Artists are the best people in the world! If you are one, I need your help!

To bring everyone up to speed... my brother-in-law Dave had a stroke... mid 50's, no warning, lives an extremely healthy life and had no major health issues that he knew of. He threw a clot, causing a major stroke. He is paralyzed on his right side, and cannot speak. He works for Adobe Software so his employment has always been very mental, reclaiming everything that he can is vital, the window for doing so is limited. Of course his frustration and depression levels are through the roof. His therapist said his extensive therapy would include PT, speech therapy, plus intense visual, sensory and tactile stimulation. He has a rough road ahead of him. I immediately thought of art, and the healing potential of it. I also thought of fiber and fabric, because you cannot get more tactile or stimulating that that in my book. I have to say here that Dave is the most loving, kind, sweet man you would ever meet, he has always done for others who needed help and now I want to help him all that I can, but I have limits on what I can accomplish alone.

Knowing my limits means I have also asked not only close friends, but also total strangers in yahoo groups I am a member of, and any artists who stumble onto my blog to please send any small art pieces they have laying around doing nothing to be used in his therapy and to help cheer him up (he loves textiles and fiber and art made from them, he is a collector of ATCs, he adores funky multimedia art, collages and assemblages). Things like this can provide great visual and tactile stimulation. We want to stimulate his brain so he can reclaim as much of his pre-stroke life as we can. It does not have to be a huge effort for anyone to do something special but special is nice if you want to take it to the next level. I want to surround him with color, texture and hope. Art heals, and I know if you get artists working together we can prove that it does.

So if you do miniature paintings, small water color pieces, fiber art cards, ATCs, make funky pocket shrines, small whimsical assemblages or art dolls, or anything that can used in his therapy, things he can keep in a small rehab room, I want your help... I am asking you to add to the effort....and I am asking you to ask your friends to help out too. Please share this call for art with everyone you know, no matter where they live. For a little bit of effort, and very little postage we can all help Dave... and encourage him at the same time.

Most of us never know if the world notices we are here or that we struggle. I want Dave to know lots of people are pulling for him to recover by sending small pieces of artistic stimulation to help encourage his recovery efforts. Those who send art, please be sure your return address is on it, Dave may not be able to thank you himself for awhile, but if he can't someone will send you a thank you and acknowledgment so you know your art contribution got to him okay.

My personal thanks in advance to all of you who decide you are willing to take time out for a total stranger, who care enough to send him art stimulation and well wishes for a speedy recovery.

Dave's mailing info for at least the next 2 months is:
David Valiulis
Room 933
c/o Palomar Medical Center
555 East Valley Parkway
Escondido, CA 92025

Can you even imagine what it would be like to wake one day unable to do what you have always done, without warning.... and unable to say what you want to say? I can't...

Please help me fill Dave's room with art, encouragement and hope! (And spread the word).... I want to make his therapist speechless....

EDIT:
Virginia Spiegel just emailed me and she is very kindly asking those on her Fiber Art For Cure list (http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/NewFiles/ACS/FAQ.html ) to help out. Virginia has raised a ton of money for cancer research with the help of fiber artists worldwide donating their work to her auctions and art sales. Her Collage Mania II sale (http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/CollageManiaDetails.html ) is the one I am donating my sun face collages to. So a HUGE thank you to Virginia....and if you love collages you want to watch her sale, every piece is a fine art bargain at only $40.