Virginia man finds new talents after MS diagnosis

From the Staunton News Leader in Virginia:

December used to be the hardest time of year for Robert "Bobby" Vandevender (pictured).

It is the month he had his first multiple sclerosis episode and it is the time of the year when he tends to suffer increased flare-ups from the autoimmune disease as the stressful holiday season approaches.

Three years ago, however, Vandevender's perspective on the month and how he viewed his disease changed when he discovered a talent he never knew he had — and one that he believes he wouldn't have realized if it wasn't for his condition.

Although multiple sclerosis cost him the use of his hands and legs, Vandevender, 57, who lives at Shenandoah Nursing Home, set out to teach himself to paint using only his mouth in 2005 after receiving a card from an artist who used that method.

"I knew I could do whatever I wanted to do," he said, "because my motto has always been, 'if there is a will, there is a way.'"

Once his canvas and painting supplies are set up in the brightly lit community room in the nursing home, Vandevender can sit for hours adding detail and color to his paintings. The main difficulty for him, he said, as he clutches the brush with his mouth while making light strokes against the canvas, is the neck pain from constantly moving his head around.

"Also, I don't know if it's really good for my teeth," he said, "but it works."

After painting his first landscape portrait, Vandevender realized immediately that painting came naturally to him. Since he started, he has painted more than 100 pieces of art and recently illustrated a children's book that his friend, Capitola "Cappie" Hull, a teacher at Bessie Weller Elementary School, wrote.

Although he enjoys some of his favorites, such as his painting of the snow-covered house that he used to live in or a mellow sunset over the mountains surrounding the Shenandoah Valley, he is particularly proud of his work that was featured in the children's book that has sold more than 1,000 copies.

Hull and Vandevender came up with the idea to write "A Tree-Mendous Honor," a book about the Capitol Christmas Tree, which is erected annually in Washington, D.C., after seeing the tree tour through Virginia in 2004. Hull said she realized they could serve two purposes by publishing the book: They could tell the story behind an important American tradition and raise awareness and educate the public about multiple sclerosis.

"So I came to Bobby one day and said, 'If I write it, will you illustrate it?" she said. "And he agreed, so I would give him the text of the page and he would work on it a couple days and come up with something amazing."

The two began working on the project in 2006 and the book was published in December 2007. An updated version was printed recently for the upcoming holiday season. Hull said they have now printed more than 3,000 books, 500 of which made the journey with the 2008 Capitol Christmas Tree from its origin in Montana to Washington, D.C.

Hull said 10 percent of the proceeds from the book go to benefit multiple sclerosis research. But she hopes people with and without the disease will be inspired by seeing what Vandevender accomplished.

"Out of the whole thing one of the most rewarding experiences was when I had my class try to paint with their mouth," she said. "I think it really helped them develop some empathy and perspective."

There were times when struggling with the disease had been very difficult, Vandevender said. The enjoyment and fulfillment from painting, however, has helped reinforce the belief that everything happens for a reason.

"Painting brought me out of my shell," he said. "I cannot believe all that I'm doing sometimes. And I know that if I didn't have MS, I would never had done any of this."