‘As more of their personal work became visual, the requests for their work also increased. Bagby and his wife didn’t start thinking it would be a business for them. Their children have been their constant muses. In fact, their children are playing a heavy role in the production. “This is new and exciting to us as a family and a couple. But we got the extra benefit of offering a service to Elk City that hadn't existed,” he said. Circle of Care holds Bagby also credits his wife as being more artistic. “We have done this mostly by word-of-mouth,” Bagby explained. ground breaking “We use Facebook, and that has been incredible for us; I can’t tell you the number of people — even adults — who saw the kids’ shoes Elk City. - Oklahoma non-profit and human services agency Cir- By Shonda Little and wanted them for themselves. Word-of-mouth has been great, dle of Care is building a new foster care home with sibling groups in Typically, the Bagby family uses a blank white shoe, but that is up mind. The home will be built in Elk City off of West Country Club When Tim Bagby, Jr., was in school, he had the nickname of Tim Boulevard. Tim to differentiate between him and his well-known father. to the customer. Sometimes the customers bring the shoe to them, but they are also more than willing to shop for their needs. Placing sibling sets together is a unique challenge within the fos- Now the young Bagby is standing out in more ways than the “Once someone gets with us and we get the shoe itself in, it nor- ter care system. Many foster homes are already supporting multiple shared name. ‘The 2001 graduate of Elk City High School has started a side busi- mally takes about 7-10 days to complete the design. We have done children and have a full home. Circle of Care's message for sibling groups is that they will strive to place them all together while in ness custom-making designs for sneakers. He credits his wife Amber some that are in memorial for someone who has passed. In those for coming up with the idea and being his artistic partner in the cases, there are some people who never even wear the shoe. I have care. Circle of Care CEO and President, Keith Howard said “We're venture. done a set of work boots before that are just displayed in a home adding another trauma into their lives when we can’t keep them to- “Well, it really started because shoes have just gotten so expen- that is in remembrance of someone who passed. We can do names. gether.” sive these days. It got hard for many families to have those matching It can get very personal and is a way for people to express their own Sibling groups of five or more do have a chance to be placed to- shoes for any outfits that they have going. My wife had suggested tastes,” he said. gether, but it is slim and not seen often. That chance for a group of that we do this for our kids for their Christmas presents the year ‘The business is called 1229 Customs. For Bagby, family is every- six or more is even slimmer. In Oklahoma, a sibling group of three before last. My wife really is the more artistic of the two of us, and thing, and that is reflected in the name. has a 65 percent chance of being placed together in foster care. That I'm pretty artistic. She is just so amazing at all she does. Don’t get See Sneakers page 2. See Circle of Care page 2. Vol. 119, No. 21 Mail delivery View online «OLA Ut Weather tomorrow 137 75 cents, 8 pgs. 580.225.3000 elkcityoknews.com