Friends of Tony Update
This page was last updated on April 30, 2006
On the Move
Tony's evaluation at Rancho Los Amigos (http://www.rancho.org) on February 15 went very well. They have scheduled his flap surgery for March, and they will likely work on his elbow there too. While at St. Jude's these past few months, Tony's weight and albumin (protein) levels have continued to rise, and his wounds have also shown good signs of healing. Tony moved from St. Jude to Rancho on March 14.Surgery Update
Tony was in surgery for nearly 6 hours on Thursday (March 16) and his dad reports that everything went well. Tony's is resting in a beautiful room at Rancho Los Amigos, where he's expected to spend the next 5 or 6 weeks. Since coming out of surgery though, he's had to remain flat on his back, and he isn't allowed to move much. As a result, Tony has been very uncomfortable and he hasn't been able to use his computer. If you'd like to send him an email, send it via his brother at: steve@friendsoftony.com, and we'll be sure that Tony gets your message.Please plan a visit, call or send a card to let Tony know that you're thinking of him. Having friends and family visit helps to provide Tony with much needed company and encouragement while recovering in the hospital. For more information of what's been involved at Rancho Los Amigos, check out the FAQ page.
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Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center 7601 E. Imperial Highway Downey, California 90242 Phone: 562-401-7111 JPI Building, Third Floor Tony's NEW Room: 3030 www.rancho.org |
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We sincerely thank everyone for their prayers and support over the past 18 months, Tony's journey has not been easy.
We are grateful to Sue Potts and to the rest of her staff at St. Jude's who have taken such good care of Tony since he was readmitted last September. We're also grateful to Susan Smolensky, Tony's Case Manager with Aetna, who authorized St. Jude's to extend his stay in the interim.
To keep up with the latest developments, check out the calendar area at the bottom of this page for weekly updates on Tony's condition.
Acknowledgements to Friends of Tony
If friendship could be measured for its medicinal value, Tony would be well now and back to repairing airplanes. While he is not out of the hospital yet, the outpouring of love and support from Tony's family and friends has contributed greatly to his healing process. Two of Tony's longtime friends and fellow pilots have for some time now deserved special recognition; they've given countless hours of their time to help a friend in need.Power of One
This dual Power of One acknowledgement goes to both Mike E. Blackstone and Dennis "Jesse" James, who, despite their very busy schedules as commercial pilots for American Airlines and incredibly active side businesses, neither has never failed to call or see Tony. We recognize them for the healing qualities they provide to Tony when they visit, and we commend them for spending so much of their time with him at his bedside. When Mike and Dennis visit, Tony's spirits always seem to soar, and for very good reasons.Called Back into Service
Captain Mike E. Blackstone is a pilot with American Airlines.
He has a steadfast belief that Tony will be returning to the workforce at some point later on this year. Mike understands Tony's immense talent for doing what he loves best, working on airplanes. Always focused on the positive, Mike knows Tony more than anyone for his innate aircraft repair skills. Mike hired Tony as his airplane mechanic when his fledgling operation, Air Combat (www.aircombat.com) first took flight nearly twenty years ago at Fullerton Airport in California. Mike came up with the idea of public dog fighting in the air and started the civilian aerobatic outfit in 1986. Since then, Air Combat has done thousands of mock air battles all over the country, and as Mike sees his business expanding, he also sees an important role for Tony to play with Air Combat's expansion in the future.
It is unclear at the moment if 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 last year, Tony was discharged from his job with TRD. He is currently on a COBRA health plan. Mike believes that Tony can still work on airplanes though, even with his hand and back disability. So sure is he of his friend's remarkable repair skills that Mike has already formulated a work schedule for Tony after his surgery and rehabilitation at Rancho Los Amigos, slated for mid March. Tony understands that there will be a relearning process and that he'll have to do more with his left hand. As part of his post rehabilitation, Tony is looking forward to working again on airplanes and to have the tactile experience of simply feeling his tools again.
Mike E. Blackstone and his companion, Denise Jennings, are both regular visitors; they see Tony at least once a week. Denise says that Tony is always in their prayers and they can't wait to see him back at the airport among his friends. Mike has over three decades of experience in aviation, including over twenty thousand hours of flight time accumulated in his 17 years as an American Airlines Captain, where he currently flies a Boeing 757/767. Mike has logged 3,000 hours of aerobatics time, 1,500 hours in a Pitts bi-plane, and 2,000 in a Marchetti. Mike has a passion second to none for flying and teaching others to fly.
On Wings of Potential
Dennis James is founder of Young Aces, a youth-outreach program that takes at-risk teens and lets them fly a fighter plane with a professional pilot as mentor.
The participants are first given a 30-minute ground lesson on basic flight theory and flight safety. They are then told what their flight would consist of, before being fitted with flight equipment and taken on a 40-minute flight to perform a series of aerobatic maneuvers. With Young Aces, Dennis takes his love of flying beyond the clouds and into the hearts of those whose lives might be changed by such an unforgettable experience. He manages his time between mentoring troubled teens and his job as a pilot for American Airlines. As a captain for the world's largest airline, Dennis flies MD-80s out of San Francisco International Airport. Amazingly, he finds time each month to see Tony, often traveling from Northern California for the day to visit his friend. The positive influence Dennis has had on Tony throughout his recovery is simply immeasurable.
