Altruism

[VAXman(Admin)]

altruism |'altroo,izem| noun.

the belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others



As many of you may already know, my wife Martha was hospitalized for a week last month at the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswich, NJ. I visited her there every day for as long a period as I could. On one of the first days there, I was making my way to the hospital's cafeteria to grab some lunch. As I approached the elevators, I heard a guitar. I poked my head around the corner and gazed into the room where the guitar sound emanated. There on a bed was a fellow with long thinning hair playing an old Martin acoustic. He invited me in and we struck up a conversation.

I was wearing my favorite YES 35th Tour tie-dye with the beetle. He asked me what sort of music I was interested in and I said, "Progressive Rock." The occupant of the bed told me he was in the band The Red Masque. This man on the bed was Brian Van Korn, percussionist and more for The Red Masque.

Brian has been stricken by a disease called "Transverse Myelitis" and has been hospitalized since mid-June. It has left him, more or less, paralyzed in his legs. Brian is a wonderfully enthusiastic soul despite this affliction, and I wish him the best of luck and hope for a recovery.

Martha and I have kept in touch with Brian and we hope to get to visit him in the hospital soon. I am asking the Aural Moon community to post some well wishes for Brian, or call or write to him. Spending 2 months in a hospital is tough and isolating. Some kind words from a concerned Prog community like here at Aural Moon will be a welcome diversion for him.

He can be reached by calling: 732.937.4275 (direct number to his room at RWJUH)

In lieu of a phone call or letter, please post some kind words here and I will relay this thread to him.

Ad(Thank you)vance

[Rick and Roll]

I've not been around Orion of late...Red Masque is local to me and I've seen them. Good stuff.

Certainly, for what it's worth, I will chime in with my hopes for a recovery (if it is possible...the muscular diseases are especially tough).

I'll pass this on to the Baltimore area proggers.

[mailotron]

Dear VAx and Martha,

Please give him my best compliments ( don't know the right word in english)
I bought all the Red masque CDs from Big Balloon music half and a year ago and find them very interesting despite their uncompromise approach of music ( that's probably why I was seduced, the more you listen the more you like, that's prog)

mailotron

Brian,

I am not familiar with your music but given that I have never been given a bum steer by my friends at Aural moon I will listen out for sure.

As someone who has had their fill recently of hospitalisations I really feel for you and wish you the best of luck for the future both in health and happiness.

My thoughts are with you my friend.

Take care.

With love.

[AngelSings4u2]

Dear Brian,

My husband Phil is a fan...I am just entering the prog community now after 13 years of him begging me to listen. We want you to know that we will keep you in our prayers daily for continued healing and peace. I am proud to be a part of Aural Moon and if VAX says it's good...it's good...so I'll try a listen...Many regards. Keep your head up and keep the music flowing...and by all means keep on proggin'...

Much Love, Angel and Philip Terry

[mailotron]

dear LGT..

. beware if VAx says one day " Microsoft is good " ...
Yours,
Mailotron

[Avian(Admin)]

VAX - is it OK if I link to this post from Progressive Ears and some other sites that may want to send their thoughts?

[roger]

Brian,

best wishes and good energy your way from this moonie.

[sharcnorris]

Brian, its very hard as Vax knows when your body betrays you. I had a stroke 5 months ago that has turned my life atizzy. We feel so helpless as our body's try to regain normalcy. Time heals but also curses and I know the endless time without being able to do normal things is crushing at times. So what can be done? One is that there is a 24 hour Music community here at the Moon to chat with. When your alone for hours its a great place to rest awhile. I look forward to hearing your tunes and hope you keep it touch, I know I could use more friends, join this wonderful Family when your feeling low, -Kind Regards, Marc

[VAXman(Admin)]

Originally Posted by Avian

VAX - is it OK if I link to this post from Progressive Ears and some other sites that may want to send their thoughts?

I don't see any problem.

[Elric68]

Dear Brian, I may be only 18, but I have had my fill of hospitals too during the last year. I've found friends and almost a family here in our little music community and I think everyone would welcome you as they did with me.

I will listen to your music, and would be glad to share my opinions about it with you.

Best wishes.
Elric

[mossy]

Brian, hello!

