October 6, 2022

Greetings everyone, TWO INCREDIBLE THINGS HAVE HAPPENED! April recently had surgery to close a small opening in her neck left over from her surgery in March. It went very well, and she has been recovering for the past five days at her recovery apartment near the hospital. THE SECOND PIECE OF AMAZING NEWS IS THAT HER VOICE CLONING BY VERITONE IS COMPLETE! There is a sample of it attached! Please listen. It is amazing! They spent hundreds of hours building her voice from over ten years of voice memos and lectures she gave. Such an accomplishment!!! We are so grateful! The platform for her voice should be available for use in a month. We can't wait! Also, April wrote a beautiful thank you note to everyone, updating us on her recovery. From April, "My dear Friends, I am healing. And it’s because of you; I am so very blessed to be surrounded by this ongoing loving support that has enabled me to focus on my deep healing. Today I am recovering from surgery last Friday to close the remaining hole (fistula) in my neck left after my extensive reconstruction surgery in March. Once again, the amazing and loving Dr. Allen Feng has performed a miracle and accomplished what he’d initially estimated to be a 5-day hospital stay in outpatient surgery. It’s taken me days to write this—I’ve quite wiped out, swollen, back on pain meds, and need rest and am certainly healing. Healing has required all my strength and focus these past 6 months—and I can’t even fathom that this much time has past. I owe so many of you emails and return calls, letters, and responses. And I can only begin to list the miracles you’ve each provided—from the magic of the GoFundMe campaign to daily check-ins and food delivery, myriad gifts, and services, some of which I didn’t even know I needed. Wonderous plant gifts have turned my tiny recovery studio into a marvelous garden in the sky—with enough furniture (thank you, Kim Oates!) and food. How did this even happen? My family has been unbelievable, especially my dear sister Sandy Heaslip, adopted mom Carolyn, and niece Caitlin. Mark, Joe, and Martin helped them shuttle my belongings across the state, taking the baton from Beth & Tim, who had single-handedly been holding me up in Western Mass. My dear friend Ailie has fiercely led me on this healing path, conjuring miraculous support out of thin air and still holding my hand every day, even when I’m exceptionally grumpy. She has also worked with Veritone to digitize my voice—another miracle. There is now a non-profit governed by sisters of my heart—Stephanie, Alexandra, Laurie—and more on call for deep support when I’m lonely—Jenny, Jamie, Betsy, and Kim. My beloved teacher and adopted dad, Dennis, checks in on me continually—such a remarkable gift, simply knowing he cares—inspiring me to keep going on the toughest days. Gail keeps me going with her wisdom and ability to synthesize all that has happened—priceless gifts. And the remarkable Trista keeps showing me how to open up again and again to receiving love, and I bow to her wisdom. I know I’m forgetting many helping hands, some of whole aren’t online; please know you live in my heart. If all goes to plan, I shall be able to at least drink by mouth by the end of next week, or the following. I’ve been able to heal anemia both high cholesterol via food. Now I am addressing extremely high blood pressure and deepening my meditation, EFT, and yoga practices. I have a terrific community health advocate who makes phone calls and helps me solve problems. I’m able to communicate via text-to-speech apps and am working on upgrading my tech. While I’m able to take longer walks now, yoga, tennis, and other sports are still in my future. My facial swelling has changed my eyesight and squished my teeth; I’m working with Mass Eye & Ear and my other physicians to heal this now. Now that my neck is healing, my focus is on getting my tongue fully back online and my mouth fully open, healing the trismus (lockjaw) I’ve had since March. So here I am holding your hands, so grateful for your regenerative strength and relentless love."