Friends of Tony Albanese FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
There are a number of questions that often come up when people talk about Tony Albanese (AKA Anthony Albanese). This page is devoted to answering those frequently asked questions (FAQ). Other FAQs may be added as needed.
Who is Tony Albanese?
When did Tony's accident happen?
What is Tony's condition?
Who is Mary Alice Banuelos?
What happened to Mary Alice?
Why is there a "Friends of Tony" website?
How can I help Tony?
Who is Tony Albanese?
Tony is a well-known personality in local aviation circles around the Southern California area. He grew up in Whittier, a Los Angeles suburb, and he's been fascinated with airplanes and flight since an early age. Tony is an accomplished pilot and a licensed airplane mechanic, and he is so much more. He has also been a drag boat racer, a TRD (Toyota Racing Development) master engine builder, drag car enthusiast, scuba diver, and he's an inventive sheet metal craftsman. But his true love is repairing airplanes. He has a reputation for being able to heal any aircraft malady.
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As his friends and family can attest, people gravitate to Tony. They love to watch him work on one of his many projects being built, rebuilt or modified. From small-block engines in his early teens when he first worked with Chevrolet, Porsche and VW engines to Muncie 4-speeds, he did it all. Tony is exceptional. He's an inspiration to people who know him; he provides an education to anyone interested in doing something "right." Tony is a master teacher. His friends all know him for his vast array of interests, his quick and dry wit —even more for his innate talents— and a heart of gold.
Tony's life took a dramatic turn late in 2004 when he was severely injured in a plane crash at Fullerton Airport.
The crash occurred in front of hundreds of people who were at the small Orange County airport for the weekend "Airport Day" event. The crash was captured on videotape and broadcast on local and then National television stations; several newspapers were also on hand to cover the original story, but ended up reporting on Tony's progress when he was then taken to University of California Irvine's (UCI) Medical Center's Burn Intensive Care Unit that afternoon. Badly burned and paralyzed from the waist down (at his T10/T11), Tony was at UCI for five months where they did numerous skin grafts and he began the first phase of his occupational and physical therapy. In total, he has spent nearly one-and-a-half years being hospitalized, first at UCI (5 months), Kindred Hospital (1 month), then at St. Jude Medical Center (9 months), and most recently at Rancho Los Amigos (2 months).
It is unlikely that Tony will be able to return to work with Toyota Racing Development (TRD), the place where he was employed at the time of the crash. Due to his inability to work one year after becoming disabled, Tony was discharged from his job with TRD.
Luckily, Tony has the good fortune to be attended by an extraordinary medical team, surrounded by a caring family, and a group of supportive friends, many of whom have given countless hours of their time to help their friend in need. Having friends come by to visit is vital for Tony's day-to-day recovery, especially since his parents are retired and live out-of-state. They make a regular commute to oversee his ongoing medical and financial needs, but must also attend to their own health needs as senior citizens and can’t always be there for Tony. His brother Steve flies across the country every few weeks to spend several days helping out however he can, yet he's deeply involved on a daily basis as Tony's communication officer and he maintains this website. Steve does this all the way from New York City. Sadly, Tony's companion and roommate Mary Alice Banuelos — who is also disabled — moved out recently to be cared for by her parents. Mary Alice always did her best to lend a hand, though she was limited by her physical and cognitive disabilities. Since leaving Rancho Los Amigos, Tony has had a live-in fulltime caregiver paid for by his family.
When did Tony's accident happen?
On September 25, 2004, Tony was the passenger of a three-engine (tri-motor Bushmaster Aircraft 2000) airplane that veered off the runway during takeoff at Fullerton Municipal Airport during an airport festival and then crashed moments later. The plane crashed while on a test flight and was not participating in the day's events at the time.
It took 20 months for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to complete their investigation of the accident. Their findings concur with what had already been speculated in the aviation community for some time now, that the plane crash could have been easily prevented if the pilot had properly checked the plane prior to take off.
The NTSB concluded that a strap used to hold the rudder stationary was not removed. As a result, the aircraft was rendered uncontrollable on the ground and in the air. Despite having several opportunities to shut the plane down before attempting to take off, the pilot chose to endanger everyone’s life at the airport and in the surrounding community that day. The pilot, Jay Yoshinaga, was injured in the crash, but he is fine now. Two women in a car hit by the plane had suffered only minor injuries. It was Tony who suffered the worst.
