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A fair tribute, justly deserved! Hilary Blue Ivan M Suzman wrote: > > Dear Ken Aidekman and friends, > > I just want to add that if my friend and caregiver, Jay Forys, had not > seen me through the 7-month winter in Maine, never complaining, always > worrying about me and helping me, I never could have achieved what I > have done during this past year. > > He is staying, for the moment, with his large family in New Jersey, and > deserves a huge amount of credit. He has posted a few messages on the > Parkinson's List, and frequently read the list with me, and suggested > things to me to help me be more effective. Some of you know his name > from my posts to the list earlier this year. > > In Washington, he was there for me when I couldn't function. Many of you > who attended the PAN Forum met him. He accompanied me when I met with > Senator Collins' health legislative aide, Senator Snowe, Senator Reed of > Rhode Island, and Representative Baldacci. He also met with > Representative > Allen here in Maine on April ll, and assisted me with every aspect of my > work on Parkinson's. > > He even wrote an English paper while a student at the University of > Southern Maine, on Ropinerole. His English professor gave him the only > "A" in her entire class in College Writing! > > I just want to see that he, too, gets some of the accolades you are > showering on me. > He can be written c/o his dad, Thaddeus Forys, at 63 Washington Place, > East Rutherford, New Jersey, 07073. He is staying in Carlstadt, NJ > (spelling?) for the moment, near his brother and sister-in-law's house, > and is working in Carlstadt. > > When I look back at the November, 1997 through June, 1998, and all that I > did during that time, he was always there for me, along with his two > children, Jenny and Nicky, on weekends and school vacations. > > It is almost impossible to imagine that I would have made it to the Forum > without his help-whether it was pushing me in a wheelchair across > airports, packing and unpacking bags, helping me to get from one place to > another in the corridors of the Dirksen Building, letting me know what I > missed (I was too sick to hear Senator Wellstone's dinner time address, > but Jay was there), constantly checking on me, > assisting me with many ordinary activities-like safe showering, buttoning > buttons, carrying my packages, bookbag and suitcases, assisting me with > heating pads and blankets when I had sudden, crashing, off-periods, and > most of all, always keeping me laughing and smiling, when I was too > exhausted to function. > > The list of what he did for me is endless. Caregivers are sometimes the > unsung heroes and heroines of the PD world. > > I hope some of you who met him and had time to talk to him might write > him to thank him for being the unsung hero that made my advocacy so much > more effective. > > Yours, > Ivan > ^^^^^^WARM GREETINGS FROM^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > Ivan Suzman 48/12/9.5 [log in to unmask] > Portland, Maine Land of lighthouses deg. F > ******************************************************************** > > On Wed, 21 Oct 1998 06:57:45 -0400 ken aidekman <[log in to unmask]> > writes: > >Ivan, > > > >Thank you for your helpful hints on PD advocacy. If every individual > >in > >our grassroots effort utilizes even half of your suggestions we can > >accomplish much greater results in Washington. I am impressed by the > >positive attitude that you maintain and the empathy for the person on > >the > >other end of the line in the face of such a frustrating process. > > > >Thanks for all of your efforts on our behalf. > > > >-Ken Aidekman > > > >Visit the Parkinson's Unity Walk website: www.parkinsonwalk.org > > > >Fund the Research. Find the Cure. > >