Snowflakes were miracles for Quad-City family
At the center of the artwork, an infant Jesus lies in a manger with his arms outstretched. Spanning outward is the traditional cast of Nativity characters, including Mary, Joseph, the three kings, a cow and donkey, and shepherds and angels, as well as the Bethlehem night sky.
This detailed scene unfolds – literally – on a simple white piece of paper. Keith Bonnstetter used scissors and an Exacto knife to undertake the childhood process of folding and cutting paper to create a symmetrical snowflake, and added detail to the scene with an awl.
The work and dozens of equally intricate snowflakes – which are on display at the Heritage Center in Hampton, Ill. – would not have happened had Bonnstetter’s family not experienced a heart-wrenching hardship years before.
In 1999, Bonnstetter and his wife Marsha took their daughter to Mayo Clinic because she was exhibiting odd symptoms. Claire, who was 3 ½ at the time, had difficulty walking and when she fell down, she wouldn’t cry, an indication her limbs were numb.
Doctors diagnosed her with Dejerine-Sottas disease, a neurological disorder that weakens muscles and affects mobility. The disease progresses over time, and it was a real possibility that Claire would be wheelchair-bound by early adulthood, Bonnstetter said.
Bonnstetter also worried about how he and his wife would pay for Claire’s medical bills, which totaled more than his teacher’s salary could accommodate. They began praying for miracles, health-wise and financial.
The family found encouragement in a priest who blessed Claire at Our Lady of All Nations Day of Prayer shortly thereafter in Peoria.
“He turned to us and said, ‘This is a very special girl and she will be healed – just not right now,’” Bonnstetter said.
Next, the family heard about Dr. Richard Burns of East Moline Chiropractic Clinic and sought his help. The chiropractor determined Claire’s atlas – the first cervical vertebra that sits under the skull – had been putting pressure on her spinal cord, causing the debilitating effects.
He gave her an adjustment, but warned the Bonnstetters that since Claire’s condition had likely been in place since her birth, her recovery could be slow.
It turned out the family would not have to be patient. The next day, they discovered Claire could move without using her walker, and soon even ride a bicycle.
Bonnstetter and his wife were overjoyed, but their daughter’s medical bills remained a source of stress. They turned to prayer again, thanking God for Claire’s turnaround and asking for help in paying her bills.
On a whim one day, Bonnstetter decided to make a paper snowflake. He cut the shapes of the Grinch, dog Max, Cindy Lou Who and heart from Dr. Seuss’ Christmas story.
Bonnstetter said creating that snowflake wasn’t difficult. And the process has remained relatively simple, even as he takes on more complex subject matter, he said.
“I see it, it’s a vision,” he said. “I’m not mathematically inclined, but I’m very symmetrical.”
After the Grinch snowflake, Bonnstetter crafted others featuring Santa and Rudolph, the Holy Family, elves and trees, and angels putting stars on trees. He brought the works in to show his fellow Clinton middle school teachers, who immediately commissioned flakes from him.
Most of the orders called for specific subject matter, from lighthouses to hummingbirds, cats to Mozart. He also began personalizing snowflakes for specific people, incorporating their favorite items and places into the paper.
Eventually, Bonnstetter started his own company, Clear Visions. Relying only on word-of-mouth advertising, he has received commissions from across the country and a handful from foreign countries. And booming business had another perk: “Six months after I started, the bills from Mayo Clinic were gone,” he said.
Bonnstetter runs the company as a side job to his post as a Spanish teacher at Bettendorf High School. He said he’s never been without an order, especially during Christmastime “blizzard” of commissions.
A smattering of Bonnstetter’s snowflakes hangs inside two glass display cases at the Heritage Center. Offset by black and white frames and matting, the works are broken into two categories. Nativity flakes feature religious scenes with angels and the Holy Family, while a “Let it Snow” series includes imagery of snowmen, sledding children and Old Man Winter.
Bonnstetter said he can’t look at the snowflakes without thinking of the trials his family endured or the blessings they received. Claire is now a blond-haired girl with a pretty smile who loves riding horses and playing with her dog Snickers. But had she not had the medical scare, Bonnstetter never would have discovered his artistic calling.
“I would never be doing this artwork,” he said.
Katie Vaughn can be contacted at (563) 383-2282 or kvaughn@qctimes.com.
If you go
What: Cut-paper art by Keith Bonnstetter
Where: Heritage Center on the Mississippi, 251 S. State Ave. in Hampton, Ill.
When: through Feb. 6; The Heritage Center is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Tuesday and Thursday 1-5 p.m.
How much: Free
Information: (309) 755-8398
Dejerine-Sottas Disease
Dejerine-Sottas disease is an inherited neurological disorder that progressively affects mobility. Peripheral nerves become enlarged or thickened leading to muscle weakness. Progress of the disorder is irregular and often accompanied by pain, weakness, numbness, and a tingling, prickling or burning sensation in the legs. Many people with Dejerine-Sottas disease continue to lead active lives.
Source: WebMD
Contact Clear Visions
Keith Bonnstetter, owner of Clear Visions: Personalized Paper Cuttings, can be reached at (563) 322-8117.