The Associated Press

NORTHBROOK, Ill. – When her family moved into a new home about two years ago, Joanie Boehnen’s first priority was creating a refuge for her teenage daughter, Lindz.

Lindz spends a lot of time in her room, but not for usual reasons. She’s afflicted with postural orthostatic tachycardia, a debilitating neurological condition that can cause extreme lightheadedness and fatigue.

So Joanie wanted something special, something out of the ordinary.

The result was a suite that resembles a medieval castle, decorated with rich plums, filmy fabrics and artwork steeped in that long-ago era.

The look of the room, and the love that went into it, was a last gift of sorts between mother and daughter.

Joanie died in May, not long after the room was finished.

The project created a suite for Lindz and led to a warm relationship with the designer, Cheryl Kling, an owner of Collaborate Design Studio in Deerfield.

“Joanie’s dream was to have this bedroom done for Lindz. She was so happy. It was important to her to have it turn out this way for Lindz,” Kling said.

Daniel Boehnen, a patent attorney, found Kling on the Internet and hired her to work with Joanie because the large new house in Northbrook was his dream, not his wife’s.

“Our whole office became close with Joanie,” Kling said. “We knew no one would do any work for an hour when Joanie came in. She was so much fun.”

Kling thought her own situation as the mother of children with Crohn’s disease helped her bond with Joanie.

About two years ago, Joanie, Lindz and Kling started working on the bedroom and sitting room.

Lindz, now 17, says having the retreat is very important to her – especially when she’s in pain.

“All my nerves start screaming at me,” she said. “Sometimes I just need to be in a nice quiet place.”

Everyone in Kling’s office was confused in January 2006 when they suddenly lost contact with Joanie. When she got back in touch, she said the family had been dealing with her husband’s cancer diagnosis.

Things got worse.

Joanie was diagnosed with cancer herself in February. The prognosis was good for both Boehnens. But Joanie had a stroke and died in May.

Kling considers Lindz’s suite part of the legacy her mother left her, along with her work for people with her condition.