p.s. If you haven't seen Uma & John's wedding video, check it out HERE. It's long but it really shows their love story and the beginning of Uma's road to recovery.
Dear friends...I'm forwarding an update from John about how Uma's doing at Core Health in Texas (spoiler alert -- she's doing really well), but first I just want to thank all of you for your incredible support...the donations, the well wishes, the prayers, the love, the hours that many of you put into the fundraiser at Bootleg last month -- it's incredible and moving how so many people (friends, family, and strangers) have come together in a really miraculous way. So thank you from the bottom of my heart. Huge, huge love to all of you. xo, erik
JOHN'S LATEST UPDATE:
hello everyone,
Uma is doing very well overall. I think the main thing she's experiencing on the positive side of things is a sense of hope that she can emerge from her stroke with the ability to have a life that she considers worth living. On the tough side of things she's experiencing a new and more accurate vision of how long it's going to take her to get what she wants.
I'm leaving to see her again tomorrow morning. Can't wait. I miss her so much.
She misses acting.
We talked yesterday about it - she said she wanted to "do Shakespeare"...just get a play and start to memorize lines. I said nothing but encouraging things to her at that time. Later on in the day I left a message for her on her cell phone, suggesting that she consider telling her own story instead of someone else's. She calls me every night after her dinner. This night, after I answered my cell with "Hey!", she burst in with, "Oh my god....that's it, man.....MY story....I never did that......not even with Bart DeLorenzo and the Evidence Room!" On my last visit I gave her a little digital recorder so she could record her thoughts. She's going to try to begin creating what I guess will be a one-woman show at some point in the future.
We talked further about other things......hoping for a brighter future despite the fact that there is so little work for me (thank god for piano tuning - although I keep thinking I'll be able to fully step away from that someday). We also talked about how long she'd be there at Core.
Today she called just as I was finishing a piano tuning. She said, "Ok....I'm just gonna say this one thing, ok?......even if we're penniless, we're still in love." (that is a verbatim quote). I think we can all agree that there are far worse people on earth than Uma.
Two days ago we had a conference call with all of her therapists and her case manager. It lasted about an hour and covered every aspect of her care. I spent most of the time speaking with her hand therapist - I needed to be convinced that she was getting somewhere with that part of it. I can tell just from phone conversations that she's improving in terms of her speech, and I know from her gym schedule that her leg, foot, balance, and stamina are improving.
Every therapist had the same reaction to Uma; they think she's pretty amazing, with nothing but potential for recovery. They are excited to work with her. They see improvement, enthusiasm. One of them told me how Uma basically dragged another patient (who rarely comes out of his room after therapy) out to the common area to play a game with her. Her hand therapist told me that on one day after therapy she, the therapist, actually started to dance around a bit because she was so excited about what Uma was accomplishing.
She's getting real help here and after over four years of trying to get her what she needs and only marginally succeeding, this is a real blessing. Thank you all for what you've done for her and for our family. I hope this email can reach out to where you are with my thanks...this is not a small thing....it's one of the biggest things, bigger than I could ever have imagined. Another way to say it is that it's beyond me - literally - what has happened for her because of all of you is outside of me, of my power, and beyond my own love for her and my hope for her future. I was losing hope in March but now I have it again and so does Uma.
The conference call ended with an estimate given for her discharge. They said that, at minimum, she'd need to stay there a total of six months. We, all of us, have raised enough money for just a bit over three months. The money is out there - we just need to bring it to Core Health.
A very talented theater ensemble is having a benefit for Uma on Wed. June 22nd here in L.A. Please do check out
https://sacredfools.secure.force.com/ticket#sections_a02G0000005Cel4IAC
These are enormously talented people who will make you laugh extraordinarily hard. The whole night's proceeds go for Uma's therapy. Two of the people who run this theater have been just simply nuts-generous for Uma already...and now they're pulling this night off. I'm glad I'll be in town to go see this. I could use a good laugh.
and also http://www.theumafund.blogspot.com/ (if for no other reason than to search for your name among those who've donated).
I've been very busy trying to hustle work and use that as an excuse not to update on Uma's life. No more. I will inform you all much more regularly from now on.
All my thanks and love,
Uma is doing very well overall. I think the main thing she's experiencing on the positive side of things is a sense of hope that she can emerge from her stroke with the ability to have a life that she considers worth living. On the tough side of things she's experiencing a new and more accurate vision of how long it's going to take her to get what she wants.
I'm leaving to see her again tomorrow morning. Can't wait. I miss her so much.
She misses acting.
We talked yesterday about it - she said she wanted to "do Shakespeare"...just get a play and start to memorize lines. I said nothing but encouraging things to her at that time. Later on in the day I left a message for her on her cell phone, suggesting that she consider telling her own story instead of someone else's. She calls me every night after her dinner. This night, after I answered my cell with "Hey!", she burst in with, "Oh my god....that's it, man.....MY story....I never did that......not even with Bart DeLorenzo and the Evidence Room!" On my last visit I gave her a little digital recorder so she could record her thoughts. She's going to try to begin creating what I guess will be a one-woman show at some point in the future.
We talked further about other things......hoping for a brighter future despite the fact that there is so little work for me (thank god for piano tuning - although I keep thinking I'll be able to fully step away from that someday). We also talked about how long she'd be there at Core.
Today she called just as I was finishing a piano tuning. She said, "Ok....I'm just gonna say this one thing, ok?......even if we're penniless, we're still in love." (that is a verbatim quote). I think we can all agree that there are far worse people on earth than Uma.
Two days ago we had a conference call with all of her therapists and her case manager. It lasted about an hour and covered every aspect of her care. I spent most of the time speaking with her hand therapist - I needed to be convinced that she was getting somewhere with that part of it. I can tell just from phone conversations that she's improving in terms of her speech, and I know from her gym schedule that her leg, foot, balance, and stamina are improving.
Every therapist had the same reaction to Uma; they think she's pretty amazing, with nothing but potential for recovery. They are excited to work with her. They see improvement, enthusiasm. One of them told me how Uma basically dragged another patient (who rarely comes out of his room after therapy) out to the common area to play a game with her. Her hand therapist told me that on one day after therapy she, the therapist, actually started to dance around a bit because she was so excited about what Uma was accomplishing.
She's getting real help here and after over four years of trying to get her what she needs and only marginally succeeding, this is a real blessing. Thank you all for what you've done for her and for our family. I hope this email can reach out to where you are with my thanks...this is not a small thing....it's one of the biggest things, bigger than I could ever have imagined. Another way to say it is that it's beyond me - literally - what has happened for her because of all of you is outside of me, of my power, and beyond my own love for her and my hope for her future. I was losing hope in March but now I have it again and so does Uma.
The conference call ended with an estimate given for her discharge. They said that, at minimum, she'd need to stay there a total of six months. We, all of us, have raised enough money for just a bit over three months. The money is out there - we just need to bring it to Core Health.
A very talented theater ensemble is having a benefit for Uma on Wed. June 22nd here in L.A. Please do check out
https://sacredfools.secure.
These are enormously talented people who will make you laugh extraordinarily hard. The whole night's proceeds go for Uma's therapy. Two of the people who run this theater have been just simply nuts-generous for Uma already...and now they're pulling this night off. I'm glad I'll be in town to go see this. I could use a good laugh.
and also http://www.theumafund.
I've been very busy trying to hustle work and use that as an excuse not to update on Uma's life. No more. I will inform you all much more regularly from now on.
All my thanks and love,
John
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