Ron’s Walk To Wellness !!!!!
When something bad happens to one of our ClayUnity members, we all band together to help and send love and prayers and white light
Whatever it is you call that thing, that sends positive vibes and healing energy across the miles to someone in need – I thank you for your intention and I know all of it will help Ron to get well.
What happened? Scroll down.
Below, you’ll find a number of options you can consider if you are able to help.
Ron and Rachel… You are LOVED!
If you know of someone you think may want to help in any way, please share this page with them. Ron and Rachel would never ask for help on their own. So I am asking from me. I’ve told them this is not a handout but a HAND-UP. I know they’d be right there if it was someone else.
This could include services and service professionals such as personal injury lawyers or information that they may find useful and helpful.
Just copy and paste this link to share https://corisandler.com/ron/
text
I’ll add updates about Ron’s progress as he begins the long road to recovery from his auto accident here.
How you can help Ron and Rachel. (see links below)
The Raffle is ON!
Direct Money Transfers:
If you are unsure of how you can help, a direct deposit via any of these 3 options would be so very helpful. Any amount would be greatly appreciated. This can go towards larger ticket items such as a wheelchair. Ron will need one for a minimum of 3 months.
Gift Cards and Wishlist:
- Walmart
- Door Dash
- Instacart
- Amazon Wishlist – we’ll need medical devices +
These are some of the ways you can help Ron and Rachel get through what is yet to come.
Ron suffered many serious injuries in a recent auto accident and it will be a long road to recovery.
Many of you know Ron Jonkowski from our live-streams as my co-pilot. He often comes on as a guest and helps to read your comments and… answer many of your questions while I am making pots and can’t catch everything you ask.
He’s funny and inclusive and kind and smart and witty and delightful and a really amazing dad, husband and… an incredibly great friend.
Many of you know he his wife Rachel have 2 wonderful young kids and there are going to be lots of expenses ahead of them with no income for quite a while. There will be simple everyday things like diapers, groceries, gas to and from the hospital and rehab appointments. (The hospital is 1-1/2 hrs from home) There will be some more expensive expenses in the near future, many they don’t even know yet… rehabilitation assisted devices, and various therapies to help Ron get back to health, just for starters. There will likely be medical expenses from an extended hospital stay and there may have to be lawyers expenses as well. Lots of unknowns still.
We have created an incredible community and all of you are a part of it. We are family and I don’t say that lightly. You mean the world to me and I know that Ron and Rachel both see our Clayunity as family as well.
This is not an easy thing for Ron or Rachel to sit with, accepting any kind of assistance but I, like you can’t just sit idle and not show love and support. This is the only way I know how to do that from afar. As one of you mentioned in a recent live, this is not a hand out, but a hand up – a helping hand.
For some of us, times are still difficult, and for others, we are back to work and doing well. It will be some time before Ron is able to return to work and honestly, anything that you might be able to do to help… would mean the world.
We cannot take one minute for granted. Tell the people you love… that you love them. Things can change in a heartbeat!
I love you all deeply.
With so much gratitude … Cori
Thank You ClayUnity!
You’re all the best
Wishing Ron the speediest of recoveries.
THE RAFFLE IS ON!
If you want in, here’s the scoop.
The way to get your raffle ticket for one of these large bowls, is by sending the amount of funds of your choosing via Paypal, Zelle or Venmo.
For Paypal and Zelle use: toronandrachel@gmail.com
For Venmo use: @toronandrachel
On the March 10 TikTok LiveStream, when Ron came online with us and hung out for while, face to face… I announced that one of the large bowls I was making, was going to be raffled off. 100% of the the proceeds are going directly to Ron and Rachel, which means there is no ticket to buy on my website here. You choose how much you would like to pay for your ticket –
So many of you have already been so generous and helpful in sending items from their Amazon Wishlist, or have sent money via one of the 3 options below, so first of all THANK YOU!
Once the bowl has been fired and is done, Rachel will gather and send the names of those of you who have entered the raffle to me. Please include your tiktok name along with your real name/email address when sending funds to Ron and Rachel. I’ll notify you by email when we are ready to have the winning entry chosen.
We’ll have a special ZOOM event – so we can all see each other and talk to each other – It’ll be a party! (Party hats welcome!)
I don’t have a date yet, but I’ll get the bowls through the kiln and let you know.
Ron nd Rachel along with myself, are blown away by your kindness of spirit and your desire to help one of our own. Each entry, large or small is eived with gratitude and humility, as they ‘stand up’ and move forward through this next phase of thier lives.
The Raffle us ON!
If you want in, here’s the scoop.
The way to get your raffle ticket for one of these large bowls, is by sending the amount of funds of your choosing via Paypal, Zelle or Venmo.
For Paypal and Zelle use: toronandrachel@gmail.com
For Venmo use: @toronandrachel
Sending a gift using Zelle is easy, and you can do it in a few simple steps:
- Log in to your bank’s mobile app or website that supports Zelle.
- Click on the “Send” button, and enter their email address toronandrachel@gmail.com
- Enter the amount you would like to send as a gift.
- In the memo field, write a message to the recipient indicating that this is a gift.
