Please Help Joe Santoro Recover and Teach Again

JOE NEEDS OUR HELP! (VENMO: @Joe-Santoro-18)

Dear Friends,

My name is Leilani, and I'm reaching out on behalf of our dear friend/teacher/mentor/family member, Joe Santoro.

Many of you may not know, but Joe was suddenly hospitalized in the beginning of May 2024. For almost a month, we didn’t know where he was, and when we finally found out, the news was devastating. Joe was in the ICU at El Camino Hospital, battling severe pneumonia and sepsis. He was intubated and unable to breathe on this own for several days. The doctors were grim- they told his nephew, Jim, to prepare for the worst. They had never seen anyone recover from something so severe. Can you imagine the weight of those words on Jim's heart?

Despite the shock and the uncertainty, Jim did what had to be done. He began to get Joe's affairs in order, all while hoping against all odds that Joe would somehow make it through. When it became clear that Joe would be in the hospital indefinitely, we had to move him out of his apartment. With only a moment's notice, we rallied together, packed up his life and moved everything to a storage unit within hours.

Doctors believe Joe's condition might have been triggered by medications he was taking to stay healthy. When I first saw him in the hospital, I feared the worse. As a nurse, I would see that Joe was in a terrible state - he couldn't talk, couldn't walk and couldn't eat, and needed help with even the most basic tasks.

And against all odds, Joe has made incredible progress. In just three months, he has fought his way back- he can now talk, walk and eat on his own. Through it all, Joe's spirit remained unbroken. "It's not my time yet," he insisted. "I still have students to teach." Next week (the week of 8/28/24), he'll be discharged, but the road ahead is still long. Joe needs our help to get back on his feet. He'll need to stay in a hotel for a while, and we're hoping to get him back into the apartment complex he had to leave.

Joe has given so much of his life to his students-his "kids," as he calls us. Now, it's our turn to give back to him. Let's show Joe that he's not alone, that his village is right here, ready to support him every step of the way. Please share this message with anyone who knows Joe, and if you can, please consider donating. No amount is too small.

You can donate directly to Joe via Venmo (@Joe-Santoro-18).

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Leilani and the rest of Joe's music family