Category: Kim

2nd Annual KAT-Walk 2010

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Yesterday, the 2nd Annual KAT-Walkwas held on the Back Cove in Portland. A 3 1/2 mile walk to remember Kim Tudor and to raise awareness of the causes and symptoms of brain aneurysms, as well as raise money for the Brain Aneurysm Foundation.

Many people worked many months bringing all the elements together for a wonderful day. There was a silent auction, a 50/50 raffle, and we sold t-shirts. The final numbers haven’t been tallied yet, but to Kim’s family members and close friends, I feel it was a huge success.mThere was also a very special article about Kim that was written and printed in the Friday issue of The Portland Press Herald. Many people commented on the article and how special it was. I completely agree.

We were also able to get some local television coverage, which was unexpected and surprisingly wonderful as well.mThe camera crew and reporter interviewed Dave, then hung around to film the event and stayed for the start of the walk. Thank you WGME and Channel 13 for doing this for us and thank you Ray Smart, for speaking with them to give us some coverage. Here is the Video.

The crew was there covering the ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) walk that was also happening on the Back Cove earlier in the day. We saw their piece on the ALS walk on the news as well and it was wonderful. Their event was highly attended and looked like they had a professional crew to handle the event. Another very worthy cause to bring attention to and the Channel 13 piece had a very moving and emotional tribute to one local soldier who was battling ALS, but was able to complete the walk. KUDOS to you!

On a personal note for me, I was able to spend the day and meet three other ruptured brain aneurysm survivors. Two I met that day, but one, Julie from NH, I had met online at the Brain Talk message board shortly after my rupture. We share three major things in common:

1) Our ruptures were treated at Maine Medical Center,
2) Dr. Eddie Kwan performed our coiling procedures, and
3) WE SURVIVED!

I was thrilled Julie and her husband came over to participate in the walk and to also help raise awareness. Julie is still suffering complications from her rupture and well as other medical issues so I was doubly pleased she made the effort to be there and lend her support.

Another young woman came to the walk who had suffered a rupture but wasn’t quite sure where to turn locally. Hopefully, we were able to direct her to where she could get some comfort and assistance and hopefully we were able to educate those who aren’t aware of the symptoms, so that if anyone in their family, our themselves for that matter, exhibit any of those symptoms, they’ll take them serious and seek medical
assistance immediately.

I hung around the Brain Aneurysm Foundation tent we had set up to help sell t-shirts and offer any information that I could to people who were curious. A woman from Orono, Maine, Gail Bickford, came down for the event and helped man the tent. She is not only a ruptured brain aneurysm survivor, but a cancer survivor. Some would say a walking miracle…and she DID walk! After Julie and I did our 1/2 of the walk, we came back to the tent to relieve Gail and then Gail proceeded to make the entire 3 1/2 trek. I was very proud of her and thrilled she did it. Certainly put ME to shame, but I did the best I could.

At the end of the day, Dave and I felt the walk was a success. We may not have had a professional event staff to man our walk, or a professional fund raising committee to plan and arrange the printing, donations and everything else, but I think that’s why our walk was so special. Everything that was done and everything that was created, was all very, very personal and done by Kim’s close friends and family, not my others
who didn’t know anything about her or aneurysms. As we said last year and this year, what we lacked in quantity, we more than made up for with quality and I know Kim would have been very pleased and proud of the work everyone did and the turn out. We think she was there in the form of the gale-force winds that popped up right there on the water! LOL Dave thinks it was Kim getting back at him for all of the scary sailboat rides he used to take her on.

God Bless you Kimmie and we’ll never forget you.

The KAT-Walk 2009

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It was a stunning day out and a stunning location along the Back Cove of Portland, where Kim spent a lot of time walking. Today was the first KAT-Walk for Brain Aneurysm Awareness. Dave and I got there very early for set up. Several tents, flags, signs and tables needed to be assembled. One tent for Dress For Success, one tent for Registration, one tent for the water and cheese that was donated, one tent for The Brain Aneurysm Foundation and a banner/tent that Dave made for our Starting Line. Then we had to post the many, many sneaker signs that Dave made. Among other things. Everyone was very impressed.

Almost 200 people showed up for the walk. Many others stopped to make a donation, but didn’t attend the walk. I’d have to say what we lacked in quantity for the walk, we made up for with quality. Salt-of-the earth people with compassion and caring in their hearts. Kim was definitely looking down on us. Approx. $2,500 was donated just today and there is more online and in the mail that we’re aware of. I’m now hearing well over $5,000 has been raised so far.

