As many of you know, in mid-March our friend Daniele Beckel suffered a hemorrhagic stroke while visiting family in San Antonio, TX. Pina flew down to support him the next day. He spent 28 days at Methodist Hospital Neuro ICU. He received meticulous, compassionate care and monitoring throughout that hospitalization. On 17 April, he was transferred to Encompass Rehabilitation, where he’s received highly competent PT, OT, speech, and memory treatment. He’ll be discharged from rehab this Thursday, 27 April; he and Pina will fly home on Friday the 28th.

Daniele’s dominant right arm and hand were most affected by the stroke. He’s been a star patient—hardworking, motivated, determined. He now bathes and dresses himself, and walks unassisted. There remain several neurological deficiencies to conquer, and he faces a long, tough recovery road— ongoing speech and voice therapy, PT and OT, and proactive neuromuscular treatments.

As you know, Daniele is a dedicated jazz pianist. He yearns to play his instrument again. Pina is seeking an OT who has experience working with pianists; any leads you have would be greatly appreciated. That type of OT is not covered by insurance, nor are various advanced physical and neurological therapies we wish to incorporate into Daniele’s long-term recovery plan.

You also likely know that Pina and Daniele own three buildings, and are very hands-on caretakers of the homes where they and their treasured tenant-friends live. The buildings are almost 200 years old, and two of them have large backyards, where flowers, trees, herbs, vegetables, and fruits are grown. Pina and Daniele have no financial cushion, and will need to hire help in order to maintain these homes and exterior spaces.

This GFM campaign has been launched to support the costs of Daniele’s medical care, rehabilitation, transportation to and from appointments, and property-caretaking assistance they face upon coming home. Please consider assisting these friends who have brought great love and energy to nurturing community life in Poughkeepsie, the Hudson Valley, and the Catskills. Daniele and Pina’s treasured friends continue to provide irreplaceable strength during this delicate time. With your donation, they will be able to manage the next phase of Daniele’s healing.

To donate, click the button below.

Donations can also be made via Zelle and Venmo.