Alan Hood Needs Our Help!

[trpt.hick]

Hey, everyone,

As many of you know, Al Hood had a terrible accident last January when he was attempting to cross the street from his condo to the University of Denver where he was teaching, but when stepping off the curb slipped on ice and fell backwards, breaking his neck and upper back. He was rushed to the hospital and soon underwent neck surgery. He had to lie flat on his back for weeks while wearing a neck brace. After his neck healed enough, he had back surgery.

Al has remained paralyzed from the shoulders down. He spent two months in the hospital before being transferred to a rehab facility to begin the long process of being able to move his arms and legs again. He has been there for four months now. The only progress is that he can wiggle his fingers and toes, and occasionally tighten his thighs. Doctors think he may be able to take care of himself and have a normal life in a couple of years, but there is a chance that he may remain paralyzed for the rest of his life.

Insurance will not cover all of the surgical costs, hospital stay, or rehab. Al will be sent home on June 28, but will need a service company to help feed him, bathe him, etc. He needs to purchase an electric wheelchair which he can operate with his mouth, plus a large handicap van that he can drive his wheelchair into. (He will have to hire a driver.) He lives alone.

Al recently resigned his job at the Lamont School of Music at DU. He needs to raise about $300,000 to cover all of the costs of the accident and for his long recovery. He remains very positive but needs our help.

Al's daughter set up a GoFundMe page, which has raised close to $92,000 so far. If you can give anything, even a few dollars, please go to the link below to make a PayPal or credit card donation:

https://gofund.me/0c6143d4

For tax-deductible donations, please go to the Alan Hood page on The Denver Brass website (link below):

https://denverbrass.org/alan-hood-updates

We need to raise another $150,000 for Al. He is a valued member of the trumpet community. He is a great jazz and classical player who hosted the 2004 ITG Conference at DU, and also hosted the Carmine Caruso Jazz Competition.

Thanks for helping!!!

David Hickman

[Josephtriscari]

Hi David
How is Al doing now? I never met him but certainly know his great reputation…
Joe Triscari
_________________
Benge Trumpet
Reeves mouthpieces

[trpt.hick]

I talked with Al on the phone earlier today. He is in good spirits most of the time, but is still paralyzed from the neck down. I guess his spinal cord is torn about 90%, so it has not healed much since the accident almost two years ago.

Al and Jen now live in Kentucky. They purchased a house in the country. . . no close neighbors. He finally sold his condo in Denver. He sued the landlord of the condo complex for not fixing the water leak in the front lawn that always left wet sidewalks on one side of the building. Naturally, he complained about how that run off would freeze during the winter. The landlord made no attempt to correct it, so Al settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.

It is looking like Al will likely spend many more months or years in a wheelchair that can lie flat if needed. Jennifer takes him to doctor's appointments and physical therapy sessions regularly in their large (tall) van. He does get bummed out about his situation some of the time. He misses playing the trumpet, of course, but he mostly misses seeing friends and students each day.

[Josephtriscari]

Thank you David..
Hoping and prayers for improvement for him!!
Joe Triscari
_________________
Benge Trumpet
Reeves mouthpieces