It could be any one of us in your situation, and change can happen in a flicker of an eyelid.

Sending you good thoughts and energy for your recovery, and that you can find a bit of peace and something to enjoy each day. Glad you've got the Martin, glad you and Vax connected.

mossy

[zatoth]

Sorry to hear about your illness. get well!

[ViolinCyndee]

Best wishes to you Vonorn... It was so nice to see you at Lynnette and Brandon's...

Cyndee

[podakayne]

dear brian,

i am so sorry for your illness, yet VAX says you have an uplifting spirit about you and that is priceless medicine...supernatural magic...whenever you're feeling a bit tapped in that department i hope you come here to refuel. i've heard your music and look forward to your being involved in future music making. as a musician you're intrinsically creative, you will find a way to channel that.

in the meantime know that those of us here will be wishing & praying, and sending thoughts of healing for your recovery.

much affection
podakayne

[jtmckinley]

Hang in there Brian, at least you've got your Martin to play with, I'd be doing the same in your situation . Best wishes for your recovery!

[VAXman(Admin)]

Originally Posted by jtmckinley

Hang in there Brian, at least you've got your Martin to play with, I'd be doing the same in your situation . Best wishes for your recovery!

Brian actually has quite a few musical toys in his room. Guitar, drums, and even a small toy accordion.

I allowed Brian to use my Powerbook for an afternoon and he composed some music in GarageBand.

FYI, M and I will be visiting him this afternoon... I'll take a printout of all of your well wishes to him.

[rick_wakeman]

Hello from France and know that The peace of God bathes your spirit and your heart. That You are resting in the eternal arms of beauty, truth and wisdom. These blessing words can link your spirit to your body to heal it. Keep on prog rocking, bro. Take care,

Cédric.

[VAXman(Admin)]

I printed out the forum posts that you made here to date and Martha printed out the Progressive Ears thread that Avian began. Martha and I took the printouts to Brian last evening (16-Aug).

When we arrived at Brian's room at RWJUH, he was in his bed and on the phone. The partioning curtain which divided his half of the room by the window was partially drawn and there was no bed on the other side by the door. Brian's guitar was placed on the bed by his legs. I snuck into the room and announced our presence there by reaching around the curtain and plucking the low E string of his guitar.

Surprised, Brian quickly terminated his conversation on the phone. Martha and I got to spend about half an hour with him before we needed to leave for another appointment. He was delighted to see us. He welcomed the printout of the responses from you here and the people that contributed on the Progressive Ears list. He says, "Thank you!"

We were once again treated to a preview of his current musical composition which he has been inspired to write by his ordeal.

Brian was supposed to be moved to a rehab center but that plan is on hold for the moment. There seems to be some issues with various beaurocracies involved. There always seems to be more red tape than surgical tape in medicine today.

He's showing improvement in movement in his left leg; not so much that he'll be up and about dancing a jig in the next few days but there is movement. It is still too weak for him to really manipulate and, before we left, his lef fell between mattress and bed guard rail and I had to intercede to put his leg back on the bed. His IV tubes have been removed; however, he still has the large catheter in the juglar which was used for plasmaphoresis.

Many of his musical toys have been sent home from his room in anticipation of his relocation. He still has a drum and guitar as well as his note and sketch pads.

That's it for now. We'll try to get in to see him again in the next week assuming he is still a resident at RWJUH.

[Velvet]

HI Vaxman/Brian

This is Lynnette from The Red Masque. Thanks for setting up this topic and taking these greetings here and on ProgressiveEars.com to Brian. He really appreciates it.

I have faith that Brian will recover eventually but it is a long process and, unfortunately, he is mired in red tape at the moment, which is keeping him from getting out of the hospital and into the rehab clinic. I know he talked to his lawyer andthey are trying to move things along so hopefully this will speed things up.

In the meantime, if anybody is in the area, Brian loves visitors. I've been visiting whenever I can on the weekends (I'm about an hour and half to two hours away from his hospital (during normal traffic -- much longer if there is bad traffic), so it makes it difficult to visit him during the week when I am at work).

HOPEFULLY he won't be in the hospital much longer though.
Anyway, thanks again.
Lynnette