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Event
Monapalooza, May 12 (Thurs), 2011! 5-9:30 pm
Come join us after your day ends at 111 Minna Gallery and Bar for an incredible event: MONAPALOOZA!
GREAT MUSIC with DJ SAM ISAAC SPINNING, a SILENT AUCTION, delicious Hors d'oeuvres including Little Star Pizza , and a GREAT CAUSE to help our friend who is sick and needs our help. Giveaways include jewelry from Molly M Designs, Giants tickets, and much more!
Sliding Scale for tickets ($25-$400): Any amount is greatly appreciated!
Here's the story...
Mona Motwani an is an amazing 33-year old civil rights activist, international human rights attorney, and a passionate San Francisco resident who is dedicated to social change. Mona is fighting a disease that most people don't know can put you in a wheelchair, take away your cognitive function, cripple you, and take away your life - late-stage Lyme Disease.
YES! These symptoms are all transmitted by a little tick (which are endemic to Northern California, despite contrary belief by much of the public).
Mona has been fighting this harrowing disease for five years and is currently $150,000 in debt from out of pocket medical bills. Mona pays $12,000 a year for health insurance but they won't cover her IV medications (despite numerous failed appeals), which amount to about $4,000 per MONTH. Because of these debilitating symptoms, Mona hasn't been able to work (nor exercise, or function normally) since 2007.
Mona and her parents have maxed out their credit cards; her parents cashed out their retirement savings to pay for her medical bills and her dad moved to Idaho last week to take a job so he can keep up with Mona's medical bills. But it's still not enough. She will need the IV meds for at least another six months (another $24,000) and has no way to pay it for it.
MONAPALOOZA will help Mona continue to fight this disease by paying her medical bills, educate the public about the realities of Lyme Disease, and allow Mona to get her life back! PART OF THE PROCEEDS FROM THE FUNDRAISER WILL GO TO THE CALIFORNIA LYME DISEASE ASSOCIATION (www.lymedisease.org).
To watch a clip on what daily life is like for Mona, please watch CBS's recent story on her:
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2010/11/23/healthwatch-bay-area-lyme-disease-patient-fights-insurer/
Learn more about Lyme prevention and Mona's battle at her blog: http://monamorphosis.blogspot.com
If you or someone you know cannot make the event, but would still like to help the cause, you can do so at:
RIGHT HERE
Thank you for your support and kindness! We look forward to seeing you at the big event!
If you want more details on Mona's story, read below....
~ORGANIZED by friends of Mona & spearheaded by Yael Dahan Marmar~
Other bloggers' posts on Mona: http://www.itup.org/blog/index.php/2011/04/07/health-care-crisis-hits-home
http://www.itup.org/blog/index.php/2011/04/07/health-care-crisis-hits-home
ABOUT MONA:
Mona co-founded a non-profit in 2004 (www.sparksf.org) dedicated to raising money and awareness for grassroots women's organizations. She sits on the Board as a volunteer. She is also an amazing 33-year old civil rights activist, international human rights attorney, and passionate San Francisco resident who is dedicated to social change. Four years ago, she was a successful civil rights lawyer with a passion for life, the outdoors, and explosive energy. She mountain biked, rock climbed, spun her nieces in the air, snowboarded, traveled, worked at the UN in Sarajevo helping rebuild a war-torn country, fought for for fair housing rights and predatory lending victims, and her first job was representing disabled children in school settings. Her heart is gold, and we want to help her get back to doing what she loves.
Mona has been on IV meds through a picc line (a catheter in her arm and heart, much like chemo patients have) that have brought her back to SF recently and enabled her to function on her own. (Some background: Due to medical difficulties and not being able to work, Mona had to move back in with her parents in Michigan for over a year so they could take care of her. She recently moved back to The Bay.) But there is a long road ahead and she needs these IV treatments to keep getting her better. With continued care, she may be able to go back to work in 6 months!
In the last four years, she has been attached to an IV pole, her pajamas, and a couch. WHY? Because she was bitten by a TINY TICK, didn't know it, and went misdiagnosed for 2 years (as many Lyme patients do). She has endured 32 months of often excruciating treatment, which has taken away her independence, ability to function, her career, ability to enjoy the sports and activities she loves, and a full social life.
Mona is fighting a disease that has forced her to not only quit her job, stop exercising, and lay in bed attached to an IV pole, but also get an oxygen tank just so she could breathe, live with crippling fatigue as a young and once active athlete, deal with numerous heart problems, and short-term memory loss (just to name a few symptoms). But she is a fighter and she will KEEP fighting.
We can't sit by and watch our friend unable to pay medical bills, after she has lost almost FIVE years of her life.
Mona is inspiring and has turned this experience into something positive, and she hopes to educate others about this disease so others won't have to unnecessarily suffer.
Check out Mona's blog - it explains prevention, treatment (Western and holistic), her positive transformation throughout this disease, and the controversy behind insurance companies' refusal to pay for Lyme treatment.
http://monamorphosis.blogspot.com/
Mona wants to make clear that her journey is NOT the only one. There are hundreds of thousands of Lyme patients like her who have been misdiagnosed for years, and then end up in her position, losing their life, their finances, and their will to live. Hope to see you Thursday, May 12th!
Reasons to come to MONAPALOOZA:
DJ Sam Isaac is bringing beats..need we say more?
An incredible silent auction, including gift certificates for fabulous restaurants like DOSA, a KQED private tour plus sitting in on a live Forum program with Michael Krasny, SF Giants Collectors Items and game tickets, artwork from local artists, surf gear and footwear, a Kayak Trip for 2 on the Bay, and much more..
New friends, familiar faces, educational info on PREVENTING LYME DISEASE, and some finger food, and...
111 Minna's signature art exhibit
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Location111 Minna Gallery
111 Minna St
San Francisco, CA 94105
United States
Categories
| Minimum Age: 21 |
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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Contact
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