2015 and Back in ER and ICU and working on solution

Over the years Mike has had his issues with infection, pleurisy, fever and exhaustion but for almost 99% of the time he has kept going, teaching, writing, curating and living fully. We are the lucky ones because the new kidney...Amy's kidney worked amazingly. But, as with any health situation there are issues and we are now dealing with a big one.

Mike is in this loop where his old kidneys, the two they left inside of him, are infected and full of cysts from the polycystic kidney disease. They are now infecting his blood which is causing fever and other issues. He was in ICU for four days and is now resting at home. He is without fever today which is what we are trying to sustain.

Some doctors are saying take the old kidneys out and end infection. But other doctors think his new kidney may fail during the surgery which is very invasive. But, if the old kidneys stay the infection can continue and hurt him in other ways. The loop is where we are right now.

We are taking it one day at a time and keeping optimistic that a best solution will be found for Mike.

Mike is a fighter and this is nothing new. He has been fighting this for the past 15 plus years. So, as expected health challenged occur and we are take them on full tilt.

Thank you for your love and support.
Andrea

Into 2013 and all is well

Just wanted to check in. Its been another long break since I have entered updates regarding Mikes transplant. Mike and Amy are doing really well. We just celebrated our 5 year anniversary of the transplant on the 8th of June.

We are so fortunate and everyday we value the great gift of science and the donation Amy made to help Mike.

We all continue to participate in the Donate Life events and this years event at CSUF was wonderful.

Thank to all for your support over the years and best of luck to those facing what we faced over 5 years ago!!!

Love, Andrea

It's been awhile since I have posted on the site.

News from Mike and Amy on the health front... They are both doing really well.
They are work out buddies and both are is great physical shape.

News in the world of kidney transplantation....

Three of our friends over the last year have received SUCCESSFUL kidney transplants.

Six weeks ago my friend of many years donated her kidney to her younger sister. It was a great event and both are doing really well in their recovery. Stanford was the hospital and from what I hear they were treated with excellent care.

Note:
There was an article posted recently in the news about the fact that many kidneys that are made available for donation are never used. There have been issues with the the antiquated computer systems used to route the new kidneys to potential recipients. Not sure of the entire scoop on this but if anyone has solid information please get in touch and fill me in. Maybe there is a way we can help get this fixed so that many more people will receive a life saving gift.
andreaharris1@me.com

Thanks and all the best to you!

Donate Life Walk is this Saturday at CSUF
April 28, 2012

Please Join us and support this amazing cause!!!!!

2010 is here!

These images I shot in our back yard on the night of New Years day! Magic!

Happy New Years to you all! Also just a little bit of extra good news. Our friend Denis after 7 or 8 years on the kidney transplant waiting list finally was moved to number one and received a kidney a couple weeks ago in San Diego. He is recovering well and we are so happy for him and for his family. We are also thankful for the donor!

Mike is headed to India for a month

Mike has been doing great with his recover and his numbers are beyond good. We are so happy for him. I think he needs to get away and get back to his love of travel. He has been invited to be a guest artists/ scholar in New Delhi for a month. He leaves in three days and will be in Chicago on route to India. We are all very excited for him.

While he is gone I will be redoing the house. Painting bedrooms and organizing stuff. Part of my New Years Resolution. Alex and I will miss Mike but it will be great for him and we will ge to hear all the amazing stories when he returns.

Yet another new chapter in the book of our lives! Will be updating you with images as I get them from him.

Happy 2010!!!!!

Amy and Bob Pece film featured at GCAC

Come join us August 1st at Grand Central Art Center for the Erase Stigma exhibition. Amy Caterina and Bob Pece have a great series of interviews on film that are featured. 

Amy is doing really well and is back to making art full tilt. Hope to see you at the exhibition

125 N. Broadway

Santa Ana, CA 92701

714-567-7233

Amy medical emergency

Donate Life at CSUF Run/Walk 2009

OC Register Article for Donate LIfe Event tomorrow!!!

Mike and Amy keynote speakers at event! 

Transplant recipient to join Donate Life Run/Walk
Lino Angel will accompany Huntington Beach donor family on Saturday at Cal State Fullerton
By BARBARA GIASONE
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

FULLERTON Liver transplant recipient Lino Angel, 43, has been conserving all his energy to jog alongside his donor family in the seventh-annual Donate Life Run/Walk Family Festival on Saturday at Cal State Fullerton.

The fundraiser, benefitting the Donate Life California Organ and Tissue Donor Registry, is the largest event of its kind in the nation.

Angel will be among 235 friends and family on the festival's largest team, "Celebrating Scott Davis", when they take to the Titan field at 9 a.m. to remember the Huntington Beach teen who died last June in a skateboarding accident.

Davis' family donated the youth's heart, pancreas, two kidneys and a liver to five separate people.

"It was a miracle to get the liver, and I thank God every day that I can breathe," said Angel, a Downey resident and father of four who will accompany their parents and grandmother in the fundraiser.

Davis' father, Bill, said the family has met only one recipient – Angel – and that was by coincidence. Angel's son and Scott Davis wrestled in the same high school league.

"This fundraiser gives our family closure for Scott's accident," Davis said. "Someone got Scott's good heart."

