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Help Elektra Beat Brain Cancer!

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My mom, Elektra Kurtis, is a violinist, improviser, and composer, a wonderful, spirited woman in the prime of her creative and professional output. She stands at the center of the NYC classical and jazz freelance scene, appearing everywhere from top recording sessions to shows as bandleader of her own music. Everyone who knows Elektra is magnetized by her funny, kind, and generous personality.


In September and October of 2017, Elektra started having trouble thinking clearly. Massive headaches began soon thereafter. After a seizure in her left hand, her doctor advised an MRI and CAT scan of her head, which revealed a tumorous mass 3x5 centimeters in her pre-frontal cortex, along with several others behind it. She underwent invasive brain surgery to remove the tumor, and they were able to successfully remove 87% of the large mass. 


For six weeks Elektra lived at Mount Sinai Hospital for post-op recovery and cognitive therapy. She was overjoyed to return home on December 12, but unfortunately the lab results confirmed that Elektra has Grade 4 Glioblastoma, a highly aggressive brain cancer. Doctors are hopeful for recovery, but an official prognosis has not been made. She will undergo chemo and radiation therapies 5 days a week for 5 weeks to eradicate the remains of the tumor. Unfortunately, she will not be able to return to work for several months and will have lost private students--her primary source of income--during the recovery process. For self-employed people, there really is no safety net when disaster strikes.

But together, we can help!
  Elektra needs $40,000 to cover her living expenses, medical treatments, and lost work so she can make a full recovery before returning to what she loves best: bringing her unique musical spirit to the world. No donation is too small and every bit counts towards our goal. Please share this campaign with your friends and family, and ask them to share it as well. Together we can ensure this beautiful soul returns to her full capacity! For all of your support, large and small, my mom and I are deeply grateful. 

With love and appreciation,
-Curtis Stewart



Video music credits:
"Cafe in Old Square" from "Cutting Through", Ensemble Elektra 

"Bittersweet" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons:
By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
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Donations 

  • Lisa Arkis
    • $50 
    • 5 yrs
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Organizer and beneficiary

Nick Revel
Organizer
New York, NY
Curtis Stewart
Beneficiary

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