When Tony first met Dennis in 1996, Young Aces was just starting up. Tony was so impressed with the work that Dennis was trying to do at the time that he "voluntarily worked as the Young Aces mechanic."
To help get Young Aces off the ground, Dennis sold his car to buy a Marchetti, an Italian-built single engine two-seater aerobatic airplane. This was just like the ones being flown at Air Combat. With Tony handling maintenance and repairs for the Marchetti, and Dennis onboard as pilot-mentor, Young Aces was soon to be a success. In fact, so successful was their work together in the first couple of years that Tony was honored with a pair of Volunteer of the Year awards for outstanding service and dedication to the program. Gradually, there were private donations of money for upkeep of the plane, and other pilots were eventually brought onboard to help run classes. At this point, Dennis was able to buy another car. Young Aces has now expanded to four states and nearly four hundred young people have participated in the program.
Every step along Tony's path toward recovery, he receives encouragement from Dennis. We are watching yet another life change for the better by an unforgettable experience of friendship.
Tony's Prayer Circle
Over the past couple of months we have been sending expedited bulletins in email to Tony's Prayer Circle. This very special group of friends from all over the country have been answering the call to help in prayer on any given day that Tony needed it most. With his condition more stabilized now, and next months admittance to Rancho Los Amigos, we wanted to be sure to thank everyone who has kept Tony in their thoughts and prayers.
If you would like to be part of Tony's Prayer Circle, check out the prayer page for more details.
More Friends of Tony
A few more names have been added to the friends page and to the Friends-of-Tony Update email list. They are:- Chuck Davis
- Celia Oyler
- Lori Phillips
- Art Wiggins
Accident Update
In what seems like forever, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) still hasn't completed their investigation as to the probable cause of the accident. After seventeen-months of waiting, we anxiously await the results of the NTSB report.Once posted, you can read the results of the NTSB report for yourself by clicking here.
Previous Friends-of-Tony Updates
You can read previous FriendsOfTony Updates by clicking on the links below.- Jan/Feb, 2006 Friends Of Tony Update
- Nov/Dec, 2005 Friends Of Tony Update
- Sept/Oct, 2005 Friends Of Tony Update
- July/Aug, 2005 Friends Of Tony Update
- June 20, 2005 Friends Of Tony Update
- June 4, 2005 Friends Of Tony Update
- May 20, 2005 Friends Of Tony Update
If you haven't already done so, add yourself to the Friends-of-Tony email list and friends page to find out more about Tony's condition and what you can do to help.
Thank you,
Steve Albanese
FriendsOfTony.com
Calendar
March 2006
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April 2006
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Week of March 5
March 9, Tony's birthday. Send him a card or stop by and visit at St. Jude's. Tony's parents need to take care of their own medical appointments this week in Nevada, (returning to California on the weekend), so they have asked for friends to come by.
A date has been set for Tony to go to Rancho Los Amigos in Downey, he'll be transferred there on March 14. His surgery is scheduled for the 16th. He's expected to be at Rancho for about 5 or 6 weeks.
Week of March 12
Tony moves to Rancho Los Amigos on March 14, friends and family are encouraged to visit while he recovers after surgery at the hospital over the next few weeks. We ask for everyone's prayers right now so that Tony's surgery scheduled for March 16 goes without complication, and that his recovery will be speedy and complete.
Week of March 19
Since his surgery last week, Tony has been resting in his room at Rancho Los Amigos. He's been uncomfortable since he has to remain flat on his back. Please plan a visit, call, send a card, or email (by way of his brother) to let Tony know that you're thinking of him. Having friends and family visit helps to provide Tony with much needed company and encouragement while recovering in the hospital.
Week of March 26
Still confined to his bed since surgery on March 16, Tony was recently given a little reprieve; doctors have allowed his head to be elevated about 15 degrees so he is not completely flat on his back. His dad reports a couple of requests for outside food, and that we will now have to add Pizza Hut to Tony's Favorite Food list.
Week of April 2
Tony continues to get the best medical care, his doctors at Rancho Los Amigos report that he's been healing well since his surgery three weeks ago.
Later this week Tony should be getting a reprieve from being flat on his back. At the moment, he's still confined to his bed at Rancho and he's been sleeping a lot. It might be best to plan a visit at the end of the week, or over the weekend when he's expected to be sitting up.
Week of April 9
Tony didn't get a reprieve last week. His doctors have kept him flat on his back and it looks like he'll remain that way for at least a few more days this week (and possibly into next week). As a result, Tony can't use his computer and he doesn't feel much like talking to people when they visit or call on the phone. To combat this situation, Tony has been mostly sleeping his time away in bed. As you can imagine, he has not been in the best of spirits. It's best to plan a visit when Tony is able to sit up.
Week of April 16
Tony was moved to a new room this week, he's now in #3030, a shared room with another patient. Tony continues to show great signs of healing, his doctors are very pleased with his progress and he has a little more mobility now.
Since his parents need to take care of their own medical appointments in Nevada, they won't be returning to California until sometime later next week. They have asked for friends to come by, recommending brief visits.
Week of April 23
For the past couple of weeks, Tony's close friend, Tami Tollefson has been checking in on him; there is a light at the end of the tunnel for Tony, he's expected to be released from Rancho in the middle of May.
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