A spectator at the airport videotaped the accident sequence, and
provided the footage to the NTSB investigators. In addition to the videotape, other spectators at the airport submitted numerous photographs. One such photograph, enhanced by the Safety Board vehicle recorders specialist, clearly showed that a strap connecting the left elevator to the rudder had not been removed.
A pilot's ultimate responsibility is to make sure that everything possible has been done for a safe flight.
What is Tony's condition?
Tony was rendered paraplegic and barely survived the plane crash. He was severely hurt with multiple injuries that included third and fourth degree burns over 70% of his body. Both of his legs and his right arm and hand received the worst of the burns, which had robbed him of four fingers on his right hand. After battling this series of very painful burns for nearly three years, Tony continues to show great signs of healing. He has a wound care on a weekly basis to change his bandages, he needs 24/7 care. For the first year-and-a-half Tony was outfitted with a peg tube (feeding tube) that helped him maintain regular nutrition. To further promote the burns to heal on his lower body, he is equipped with a urinary catheter and a colostomy bag.
Recovering at home now, Tony currently sleeps in a Volkner® turning bed that automatically turns him from side to side every two hours to prevent pressure sores. The right and left banks of air cells in the mattress inflate and deflate alternatively, relieving constant pressure on the pressure points and surrounding skin. The turning movement of the air mattress is very gradual and so far, Tony has found the bed to be very comfortable.
Immobilized in bed since the plane crash, Tony had developed a pair of life threatening bedsores. These chronic "pressure ulcers" were successfully "flapped" over in a specialized surgery last March at Rancho Los Amigos. Aside from needing a full year to completely heal from his flap surgery, Tony faced yet another challenge, which was to improve the function of his right arm. There was extensive nerve damage to his right elbow, which had immobilized the joint, not to mention being a constant source of pain.
Late last year Tony successfully underwent specialized orthopedic surgery that helped to restore the mobility and strength in the arm. This was a tricky operation since he could have incurred further nerve damage.
When he was first being treated at University of California Irvine's (UCI) Medical Center's Burn Intensive Care Unit, Tony developed a serious bedsore. Later on, while recovering at home, he developed another bedsore, albeit a smaller one, but still a great concern. Tony was not in the proper type of bed at the time of the original diagnosis at UCI. Shortly after developing a bedsore there, they moved him to a Clinitron-type bed. If not properly taken care of, additional pressure ulcers (bedsores) will form and they can easily become infected (think Christopher Reeves). Tony wears sheepskin pads on his feet and legs to further minimize pressure points.
To get Tony in and out of bed, he must first be outfitted in a harness that is attached to a special hydraulic lifting device called a Hoyer lift. This special lift is designed to safely raise and lower Tony from his resting position or in his power wheelchair, he can then be carefully moved to and fro in a very steady manner. The Hoyer lift does this through the aid of a hydraulic pump that does all of the heavy lifting.
To get around on his own, Tony uses a power wheelchair with a joystick.
This provides him with some sense of independence, allowing him to control the speed and direction of his wheelchair when he's at home or in the hospital. Because there is always a possibility of further pressure ulcers developing if he stays in the same position for too long, Tony cannot spend more than a few hours each day in his wheelchair.
In order for Tony to travel any distance, he requires a specially equipped van with a wheelchair lift and plenty of headroom to accommodate his needs. The first step towards Tony's independence was realized in late 2006 with the purchase of a wheelchair van that was retrofitted with a hand control system that allows Tony's left hand to control the gas and break. Additionally, the van was equipped with an EZ Lock (http://www.ezlock.net) wheelchair docking system, placing Tony securely behind the steering wheel after guiding himself in with his power wheelchair. This mechanism also allows the van's driver's seat to be easily removed and returned to position should someone other than Tony want to drive it.
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Who is Mary Alice Banuelos?
Like Tony, Mary Alice Banuelos grew up in Southern California about 20 miles east of Los Angeles. She was born in Chula Vista (near San Diego) and her birth mom was a high school physical education teacher. Mary Alice was an infant when her mother, Mary, adopted her. She was named after her adoptive mother, along with her aunt, Alicia.
Mary Alice could be easily described as a free spirit. She is incredibly warm and bright. Her friends and family know her for being a loving, compassionate and forgiving person. Mary Alice has many interests, including a passion for music, especially the Blues and Classic Rock, and she's a huge animal lover. She doesn't like to dwell on negative things and likes to be herself.