More than 7,000 residents, business representatives and city officials will also participate.
Keynote speakers include Newport Beach Fire Dept. Capt. Chad Ponegalek, who will honor firefighter Kevin Pryor – a seven-organ donor in June 2008 when he died after fighting wildfires in northern California; Cal State Fullerton Professor Mike McGee and his living kidney donor, CSF alumna Amy Caterina; KIIS-FM's Manny on the Streets tissue recipient; and event founder Kathleen Hostert of Fullerton, who donated a kidney to her husband, Craig.

Celebrity guests include Kris Jenner, Khloe Kardashian and "American Idol's" Chikezie.
Forty-five vendors and health screenings will also be available to families until 12:30 p.m.
Information: Log on to khostert@onelegacy.org.
Contact the writer: 714-704-3762 or bgiasone@ocregister.com

Register for Team Mikie today or you can sign up the day of the event.

Please come and join us for the Donate Life walk next Saturday the 25th of April. email andreaharris1@mac.com for information or directions. We hope to see you at the event!!!!

Donate Life event today

Amy and Mike spoke at the Donate Life rally today at CSUF.  MIke participated last year and was very sick at the time. This year he looked healthy and was feeling great. Remember to register for Team Mikie this year the walk is just a couple weeks away. Alex and Amy are designing the new team tee-shirts. Come and join the team and walk with us. 

Congrats to Amy and Mike for a job well done!!! 

Come Join Mike, Amy and I for a party you do not want to miss!

Mike is the facilitator for the CSUF Grand Central Art Center and I was director for the past 10 years! Amy is featured in the exhibition! Music, Food, Drinks and a chance to catch up and just have some fun!

Please join us for this special event......

Donate Life Run Walk 2009!

Hello all!

I am working on setting up the Team Mikie page for registration for this years 5K/1K Run/Walk
When: Saturday, April 25th, 2009
Where: Cal State Fullerton.

Im in training and I KNOW you want to join Andrea, Mikie, Alex, Kevin and I for a breezy lite jog around the campus!

Check here for more details and stay posted!!

xo

amy

Celebrating 10 years of the Grand Central Art Center

Well, we are excited to announce the CSUF Grand Central Art Center will be celebrating it's 10th year anniversary. We are mounting an exhibition that highlights the years and all the amazing artists we have worked with and exhibitions, publications, prints, programs and more that we have accomplished. Mike McGee was and is the facilitator for the project and worked hard to make it a successful arts center.  I also directed the space for ten years so it was my baby and I love the art center dearly. My staff, our Forum board members and I worked our tails off and it was a labor of love!  I am working to bring together and exhibition that will be a best of what we brought to Orange County and more. Also, Steven Ehrlich will also be presenting an installation in the project roof that opens the same night. Should be a blast.. Steven is the architect who did the redesign on CSUF Grand Central Art Center and is also very famous for being one of the best architects in California.

The reception is February 7th from 7-10 pm. It will be a big party and we hope that you will come out and help us celebrate. We will have another big part on March 7th if you miss the February date. 

Also just to get you up to date with Mike and all his health stuff. He is doing great this week. Much better although still very tired. He is teaching intercession and doing well with it. I am doing well also. Working at the new job and so far all is going well. I will be opening another big show at OCC in February as well and will post the details in about a week. I am still in the mix of organizing it currently. 

That is all for now and I wish you all a good night! Hugs.... 

Meeting in Huntington Beach

Our dear friend Shelley is in town and we are headed to go meet with him. He is going to share some information about some artists from Lebanon with us. Shelley has been living in Beirut for more than one year and is doing some very important legal work for the government. We are very proud of all his efforts. I will post images later today.

Today is Sunday and the end of Winter break. How sad... but we are all getting ready for new challenges and adventures in 2009. 

Shorty leaves home

I am doing a drawing each night. I am really excited by the progress and I am really in the grove to finish this book. New year and new energy and focus. 

Image from kids book

This is my book project. I am creating it for Shorty (aka Alex) with help on the writing by Mike. It is our family project. I am doing all the drawings and braille parts to the book. I am also writing the story but Mike will clean up my mess and make it amazing. He is good at that.

Check out this new image from Shorty Hits the Big Apple!  to be compete in 2009 for sure.

Shorty dreaming about the Big Apple... New York City!

Mike and I starting off the year right

We are into the new year and happy to be out of 2008. We attended the most wonderful party on new years day at Jon Gothold and Janice Lowry's home. They rock and know how to show people a great time. We ate mexican food and Mike's amazing salade. We played music and watched a light boy performance. It was amazing.  

Mike is getting better and so far no new infections in the last week. He is looking and feeling great. I stay up late sill and work on stuff but he gets his rest and is doing all the right stuff to stay healthy. 

I actually am planning to slow down in 2009 and get in better shape. Yes... But no not like a resolution or anything. Just plan to take better care of myself. I need to keep up with this healthy man of mine and that crazy little biy who is not so little any more. 

Picked up Amy and Kevin from LAX tonight and they just returned from Ireland. I will ask her to start posting images and stories from her adventure. 

Much love to you,

Andrea

Happy Almost New Years

This is a drawing I did of Mike as a bird talking to Alex ( aka Shorty) about all his world travels. Shorty is all fired up and ready to have some adventures of his own!

We feel lucky to have each day and happy with life as each day it is a new adventure. 2008 has been a glorious year, hard year and one year we will never forget. 

May your new year be full of adventure.  Filled with love and happiness. I know we will be living life to the fullest and we hope you will join us in doing so. 

Happy New Year! Much love to you all.

Also, get ready to walk and run with us in April. Amy is getting ready and we want you all there to support Donate Life!