Kim’s dog, her pug Bella, lead the walk. Dave informed me after a few steps that he wasn’t participating with the walk, so I continued on by myself. Nancy couldn’t do the walk either because of her hip surgery last summer. So I plugged on and met up with one of Kim’s dear friends, Angel and she had a bad ankle, so we kept a slower pace, but made the entire 3+ mile walk and crossed the finish line in a little over an hour very
sore, but proud of ourselves. I’m sure a lot of people in that city walk, bikemor run that trail on a daily basis, but I don’t, so I was beat.

Everyone helped tear things down, which was a HUGE help, then there was a small reception over at a pub/restaurant at a golf course that Nancy always goes out to. Everyone agreed it was a good day and everyone agreed Kim would have been very pleased.

The woman, Ginny, from the Brain Aneurysm Foundation brought some great things to hand out and raise awarenessmfor the symptoms of aneurysms and the kinds of treatments. Magnets, fliers, brochures, key chains, pens and even DVDs. We were VERY pleased to see manympeople stopping at the booth and speaking with her. I had a short chat with hermabout my own experience with my annie and Dori and Rhonda, she agreed with me that you two should be check out given our family history with Debbie, Tim’s and my aneurysm. Of course, I now worry about Dave and Nancy too!

I took my camera, but never pulled itmout. There were many people taking photos and the sister-in law of one of the planners is a professional photographer and donated her time and services to take photos the entire day. I can’t wait to see her photos. I think she’ll have some really great shots.

We’re both exhausted, but it was worth it. I ate two brownies with a tall glass of milk when I got home and had an Ibuprofen chaser and a long soak in the tub.

I think Kim was looking down on us and smiling and telling God “See those signs? My Uncle Dave made those.”. It felt good to DO good in her honor.

We Walk for Kim Tomorrow

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Tomorrow we walk for Kim and to make people aware of brain aneurysms, their symptoms, the procedures to fix them and the many lives that are affected. It will be a bittersweet day, especially as the 3-year annie-versary of my own ruptured brain aneurysm approached in a few weeks.

Click here for more information and to see what a special person Kim was.

Walk for Thought 2009

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We’re home from the 2009 Walk For Thought for the Brain Injury Association of Maine. It was on a much smaller scale than last year, but with the same passion and drive of the volunteers and participants.

The event was at a Junior High School gym. Much smaller than the large indoor track we had the college last year, so it was boring scenery that came by much quicker! LOL It was 22 laps around the gym to roughly equal a mile. We only got to 2 1/2 miles. It was a tough walk with people in a smaller space and having to be careful of folks in wheel chairs, one blind person with a helper and a few baby strollers being pushed. It was very cold outside and they didn’t designate an outdoor route, so it was all indoors.

But, as it was last year, it was very well organized with a lot of care and attention. I donated the t-shirt I was given, back to the BIAME to help fund the costs of the events. I raised a total of $753 dollars this year. Almost half of what I raised last year, but with the current economy, I was shocked I reached my initial $500 goal.

Obviously, Dave and I had Kim on our minds and in our hearts today and I was thinking about Jennifer a great deal as well. When we signed the “Wall Of Fame” poster, we signed it “in loving memory of Kim & Jennifer.”

It was a pretty short event as well. We started the walk at 9:30 and by 10:30, lunch had been delivered and the crowd started to thin out. When we reach 2 1/2 miles, tables and chairs were being put away and things were being taken off the wall. I think we would have walked a little bit more, but we felt the pressure of stopping! LOL

There was one man there by himself. I saw him walk in and sit at a table behind us for breakfast. He had a photograph with him and kept taking it out and staring at it. Obviously, he was walking there today with someone in mind as well. There was another man who we saw last year. He’s in a wheelchair, but used a walker to make several laps last year. He was doing a lot better this year with the walker and had a lot more speed. I commented to one of the women who was with him that he was doing better, but she said he was having difficulty looking at the floor. I agreed that was an issue…I kind of realized after awhile that it was bothering me too. There was a small pattern to the glossy wood floor.

Instead of the live band this year, they had a D.J. playing some tunes. It was fun and helped pass the time once Dave and I started to wind down. I’m hoping the other walks in the area have bigger turn outs and get more money. They said there were 50 walkers registered today, so that’s down from last year.

We’re both a little sore and quite tired, but I’m glad we did it again and will no doubt participate next year as well.