Haskell is always telling people he fears what his life would be like without the assistance of generous Music Maker supporters. When he called the office stating he couldn't make a gig because he could no longer walk, we called on Music Maker volunteer John Creech to take him to the Emergency Room. Haskell was reluctant to go because he knew the outcome could change his life. After his leg was amputated he found it hard to navigate though the intricacies of the medical system. I didn't know what to do. I thought I was going to be homeless again and without a leg. I didn't know where to go. I didn't even have Medicare. We called Dr. David Thurber, an Advisory Board Member and the Medical Director for the Cary Hospital Medicine Services in North Carolina. Dr. Thurber helps Music Maker artists break down barriers in the health care system; he helped Carl Rutherford donate his body to science and worked with Cootie Stark's doctors to make his final days peaceful ones. Working with Haskell's doctors and social worker, Dr. Thurber was able to move Haskell to an assisted living program and receive on-going physical therapy. Haskell is enjoying his "Cadillac room" and now has Medicare and a prosthetic leg. David states, "it's just nice to have such a positive influence on someone's care." Music Maker Relief Foundation is a small grassroots organization and your support directly affects the lives of over 100 recipient artists. Your donation will help an artist get back on the road, get medical care, get an emergency grant, or provide other needed help to these living legends who often slip through the cracks. Like Haskell says, "Music Maker is my family. It's the only family I know. They treat me with respect and dignity, and when I have a problem I call them up and they help me out." |
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