Rita di Ghent

Hi! We're  "Team Rita" . We've  set up this gofundme campaign to raise funds for musician, Rita di Ghent.  

From Lynn McDonald: "Rita is brilliantly talented, fiercely independent, persevering, brave, private, self-reliant, self-supporting, disciplined, hard-working, task oriented, industrious, proud and worried. Succumbing to insurmountable need as a sole income householder is her utmost personal challenge, even harder than the arduous road of physical recovery ahead of her. Rita has agreed to be open to us raising some financial relief. Every donation helps. "

From Talia Wooldridge: "I'm Talia. Rita is a musician with my organization, Music Can Heal. After years of gifting her talents to others in hospital and palliative settings, she now needs our help. Every bit counts and will go a long way. Rita has a heart of gold."

From Ori Dagan: "As an artist, Rita di Ghent has exhibited a commitment to truth, justice and many good causes; as an educator she has shown an abundance of care and kindness. Now’s the time to give back to Rita!"

If you're able to donate, please know that you can also send via Paypal or by e-transfer using Rita's personal email address: [email redacted]

Here is Rita's situation in her own words:

"Around 2010 I started experiencing osteo-arthritic pain which I think was the result of a bad horseback riding accident some years earlier. I grew more disabled until all I could manage was a painful walk.  In 2015 I underwent hip replacement surgery. The surgery didn't go well. The surgeon repeatedly dismissed  me, but I knew there was something wrong with the  prosthesis he installed. I persisted , and 4 1/2 more years of appointments and tests went by. By now it was 9 1/2 years of pain and a very low quality of physical life--almost a decade since I knew what it was like to run or dance or hike. Almost a decade since I wasn't in disabling pain.  Normal  life was a faded memory except for when I had the occasional dream in which I was able-bodied once more.

This April I finally  got the proof that I needed:  X-rays showed that one of the prosthesis components was loose and in a vertical position in my body. My new surgeon said I also most likely had an infection in the joint and would need two operations. The surgeries would take 5-6 months...altogether, the revisions would take up another half a year of my life. 

This June 12th I had the first surgery. It lasted 4 hours. The surgeon decided to salvage some of my prosthesis and remove and construct other parts of it. By doing this, he hopes to prevent my having another surgery. Hopeful news! Now I wait and rehab.  And in the meantime, I have challenges physical, mental, and financial. I was surprised to find out that although I've taught at York U for 17 years, I'm not eligible for disability, E.I., or medical E.I. 

I'm grateful for any support you feel you can give. If it's saying a prayer, I'm grateful. If it's sharing this page, I'm grateful. If it's making a donation, I'm grateful. For all of your offerings, I'm equally grateful. Please know that you have the option to donate anonymously. Love, Rita"