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When Tony met Mary Alice in 1997, she was working in a series of restaurants —first at La Pasta then at Lascari's in Whittier. According to Mary Alice, Tony wooed her in that restaurant by, "ordering spaghetti with meat sauce practically every day for a year" just so that he could spend time with her. One day, she didn't come to work, and that's when Tony learned that Mary Alice had been shot. Tony visited her every day for the two years while she was in the hospital recovering. After spending some time in a group home for mentally retarded women, Tony asked Mary Alice to move in with him so that he could take care of her. They were together for about a year-and-a-half after Tony's accident, but given each of their disabilities, neither Mary Alice nor Tony could ever live independently, they both must be cared for. Mary Alice has her parents taking on that responsibility now. It was heart breaking for Mary Alice to know that she couldn't care for Tony as he did during her own recovery several years ago.
What happened to Mary Alice?
In 1998, while sitting in a parked car with a friend, Mary Alice was struck in the head by a bullet. She was the victim of a brutal shooting because she wouldn't give an armed robber her money. Rushed to the hospital and barely alive, Mary Alice was given very little chance of recovering. Somehow she made it through several hours of emergency surgery, despite flickering brainwave activity and a grim prognosis.
This was so hard on people who knew and loved Mary Alice, because she had lived life to the fullest. Friends have said that she loved life so much, that she was unwilling to let go of it. "Seeing her recuperate was hard, but uplifting," says her longtime friend, Leo Indelicato. According to her mother, Mary Deem, "Two years after Mary Alice's accident, she still could not speak well or formulate sensible thoughts." Leo says that he had feared that the Mary Alice he knew so well may have been literally "shot" out of her. But eventually, everyone realized that Mary Alice was still "there" because her wit, sense of humor, and infectious warmth survived, it just took years for her to gain mobility and some level of independence. "She made us laugh whenever we would go to see her in rehab. It was amazing." Says Leo. Further stating, "she's still there. A little slower physically, a little challenged...but it's still Mary. She's still her old self, with a little more humility."
Why is there a "Friends of Tony" website?
This website was created by Tony's brother, Steve Albanese, and it has become an online information center for Tony's many friends and family members who are spread out across the country. For example, from where he lives in New York, Steve provides updated reports about Tony's condition through the friendsoftony.com website after daily briefs from friends and family members on the West coast. The website is also an invaluable communication link for people who may not know Tony personally, but may want to reach out and help. There are several sections of the website dedicated to the various people who have come to know Tony, these sections include the following:
- Friends page: A list of Tony's Friends & Family with hyperlinks to pictures, news items, Updates and special features.
- Tony's Prayer Circle: A list of people praying for Tony when he needs it most.
- Power of One: Extraordinary stories about people who have made a difference in Tony's life.
- Tony Albanese Fund: Friends helping Tony achieve his new leash on life goals by making a contribution to his fund.
- Tony Baloney: Stories about Tony Albanese as told by his friends and family.
- Update: Friends of Tony Update, a quarterly online newsletter about Tony and his condition. Email subscription to the Friends of Tony Update.
- Visitors pages: Information and pictures about friends visiting Tony currently at home, or when he's in the hospital.
- Favorite Foods: A list of Tony's favorites in the area (he likes to indulge in fast food).
- In the News: Links to news items about Tony and/or his friends and family.
- Gallery: Pictures of Tony and/or his friends and family.
- Fund: A link to Tony's fund, set up to help him cover his mounting medical costs.
How can I help Tony?
Tony's needs are still very great right now, so it's not really possible for anyone without special training to care for him, especially for any length of time while he's at home. When not in the hospital, Tony's family pays for a professional caregiver to care for him at home. This is not covered by his insurance; it is a direct cost to Tony and to his family, which had a cost as much as $5,000 per month for a full-time caregiver. Since moving to Nevada, Tony has had a part-time caregiver come by for a couple of hours each day who takes care of the more difficult responsibilities like bathing and dressing him, along with transferring him from bed to his power wheelchair by using the Hoyer lift. In the evening, Tony's parents have been managing to get him back into bed without additional assistance.
Once Tony can build up his upper body strength, we are hoping that he will be a lot more independent and not need a professional caregiver.
Right now, the best thing that people can do to help Tony would be visit. Even a short visit is appreciated. You can send email to the family if you have any questions or need more information. In addition, you can volunteer to be one of Tony's meals-on-wheels team to help him get the nutrition he needs to heal properly. Check out the favorite foods link. In the end, you could also provide a much-needed donation to Tony's recovery fund.
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Whether by Water, Wings or Wheels ... Life Is A Journey, Not A Destination.