My name is Charles Aarons and I am a retired senior on a small pension and married to Norine. Our goal with this fundraiser is to help my wife Norine so she can keep making a difference in our community for youth, adults and seniors. Norine has been self employed for over 20 years and runs her own full time yoga studio as well as donates 4-5 hours a week as an Aikido instructor for youth and adults in Mission.

Our problem : is that Norine now needs a new hip...a full hip replacement. The many years of teaching physical classes combined with a small undiagnosed hip-displeasia from birth have now caused Norine to have what they call "bone on bone" pain.

The pain and discomfort she experiences impacts every day effecting nearly all aspect of her daily life albeit sleeping, walking, working or socializing.

The normal recovery time after a total hip replacement surgery is estimated at approximatly 3 months and while Norine recovers her income stops.

Norine is self employed and has been a professional Kundalina Yoga instructor for twenty years, long before mainstream yoga became popular. Norine has developed many of her own special seminars and courses in Yoga which focus on common issues within our community's members; such as "Yoga For Anxiety and Depression" ; "Yoga For Chronic Pain" and "Chair Yoga For Seniors" just to name a few.

She is also a certified 4th degree black belt instructor in the Japanese martial art of Aikido, for which she has donated her time and efforts for many hours a week over the last twenty years at no charge to the community or her students. She single-handedly started the Chidren's Aikido Youth Program in our dojo and has had the opportunity to show many kids that there are alternate means of dealing with agression, fear and anxiety. We have both had the joy of watching young members of our community come out of their shell and grow to be fully functioning and happy teenagers and grow into university students and more.

In addition to her hours of teaching Norine also volunteers every week at the local animal shelter for the last 7 years. She is a great addition to that team and the animals she cares for.

Being self employed and doing something you love and are good at definitly has its advantages but the means to pay for benefits including those of extended health is far from affordable. As a result we are looking for a way to raise money for the costs of after surgery rehabilitation (for example physiotherapy), medications and the loss of income. We need your financial help to make this happen.

Our combined income is very small. My pension will not cover the costs of the rehabilitation, medications and loss of income immediately following surgery. We are appealing to you, our Yoga, Aikido and world wide communities and any generous souls who wish to help. Norine's Surgery is scheduled for this summer which, can be as early as June of 2017. We have given much to our community over the years and it would mean the world to us now we are faced with this enourmous challange to have our friends, colleagues, family and caring souls world wide help us, if they are able. We will be so grateful if this can be achieved. It will allow Norine not only to return to giving the gift of Yoga, but with the return of her full mobility she can continue to teach Aikido to youth, adults and others who need this special art.