With your help, we raised $4,923.60 to help Joanna!!!  Thank you so much to everyone who donated and who helped get out the word on our fundraiser.  Knitters and crocheters RULE.

Joanna is a childhood friend of mine. If you missed our fundraiser, here is Joanna's story: 

Joanna was just in an almost fatal automobile accident and severely injured her arm. 

Infections from the injury almost claimed her life, and her arm was amputated to save her.

As if this was not bad enough, she is not yet even solidly on her path to recovery, and her son was rushed to the hospital for open-heart surgery. Joanna is a waitress, she can no longer work at her old job. She doesn't have insurance and she is currently unable to work. She needs help to get back on her feet and figure out a new career and a new life. 

It has been a couple months since Joanna was knocked off her feet, and both her and Michael are on their road to recovery.

Joanna has the BEST attitude in facing her recovery - she views it as a challenge and she is ready to face it. When she was in the hospital she gained 55 pounds of water weight as a result of the meds she had to take and the fluids that were pumped into her body to protect her kidneys. The photo above is a "Before" photo taken on the day she started her new workout program that will allow her to weight train with one arm. She is getting fitted with her new prosthetic arm in just a few weeks.

Michael's surgery was a success and he is doing well. Since coming home from surgery, all he wants to do is EAT!