Kajira in hospital, please help!

Kajira Djoumahna has fallen gravely ill. Upon learning this, I was talking to her husband Chuck Lehnhard and he said that he had seen over a thousand supportive messages on social media and in private messages, all wishing her well. So, I suggested a Go Fund me with the hope that if each of these kind people, could send in $10, this could be of great help to them. We know that not everybody can afford to give money, but prayers and loving messages are very much appreciated and they are heartening for them both.

This is the backstory and the latest news as of today February 12th. On January 15, 2018, our sweet friend and sister in dance Kajira Djoumahna went to the doctor’s office because she was not feeling well. She thought she might get some antibiotics and go home. But upon examination, the doctor called an ambulance and she went to the ICU of the Petaluma Valley Hospital where she stayed for over two weeks. They discovered viral pneumonia in both lungs, blood clots in her arm and a gallstone. She was in a medically induced coma for a week and then they had difficulty waking her up. At one point she had a fever of 106.5. She had many tests including CT scans, a spinal tap, an MRI and the last was a TEE test for her heart. Her health continued to deteriorate and they discovered a fungus in her lungs that had possibly spread. She had been having mini-strokes which are affecting both sides of her body and she is extremely weak. She could only talk on some days. She sometimes understood what was going on but at other times, she was in her own world. Kajira could not lift her arms or legs. She was then taken to the University of California San Francisco Medical Center by ambulance which is about 1 ½ hours away and they have an excellent cardiac department. The TEE test indicated that there was a problem with her heart.  At the second hospital, they discovered that her heart has a Dural Arterio-Venous Fistula. As near as I can tell, this has to do with a vein and an artery in the heart that are not functioning properly.  They did many tests but they do not know what caused her strokes. 

She has now been transferred to Saint Mary's Rehabilitation Hospital in San Francisco. She will get at least 3 hours of physical therapy a day. She will be there 3 to 5 weeks. As of today, she stood 5 times for one minute each time. She is determined to work really hard. Chuck can stay in her room and so he can continue to go home every 3 or 4 days to work and take care of the cats and do a job and then he returns for several days to help take care of her. She still cannot feed herself. Her arms are still not moving a lot but she can move her hands a bit and is getting stronger every day. They still do not know what caused her strokes. She had multiple health issues all at the same time and there are still some unanswered questions. 

It is too soon to know what the new normal will be.  The good news is that she is still alive despite all these extreme health challenges AND she has a good attitude AND she is improving.  As Chuck so well put it: "Now the really hard work starts."

Kajira and Chuck Lehnard will need money to help with her medical expenses, their living expenses and home health care once she is home.  Or in the worst case scenario, if anything happens and this is her time to leave this world, this money will go to her final expenses. So, we are asking for $12,000 to help them out. Chuck missed almost all of his work when she was in the first hospital because he was with her every day, feeding her and giving her comfort and encouragement. Now he is commuting to San Francisco. When Kajira comes home, she will have a long road ahead of her for her as she continues her rehabilitation. This will include speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy and whatever else the doctors order. It will be a long time until she can do any type of work.

If you are able, they could really use some financial assistance. Even the smallest contribution would be deeply appreciated. Whether you can help financially or not, we would be very grateful for your prayers. And we would be thankful if you can please share this message with others you know and share the link to your Facebook timeline. Kajira has been a positive force in our dance world and she has been a personal friend and sister to many of us. We are Artemis Mourat (and I have known Kajira for over 20 years) and Therese Wyatt. Countless times, we have seen firsthand Kajira's extraordinary kindness and generosity of spirit. It would be wonderful if you can show her your love and support.

There are no words that can fully express our gratitude for your time, your prayers and your assistance.


Gratefully yours;

Elizabeth Artemis Mourat, MA, MSW and Therese Wyatt