Stroke - A Leading Cause of Disability in Adults

A neurosurgeon in California with more than 20 years of medical experience, Ali Mesiwala, MD serves as the chief of the division of neurological surgery and the department of surgery for the St. Bernadine Medical Center. Services provided by Ali Mesiwala, MD at the San Bernardino, California clinic include stroke care, which is the leading cause of adult disability and the fourth leading cause of death in the US.

Strokes occur in the brain as a result of blocked blood flow due to blood clots in the arteries or a broken blood vessel. The blockage of blood flow deprives the brain cells of oxygen and causes them to die, which can lead to lasting brain damage and the permanent loss of abilities controlled by the affected area of the brain. Complications that arise vary from minor to severe, depending upon where the stroke occurs and the amount of damage sustained. While some individuals will experience a complete recovery, others will suffer from loss of speech abilities or permanent paralysis on one side of the body.

Symptoms of a stroke include severe unexplained headaches, trouble walking, and paralysis or numbness in the face, arms, or legs. Individuals may also exhibit slurred speech and difficulties with understanding, in addition to vision problems in one or both eyes. The type and amount of care received within the first minutes or hours following a stroke may determine the level of lasting damage and the likelihood of recovery.

Millard Sheets’ Work Exemplifies California Style in Watercolor

Ali Mesiwala, MD, currently serves the Southern California Center for Neuroscience and Spine in Pomona, California, as a neurosurgeon. He formerly held the position of attending physician at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, and has authored numerous book chapters and peer-reviewed journal articles. Ali Mesiwala, MD, is a founding member of the Claremont Museum of Art, which recently profiled the artist Millard Sheets.

Among the most well-received of the Claremont Museum’s recent exhibits was the 2015-16 “Millard Sheets: Hills and Horses,” curated by the artist’s son and shown at the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden. This exhibit celebrated Sheets’ love of the equine silhouette and the landscapes around his Padua Hills home.

Millard Sheets, born in 1907 in Pomona, became one of California’s most accomplished watercolor painters. In his twenties, he was already exhibiting in major cities. His work exemplifies the California Style in watercolor art, although he worked in acrylics, oils, murals, and other forms. He often chose colorful or dramatic landscapes, and scenes from the everyday lives of local or indigenous people, as his subjects.

Claremont Museum of Art Offers Family Art Program for Local Events

A neurosurgeon at Chaparral Medical Group and the department of surgery chief at St. Bernadine Medical Center, Ali Mesiwala, MD provides neurological care for patients in Pomona and San Bernardino, California. Ali Mesiwala, MD also serves as a founding member of the Claremont Museum of Art, which administers a variety of art education initiatives for local youths such as the Family Art Program.

The Family Art Program makes arrangements for creative art activities for children and their families at city festivals. Directed by Mary Hughes and presented by a collaboration of local art educators and volunteers, the program offers hands-on art projects at a variety of annual events occurring throughout the year. Events include the Memorial Park Fourth of July Celebration, the Art in the Garden in June, the November Padua Hills Art Fiesta, and the Village Venture in October.

For additional information about the Claremont Museum of Art’s Family Art Program, visit www.claremontmuseum.org/education-programs/family-art-activities.