Help Griz with Your Generosity

Aloha Friends!

Please consider donating to our dear friend Griz, he would greatly appreciate the support!

Mahalo!

Aloha Friends,

This is my friend, Griz, also known as Stuart Haitkin. Some of you may know him from the river banks and beaches of the Kalalau Valley. Others maybe from his bustling booth filled with dazzling jewelry at the Saturday Kilauea Farmers Market or Tuesday Waipa Famer’s Market. Maybe you’re learning about him for the first time now. In all the years I’ve known Griz, he has always had a smile on his face and great love in his heart. Even when life is tough, he still says, “I’m just trying to be happy!”

However you may know this vibrant, smiling man, he needs our help.

In early 2021, Griz had a sudden seizure. He was found face down and unconscious by a friend and later lost the ability to stand. He was rushed to the hospital where they did MRI imaging and found that he needed emergency surgery to fuse his lower cervical spine. He spent over a month in a rehabilitation center post surgery, regaining his strength and mobility, all with a big smile and a great attitude. The surgery went well, though as a result of the fusion, Griz now struggles daily with crippling neuropathy in his arms and legs. He later had another surgery in his lower spine to clear the nerve pathways in hopes of helping and supporting the neuropathy, with little to no result. He still has seizures about once a year, but his most recent was about 6 months ago. This limits his ability to drive and henceforth his access to many modern conveniences.

Now, Griz lives with chronic pain and limited mobility in his arms and legs as a result of neuropathy. He struggles with digestion as well as daily back pain. He is able to walk some with the support of a mobile walker, though too much physical activity can be exhausting from the pain and limited mobility.

It’s really tough to see someone you love be in such pain and just struggling to get by.

Griz has a mostly steady income from selling his beautiful and eclectic jewelry, but could use our collective support to get him things he most needs without as much effort as it takes to run his business.

Because he is unable to drive, he pays others to help take him to and from markets and set up and take down. He will hire others to take him to the beach for the day. And he has so far only been able to afford to live with room mates in a shared house.

I have had the honor to support Griz with massage and he has also been getting help from a local network chiropractor who I believe has been helping him greatly, as his tremors have decreased significantly.

With your help, we can support Griz finically to receive more regular bodywork, chiropractic, and possibly even acupuncture. It would also fund his need for rides, help with market set up and take down, and even to hire some help around the house with cleaning and cooking.

If we can get Griz this much needed influx of cash, it may even allow for him to be able to afford to have his own personal living space, which is something he is realizing is much needed for his mental health and overall well being.

If you are feeling generous or particularly abundant, please consider donating to our dear friend, Griz. He would deeply appreciate the support. You can also Venmo him directly at @Stuart-Haitkin . You can also support him by purchasing his jewelry from the Kilauea Farmers Market or Waipa Farmers Market! You can also find his Etsy shop here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Grizware

Mahalo for taking the time to read and please share this fund if you feel called!

Mahalo,

Anna and Griz