[NFBMO] From the Chapter Presidents' Mailing List: Fwd: It is with a heavy heart that I send this to you

Thu Nov 17 01:58:25 UTC 2022

I am so truly deeply sorry and his message during hiss loss is trumy 
meaningfully and powerful.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Daniel Garcia via NFBMO" <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
To: <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
Cc: "Daniel Garcia" <dangarcia3 at hotmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2022 7:46 PM
Subject: [NFBMO] From the Chapter Presidents' Mailing List: Fwd: It is with 
a heavy heart that I send this to you


>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Chapter-Presidents <chapter-presidents-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf 
> Of David Andrews via Chapter-Presidents
> Sent: Tuesday, November 15, 2022 9:40 PM
> To: chapter-presidents at nfbnet.org; 
> state-affiliate-leadership-list at nfbnet.org; -list at nfbnet.org
> Cc: David Andrews <dandrews920 at comcast.net>
> Subject: [Chapter-Presidents] Fwd: [NFBC-Info] It is with a heavy heart 
> that I send this to you
>
> FYI:
>
> Dave
>
>
>>To: NFB of California List <nfbc-info at nfbnet.org>, 'NFB Talk Mailing List'
>>  <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>Thread-Topic: It is with a heavy heart that I send this to you
>>Thread-Index: Adj30xa7f7zF5HiESM6AAO9EcWaMPA==
>>Date: Mon, 14 Nov 2022 02:45:37 +0000
>>Subject: [NFBC-Info] It is with a heavy heart that I send this to you
>>From: "mike michaelhingson.com via NFBC-Info" <nfbc-info at nfbnet.org>
>>Cc: "mike michaelhingson.com" <mike at michaelhingson.com>
>>
>>Hello,
>>
>>In April 1972 I attended my first meeting of the Orange County chapter
>>of the National Federation of the Blind. It was an adventure, and I
>>chose by attending to explore this new and for me different world.
>>Through the federation I have been involved in many adventures and am
>>certain there will be more. In 1976 I began an 18-month assignment from
>>Dr. Jernigan to help Dr. Ray Kurzweil bring his dream of a reading
>>machine for blind people to fruition.
>>
>>I think my greatest adventure was not, however, directly related to the
>>NFB. Oh, a Federationist started me down an unexpected road when, in
>>January of 1982, he introduced me to a woman, Karen Ashurst. Little did
>>I know that day what would happen. Suffice it to say that Karen and I
>>were married on November 27, 1982.
>>
>>Karen and I began to share not only NFB adventures but many others as
>>well. Probably many of you are familiar with what must be the most
>>significant one, I escaped from Tower One of the World Trade Center on
>>September 11, 2001. In 2011, Thunder Dog; the story of a blind man, his
>>guide dog and the triumph of trust was published. If you did not know
>>Karen directly, but if you read Thunder dog you did get to meet and
>>know her.
>>
>>Yesterday, November 12 2022, just 15 days before we would have
>>celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary, Karen passed away. Her passing
>>was somewhat expected, but not so soon. She discovered a wound,
>>probably from a pressure sore, in late July. Yes, a pressure sore as
>>Karen is a paraplegic and has been in a wheelchair her entire life. As
>>I love to say, she reads, and I push. Anyway, the sore eventually
>>required her to go to the hospital in late July.
>>
>>She returned home on August 28 with a healing wound, but with an
>>extremely diminished appetite and a great deal of pain. Karen has
>>suffered from Rheumatoid Arthritis since January of 2017. She has been
>>receiving infusions of medications to diminish the RA, but those
>>infusions seriously lower her immune system. She had to stop the
>>infusions in August while in the hospital. This was because lowering
>>her immune system further could result in more wound infections. The
>>other side of the coin is that it caused Karen excruciating pain. Over
>>the past three months the pain took its toll as her appetite diminished
>>and she couldn't even swallow much food.
>>
>>This past Monday, we put her back in the hospital. Over this week her
>>strength and stamina dropped precipitously. Yesterday, at the
>>suggestion of her doctors with agreement from Karen's sister, a retired
>>CCU and ICU nurse, we stopped life support.
>>
>>Now, we move on. I write this long message as I know many of you had
>>some contact and knowledge of Karen. I want everyone to know fully
>>about her, what happened to her and what happens now. I intend to
>>continue to be active where I can. I will not stop moving forward as
>>that would be an insult to Karen and all our 40-year marriage meant to
>>both of us. I will continue to travel and speak. I will continue my
>>work with accessiBe. I will work as I can to support the NFB.
>>Most of all, I will have and treasure 40 years of memories with Karen.
>>Life goes on and it is what I intend to do as well.
>>
>>God bless you, Karen. You always are and will be at the forefront of my
>>mind and heart. For all of us here on Earth, let's continue to move
>>forward and grow until the entire world understands and believes that
>>"disability" does not mean inability, but rather such is just a
>>characteristic.
>>
>>Thanks for reading. If you knew Karen and are saddened by this message,
>>don't be. Instead renew your conviction for equality for all of us. I
>>know Karen today is, as Dr. tenBroek would say, "Within The Grace of
>>God".
>>
>>Best Regards,
>>
>>
>>Michael Hingson
>>
>>The Michael Hingson Group, INC.
>>"Speaking with Vision"
>>Michael Hingson, President
>>(415) 827-4084
>>email: mike at michaelhingson.com<mailto:mike at michaelhingson.com>
>>To check on Michael Hingson's speaking availability for your next event
>>please visit
>>http://www.michaelhingson.com<http://www.michaelhingson.com/>.
>>I invite you to listen to accessiBe's podcast "Unstoppable Mindset",
>>where Inclusion, Diversity and the unexpected meet. We are excited to
>>share that Unstoppable Mindset has been named by Podcast Magazine as
>>its February 2022 editor's pick. The podcast is hosted by Mike Hingson
>>and can be heard wherever you can find podcasts or you can visit
>>http://www.michaelhingson.com/podcast. When you listen to Unstoppable
>>Mindset please take the time to give us a five star rating. Thanks.
>>_______________________________________________
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>
>
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