She dedicated her life to the children she cared for. Now, this teacher is grateful to receive comprehensive care from IU Health’s doctors.
By TJ Banes, IU Health Senior Journalist, tfender1@iuhealth.org
For the past two years, Christi McDowell has been in and out of the hospital. At first, it was a hospital near her Amboy, Ind. She was then referred to IU Health.
McDowell has dedicated her life to working to control her Type 1 diabetes. As the years passed, the disease began to interfere with her daily life – including the job she loved. For 18 years, she has taught English language arts, science, math, sociology, and the visual arts to middle school students. She primarily worked at Brookside High School in Sarasota, Fla.
The daughter of Bill and Becky McDowell, Christi and her family travel wherever her father is stationed with the United States Marine Corps. She also has an older brother. “I went to nine schools in 12 years,” she said. She graduated from Oak Hill High School in Grant County. For 25 years, the family spent summers visiting family in Florida and that’s where Christi eventually settled.
McDowell, 45, said: “I am a sun lover, with a Floridian heart. But when her high school began planning a 20th reunion, she reconnected with an old friend, Kevin Bowland.
McDowell said: “I am the manager of the football team and he is a player on the team. They reconnected for the first time when Bowland was looking for advice about his child’s education. “I am passionate about helping people navigate the public school system and I am happy to answer questions and provide support,” said McDowell, who received an undergraduate degree in education and the arts from Indiana Wesleyan University. She also holds two master’s degrees in curriculum guidance and administrative leadership.
When she and Bowland married, they settled in Amboy, Ind. a small community of about 350 people in southeastern Miami County.
Three years ago, McDowell sadly gave up the career she loved. “I am blind in my right eye and see darkness in my left eye,” she said. “Since the beginning of 2019, I have been in and out of the hospital trying to figure out what is wrong. I think I was only out of the hospital for 11 days the first year.” When doctors determined her kidneys were failing, she was referred to IU Health. On August 2, 2022, McDowell underwent a kidney and pancreas transplant and was under the care of Dr. Jonathan Fridell.
McDowell said: “The team at IU Health is amazing, Dr. Fridell is not only an expert in his field, but I consider him an expert in the care of my patients. He is very protective. Another thing I’ve found is that he’s a great instructor for students – ask them questions and let them give their opinion. I love seeing that and being a part of it.
Since getting the transplant, McDowell said she continues to witness those teaching moments during her hospital stay back.
On a recent visit, two art therapists were mentoring a group of high school students. The group stops to meet McDowell in her hospital room. Art therapy is part of a holistic approach to patient care. At IU Health, art, yoga, massage and music therapy are offered through CompleteLife, a program that cares for the body, mind and spirit of patients.
“Because I earned an art degree during college, I taught visual arts to middle school students,” says McDowell. “Art is an outlet for me and I haven’t made any art since going blind.”
When McDowell first met with certified art therapist, Linda Adeniya, she was discharged. “I told her I would love to do art if I went back. I didn’t know I would be back so soon,” McDowell said.
When McDowell returned, Adeniya was working with her on a special project and art therapist Valeria Guzman brought students in to see the results.
“Knowing that I was blind, Linda made oil paintings with black glue and scribbled on white canvas and let them dry. When I got back to the hospital, these were ready for me. It’s great because I can see something black because it’s too dark for the white and I can feel the glue rising,” McDowell said.
“It can be very lonely when you are in the hospital. I love my nurses and spend time with them. They care a lot about me, but they also have work to do. My mom came in for hours, but art therapy helped get me out of the environment – the noise – and let me focus deeply on something. And of course, I love having students visit, because it’s such an important part of my life.”
