Vol1, Issue5

Volume 1, Issue 5 - May 2001

Welcome

Surfing the Country…

By Vinny Distefano

This month has got to go down as one of the busiest so far. After having seen a documentary on TV and contacting their website, we’ve been in touch with folks from all over the country. More on this later in this issue. Angie is continuing to receive HBOT treatments and still progressing. That is, she is not staying in one place or losing any of her gains. Her attention seems to be more focused, at times, better than in the past.

Baby Steps

One Connection at a Time…

It seems clear that she recognizes either voices or faces or both. I judge this by the way she reacts when I visit her. If I “sneak up” on her and don’t let her know I’m there, I catch her alone with her thoughts. Unless she’s uncomfortable or in need of attention, she’ll usually stays pretty still. When she hears voices though, she tries to interact by moving her head and mouth. But when it’s someone she knows, she’s even more deliberate. I’ve done the following “experiment” over and over, and I always get the same results. If the CNA’s or nurses are in attending to Angie, I won’t let her see me and I won’t speak to her. I just observe her with the staff. She may fidget and fuss because she knows something is going on. I hope she understand they are trying to help her… to fix what’s wrong and make her comfortable again. When they’re done, she usually settles back down. She still hasn’t heard my voice or seen me. That’s when I tell her I’m in her room and walk over to her. I always tell her she’s not dreaming and I’m right next to the bed. I’ll tell her where I am, left or right, but I don’t get in her line of sight. Then, I tell her to turn her head and look at me. I keep talking to her reminding her, very slowly, to “…Stay in your room. Don’t run away from me. Don’t be scared. You’re safe here. Come and talk to me.” I watch her expressions. They’re different from when the staff was there working on her. Nothing she does happens as fast as her reactions to just talking to her. She struggles, but she will turn her head and she will find me. Now I move to another spot and do it all over again. Same results. I always tell her to go slow, to take baby steps and not to get upset. I tell her how great she is doing. I work with her only when she “feels” like it. Everyone has days when they don’t want to be bothered. On those days, I’ll just hold her hand and talk to her about “stuff”. Last week, I was moving her pillow and my arm was supporting her head. She turned her head into my arm and stopped moving. It was almost like I was hugging her. She was so calm. I just left my arm there and talked about her getting better…each day…getting closer and closer to her breaking thru. We stayed like that for a good 15 minutes, until she started closing her eyes. I laid her head on the pillow and rubbed her head till she nodded off, just telling her not to be afraid and how much everyone loves her. The calming reaction to her Mom and Dad’s voices seems to show a level of comfort and security in her face, too. We’ve all noticed these changes. As long as she keeps taking those baby steps, we have to believe she will win this battle.

Friends from the Left Coast

Heidi’s Story.

One nite, I came across a “True Hollywood Story” about a young stuntwoman who was hurt badly in a stunt accident. Her name is Heidi Von Beltz. Her website is www.FollowYourHeart.org .Her story is somewhat similar to Angie’s. Her doctors telling the family, “It’ over”. Medical and legal struggles. I wrote to them asking if they knew of a doctor who would listen and help us with Angie getting real physical therapy. They told us of the doctor working with Heidi. He is in California, but he might be able to direct us to someone in Florida. Together, they are determined to getting Heidi walking again. She has come a very long way, twenty-four at the time of the accident, sixteen years of therapy, I believe, and she is proving the doctors wrong.  Her site is also an organization that helps others as well. My goal is that Angel-Hawk will some day follow in that path. Ok, so Christy & Heidi then led us to Melanie Griffith’s web site Melanie Online- First Peek Home which took us to www.OneWorldLive.com. A great deal of information, but still not definitive answer to our question. So back to Christy I went and from there a link to Dr. Cory in Ft.Lauderdale. I’ve been in touch with Dr. Cory to explain to her Angie’s situation. We’ve e-mailed each other and I hope to speak to her soon. I know Barbara, Angie’s Mom, has spoken to someone at the Doctor’s office, but she could not get thru to Dr. Cory herself. I know Angie is not the first person to be challenged in this way. Somewhere out there is the help we’ve been looking for. And if Angel-Hawk needs to lead in this area, we will.

Waz Up?

Lights…Camera…

I met briefly with Tom & Ouida Sykes, and their son Jason, a few weeks ago. We’ve met in the past at the Wellness Center, but now their story will be included as part of the documentary. Jason has a link on the Angel-Hawk Newsletter. Mat Spaulding, who was instrumental in getting this project started, and I, have been swamped with work these last couple of months. While we stay busy in Orlando, Mat also works out of town. We are both committed to getting this film “in the can” by the end of the summer and in the hands of a broadcaster. We meet countless numbers of people coming into Orlando for conventions. Thanx to Ronnie, Angie’s father, we now have cards to handout to folks who ask about her. He has put the Angel-Hawk.org website address on both of his vehicles. I have put it on mine as well. More and more hits are being registered on the site.  As more people find out about it, the word will spread further and further around the country and maybe the world.

 

Where To Go From Here?

God Only Knows… 

If you listen long enough, someone will say, “…miracles do happen”. We’re told we can’t know why things happen, just that they are “God’s will”. And that “…prayers do get answered”. I also know, I can’t sit and wait for the answers. Every day, I’m thinking of something else to try, someone else to call. Angie is never far from me. I “take” her with me were ever I go. I talk to everyone about her. Maybe someone will know someone. I talk to her as much as I used to when we worked together. Not out loud, of course. That would be crazy…J. Maybe I can reach her on another plain. Is it possible for minds to communicate over distances? Twins have been known to feel the others pain, though separated. The government has done experiments in remote viewing. Look it up on the Internet. It might be possible to let your mind drift to another place. Is Angie doing this when she seems to leave the room? Can I meet her in another “space”? I am exploring all possibilities. It has been said that science will not be able to understand exactly how the brain works. It’s like trying to understand the concept of infinity. Space is said to be infinite. That means, every time you think you can’t go any further, you just take another step. It just keeps going on forever. It’s incomprehensible. The brain is just a human organ, like a heart or lung. But add just the right amount of chemicals and some electricity and viola, a person who can think, reason and try to understand its own existence. No one knows its limitations or even if there are any! Things that may seem strange or off the normal path to others, must now be considered and not simply dismissed. I don’t know where I’m being led. I only know I will find Angie at the end of it all one day. I end every nite with a prayer for her and her family. And to show me the path to take to help them.

Till next month, be safe…

Pass it on and tell a friend to stop by. Thanx