Goal Achieved!!!
News:
August25, 2008
I am delighted to report that Mary has had a remarkable few weeks. She is now walking entirely without a can, even up and down stairs, and is working on flexibility. She has recently begun gentle aikido movement as part of her therapy. For the first time in a long, long time she is able to do tenkan on both sides equally! She will return to teaching with a 3 hour class at Emerald City Aikido on October 5.
June 22, 2008
Mary returned to Seattle last Tuesday in good order and is now charging ahead on rehab. She is in great spirits, feeling good, and, as she said, looking forward to throwing around all her friends in a few months.
June 9, 2008
Mary was discharged from the hospital on Saturday. She continues to do well. She will be staying with Cynthia in DeKalb until she is able to fly back to Seattle. She is able to walk with a walker now, and we are in hopes that by the time she is ready to fly she will be able to walk with a cane.
June 3, 2008
Good news! Mary had her surgery this morning, and Dr. Bodner said that there were no complications. The surgery took about 3 hours. Mary is currently recovering, Dr. Bodner is optimistic about her prognosis.
May 22, 2008
Well, here we are a few days before the official end of our fundraising period and I am thrilled to announce that we have met our goal! The generosity of the worldwide aikido community has been astounding. A huge thank you to all for their help in organizing, fundraising, and donating. We now have the fiancial resources to see Mary through her surgery and rehabilitation.
The hip replacement is still scheduled for June 3. After surgery any news will be posted to this site as soon as it becomes available.
May 6, 2008
A bit of a delayed update. Mary traveled to DeKalb, Il right at the end of April for a consultation Dr. Bodner. She had a productive meeting with him, had some tests and x-rays, and learned that, while her hip absolutely needs to be replaced, it is 'uncomplicated.' Mary was very impressed with the brand new hospital and is going to be very well taken care of by the local aikido community. We would like to extend the warmest 'thank you' to Dr. Bodner, who has been absolutely spectacular!
April 13, 2008
Our total continues to rise nicely, but we're not there yet!
April 8, 2008
Important Donation Note: For bank rules reasons that are a bit obscure to us, all future checks should be made out to 'Mary Heiny.'
Important Medical Update: Mary is now scheduled to have her hip replaced at the University of Northern Illinois on June 3!!! The surgeon is donating his time and is working on the hospital for reduced rates for everything else. We still need everybody's help to cover the rest of the costs, rehab, etc.
Here is a note from Mary:
This morning I consulted with Dr. Bodner at the Midwest Orthopaedic Institute. I have gratefully accepted his generous offer to waive his fee and work for discounted services at the hospital. My surgery is scheduled for June 3. I will be going to DeKalb, IL to see him in person in late April for a pre-surgery visit. Thanks to the tremendous efforts and generosity of my Aikido friends I feel confident that I will become able to cover surgery expenses, rehab expenses and living expenses. Thank you for your continued efforts to make this possible.
April 6, 2008
The last week or so has been tremendous for fundraising. We are now just past half way! And this current total does not include the fundraising training that is happening later this month (see below) or the AikiWeb raffle. Keep up the good work!
March 30, 2008
Fundraising: We are just over $5000! So far we have had 36 donations averaging $140 each. Keep up the good work!
Medical News: Mary had a very useful meeting with one of the top orthopedic surgeons in Seattle. He assured her that with the correct replacement parts she will not only be able to maintain her life, but will be able to do anything she might want on the mat. He was also very helpful on the insurance/payment front. No details yet, but things are going in the right direction!
March 24, 2008
If you are going to be in the Los Angeles area on April 20th, Musubi Dojo (Susan Perry Sensei) is holding a one day fundraising keiko with all proceeds going to Mary Heiny.
March 23, 2008
We now accept donations through PayPal.
Our letter of support has gone out electronically to the aikido community and there have been some very positive developments! Here's a list:
The online community at AikiWeb is holding a raffle. To read their PDF flier, click Here. To read more, visit the Discussion Thread and take a look at the Raffle Page.
Kimberly Richardson and Joanne Veneziano, head instructors at Two Cranes Aikido and Emerald City Aikido respectively, are holding a one day fundraising intensive with Nidan demonstrations April 26 at Two Cranes Aikido. Click Here for more information. If you are in the Seattle area, please attend, donate, and have a great day of training with tw of Heiny Sensei's senior students!
Tim Warneka, author, leadership training expert, and keynote speaker, has offered to donate 100% of the proceeds on book sales from his publishing company and 75% of all training and speaking fees to the Friends of Mary Heiny between now and May 31st. Tim trains at Cleveland Aikikai and is a wonderful person. If you or you company have need of his services, please consider his extremely generous offer. Please visit Asogomi Publications International for more details.
March 3, 2008
Mary is currently securing quotes from hospitals in Thailand and negotiating with the Washington Basic Health bureaucracy.