Orland Park blind massage therapist gives back to community

Contrary to what some might think, Steven Stewart is happier today than he was eight years ago, before he went completely blind.

“I’m in a better place now than I was then — physically, emotionally, mentally — just all of the above,” said Stewart, who opened Unsighted Massage in September, inside Nicole Richards Hair Salon on 159th Street in Orland Park.

Stewart says he wouldn’t have made the jump to massage therapy, after working as a forklift driver in a cold storage warehouse, without going blind. Now, the Tinley Park resident hopes to give back by offering free massages to five single parents in the community, selecting them at random through social media.

Why single parents? Stewart dedicates his current and future success to one of them, his mother. He said that now, in his 30s, he understood that she gave everything to him and his siblings when they were growing up and he wanted to show his appreciation to others in similar circumstances.

“A lot of my overhead is my time and hands, and I don’t mind giving that to people,” Stewart said.

He promoted his first massage giveaway in November, after as many as 2 million Illinoisans lost their SNAP benefits during a federal government shutdown. Stewart said he was moved by news of families struggling to afford food and other necessities and wanted to help however he could.

He received unexpected support from Tracy Beagarie, who found Stewart on social media and booked a massage days before announcing the gift. The two hit it off during her date and Beagarie offered to make charcuterie boards to give to single parents with their massages.

She said she chose to distribute the paintings anonymously, believing that “you don’t always need recognition” for doing great things. Beagarie plans to bake cookies for Stewart to distribute to the current group of parents receiving free massages.

“I have an almost 13-year-old daughter and the only thing I really instill in her is to be kind,” Beagarie said. “Seeing his message kind of touched my heart.”

The two ended up giving to more people than expected, at least 10, as Stewart was affected by the many stories left in his social media comments section, which became even more emotional in person.

“I had a client who burst into tears just because of her struggles,” Stewart said of one appointment. “In being a masseur, you have to keep your boundaries, but it’s difficult when you come across someone who is breaking down and crying. I want to hug you, but I can’t.”

However, he said several people had misrepresented their situations and stressed that only single parents should enter the current competition.

Mary Lynn Fleck, owner of Nicole Richards Salon, is another Stewart client and supporter. She said that having worked at the salon since she was a teenager, she hasn’t seen another massage therapist renting the back room have as much drive and consistency in clientele as Stewart.

Fleck was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after purchasing the salon in February, and Stewart helped her via lymphatic drainage, a mild therapy that aims to redirect excess fluid from swollen limbs.

She said her doctors referred her to a practitioner in Chicago, but she is grateful to have been able to receive Stewart’s therapy once a week.

“It was the best night’s sleep I had throughout my entire chemotherapy treatment,” Fleck said. “I feel like I always need to say this, because when I tell you, from the time I found out (I had cancer) until the surgery, the only time I slept through the night was when I was getting my treatments from him.”

Fleck said that at the end of each evening, she or another salon professional accompanied Stewart out of the building, and “one of the best compliments” was hearing that he felt safe coming to work there.

“I think we both clicked, because something happened to him that he never thought in his wildest dreams, and it’s the same with me,” Fleck said. “So the first conversation we had was like, oh my God, we can relate to so many different things.”

Stewart’s interest in giving back to the community through free massages also aligned with Fleck’s goals for the salon, and Fleck believes his work to build a business while helping others “is the best thing you can do.”

“There aren’t many people who could lose their sight and turn around and give back as much as Steven gave,” she said. “Whatever he wants, I fully support him. Anything we can do to help him, we’re all here.”

ostevens@chicagotribune.com