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