10th annual Relay for Rachael!

The 10th annual Relay for Rachael is here! This year we have 8 teams, the most ever! Again as I say every year I couldn’t do it without you. Every penny donated goes into the pockets of people who work with me...my caregivers, my trainers, all of the people who get me up and moving every day. 

My runners hit Highway 1 on Sunday, April 26th to help raise funds for my ongoing care. Donations can be made at www.relayforrachael.com. We will also be having a fundraising dinner at the Carmel Valley Lodge in Carmel Valley on Friday, April 24th. Details to come.

As hard as I work at staying healthy unfortunately I have let my health slip this past year. With stress from the move and not having enough care I ended up with a pressure sore in the beginning of January, damn it. It’s what i’ve worked so hard to avoid over the past nine years...i’m taking this as a learning lesson, as is life, and I will heal this thing. I’ve had to reevaluate alot of things, i’m not able to sit in my chair for very long and I need to eat more food (for the padding :). I don’t know how long it will take to heal but i’m doing everything possible to allow it to. I miss the gallery, I miss doing photography, I miss getting out in the community, but this to shall pass.  Thank you for your support, your love and for being the light. I feel it.

Sean Cheng

I lost a dear friend. But he was more than a friend, he gave me hope when I needed it the most. He came into my life six months after my injury in 2010 and laid the foundation for my rehab that I continue with today. He lived with me for a year and we exercised everyday. He would often ask me “Are you Rachael weak or Rachael strong?”. Every night would end with him massaging my legs and feet and he would tell me that I had the happiest feet in the world. Sean was 74 years old and was found dead on the beach in Half Moon Bay on January 24th still strapped to his paddleboard. Apparently he had taken up paddle boarding a few months ago, that’s the type of guy Sean was. He exercised every day, he swam, biked, did tai chi, he was always active. He was a man of many strengths and talents. He had served in the Air Force in the Chinese military, studied neo-confucianism and later in life he became a personal trainer and CNA to help people with paralysis. In the last email I received from him he stated “Time fly, too fast, I feel there are only two days a week, two weeks a month, four months a year.”  I told him I understood completely and felt the same way. I would’ve never met this man if I hadn’t been in that car accident. These are the gifts I will take from this life. Thank you Sean for your dedication, your love and your encouragement. I would not be where I am today without you. You are the light.