Fallen legend: Help pianist Barbara Dzuro raise in recovery

Barbara Dzuro professional pianist, beloved mother and kind soul suffered several bone fractures of her spine, shoulder and left arm Saturday evening (01/18/25) resulting from a fall. EMT’s were notified by her son Clayton after he discovered her face down on her kitchen floor unable to move or get to a phone. After several days at SHMC Riverbend she was discharged to an aftercare facility because her doctors did not feel her injuries were operable.

At Valley west care facility she suffered another fall on her 2nd day there. Though no additional injuries were noted by the staff they decided the following day she needed to return to the ER. They reported concern of her shoulder injury becoming worse. Her pain seemed to be increasing and they were unable to manage it at that facility. The swelling and bruising on her left side now spanned nearly half of her torso front to back all the way to her fingertips.

Feeling disappointed with the first go around at SHMC Riverbend Clayton made the decision to have her transported to the ER at McKenzie Willamette hospital. Within 6 hours of her arrival the doctors, nurses and surgical team agreed a shoulder replacement was the best option. The top of her humerus bone had been shattered into several pieces and it was going to take nothing short of a miracle to heal properly and maintain some level of function.

She will be undergoing a full left shoulder replacement. Her recovery is unknown and will require around the clock care for the foreseeable future.

The funds raised will be used to cover surgery cost, hospital bills, doctor bills, moving and storage costs, specialty care during the healing process, and entry into an assisted living facility. The funds will be put in the Barbara Lynn Dzuro Living trust and dispersed as needed through this process.

At the time of the fall Barbara was living alone in her home in Eugene OR. Over this last year it has been observed by family, friends and mainly her son she has been struggling to properly care for herself and maintain her home. He has taken over transportation, shopping, scheduling and finances including her mortgage. Clayton had been looking into options for a part time caregiver as well as a house cleaner to help during this chapter.

This next year is going to be difficult for Barbara and Clayton as he charts these uncertain waters of his mother’s recovery and rehabilitation. It is too early to know for sure if she will ever return home. Or what her quality of life may be. One thing is for certain they can’t afford it on their own.

Any and all donations help and are appreciated immensely. Whether they are big or small even medium, it all makes Barbara’s recovery possible. Without your help the cost is daunting and ultimately impossible. Barbara’s family, friends and son are grateful for your donations and want to thank you from the bottom of their hearts.

It has been nothing short of a crash course navigating the healthcare system in our country but Clayton is determined to get his mother the care she deserves. He is proactive and persistent in his exploration of insurance options, getting his mother to her appointments, communicating with her health care team, financial assistance options and so much more. It’s not uncommon to hear him say “My mother and father brought me into this world, it is my duty to ensure their comfort and quality of life on their way out”

Thank you, together we can bring up a piano legend.

Sincerely,

Clayton R., Family and Friends of Barbara

Barbara has been performing professionally in the Eugene area for more than twenty years. Although her early training and study was in classical music, she has been self-taught in jazz improvisation since 1971. She has played in New York at the River Cafe, The Gage & Tollner, and at Greene Street in SoHo. In May 1980 she auditioned and was hired at the Harbor View Restaurant and Hotel in St. Thomas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, where she spent thirteen months playing six nights a week in the hotel dining area.

In 1985 she worked as a lounge pianist at the Eugene Hilton and remained employed there until 1994. From 1986 to 1988 she was co-leader/composer for the jazz quartet Meridian, and recorded an album of original music which lead the group to perform at The Hobbit in Portland, the 1987 "du Maurier" Jazz Festival in Vancouver, B.C., the Gig Harbor Jazz Festival in Washington as well as the Eugene Celebration and local clubs in Eugene, Oregon.