- Confirm the details of the transfer, and click “Send.”
That’s it! The recipient will receive a notification that you have sent them money, and they will be able to deposit the funds directly into their bank account. It’s important to note that Zelle is a peer-to-peer payment service, so you should only use it to send money to people you know and trust. If you are unsure about sending a gift using Zelle, you may want to consider using another payment method, such as PayPal or a physical gift card.
Sending a gift using Ron and Rachel’s PayPal.Me link is a straightforward process. Here are the steps:
- Click here or on the PayPal.Me link above.
- Enter the amount that you would like to send as a gift.
- If you are sending the gift from a desktop computer, you can add a note by clicking on the “Add a note” link. If you are sending the gift from a mobile device, you can add a note by clicking on the “Add a note” button.
- Click on the “Next” button.
- Log in to your PayPal account or create a new one if you don’t have one already.
- Review the payment details and click on the “Send Payment Now” button to complete the transaction.
That’s it! Your gift has now been sent to the recipient’s PayPal account. The recipient will receive an email notification from PayPal letting them know that they have received a payment from you.
If you want to save this link in your contacts for future use copy and paste the following:
https://paypal.me/toronandrachel
Sending a gift with Venmo is simple, and you can do it in a few easy steps:
- Open the Venmo app on your mobile device.
- Click on the “Pay or Request” button at the bottom of the screen.
- Select the recipients Venmo handle: @toronandrachel
- Enter the amount you would like to send as a gift.
- In the “What’s it for?” field, write a message to the recipient indicating that this is a gift.
- If you’d like, you can add an emoji or select from Venmo’s pre-populated “For You” list to make the payment more festive.
- Confirm the details of the payment, and click “Pay.”
That’s it! The recipient will receive a notification that you have sent them money, and they will be able to deposit the funds directly into their bank account or use them to make payments to others through Venmo. It’s important to note that Venmo is a peer-to-peer payment service, so you should only use it to send money to people you know and trust. If you are unsure about sending a gift using Venmo, you may want to consider using another payment method, such as PayPal or a physical gift card.
To send an electronic gift card for Walmart, you can follow these steps:
- Go to the Walmart Gift Card website.
- Choose the design of the gift card you want to send.
- Select the amount you want to gift.
- Enter the recipient’s email address: toronandrachel@gmail.com
- and name: RACHEL SHIVELY.
- If you want to, you can also include a personal message to the recipient.
- Choose the date you want the gift card to be delivered. You can choose to have it sent immediately or on a specific date.
- Add the gift card to your cart and proceed to checkout.
- Enter your payment information and complete the purchase.
Once the purchase is complete, the recipient will receive an email with the gift card information and your personal message. They can then use the gift card to make purchases online or in-store at Walmart.
To send a gift card from DoorDash electronically, you can follow these steps:
- Go to the DoorDash Gift Cards website.
- Select the type of gift card you want to send. DoorDash offers both eGift cards and physical gift cards that can be mailed to the recipient.
- Choose the design of the gift card you want to send.
- Select the amount you want to gift.
- Enter the recipient’s email address: toronandrachel@gmail.com
- and name: RACHEL SHIVELY.
- If you want to, you can also include a personal message to the recipient.
- Choose the date you want the gift card to be delivered. You can choose to have it sent immediately or on a specific date.
- Add the gift card to your cart and proceed to checkout.
- Enter your payment information and complete the purchase.
Once the purchase is complete, the recipient will receive an email with the gift card information and your personal message. They can then use the gift card to order food and other items from DoorDash.
To send an electronic gift card for Instacart, you can follow these steps:
- Go to the Instacart Gift Card website.
- Choose the design of the gift card you want to send.
- Select the amount you want to gift.
- Enter the recipient’s email address: toronandrachel@gmail.com
- and name: RACHEL SHIVELY
- If you want to, you can also include a personal message to the recipient.
- Choose the date you want the gift card to be delivered. You can choose to have it sent immediately or on a specific date.
- Add the gift card to your cart and proceed to checkout.
- Enter your payment information and complete the purchase.
Once the purchase is complete, the recipient will receive an email with the gift card information and your personal message. They can then use the gift card to order groceries and other household essentials from Instacart. The gift card amount will be applied to their account balance, which they can use to pay for orders at checkout.
Monday Mar. 20: It’s been 10 days since our last update. So much has happened, and still of course, there is so much still to happen. Ron has been showing up on our TikTok lives more and more which has been nice for him and for us too. His humour is in tact so it seems, but… everyone, be on alert… He is itching to mute someone – so he says. In all honesty, he has been so grateful to be able to reconnect with so many of you, each time he does make it.
Everyday is still a struggle, and improvements are slow, but there are definitely improvements being made. His appetite has improved, and so has his breathing. His daily exercise regime leaves him less weak than it did at the start as he is now doing the correct amount of ‘reps’. Ron, is definitely an overachiever, and perhaps did more than his body was capable at during his physiotherapy home sessions in between those at a clinic. He’s now doing the appropriate amount of reps and … feels way better.
As the weather improves, he’s able to enjoy some good ol’ natural vitamin D and take in the sun’s rays and some fresh air. Only 8 more weeks and he’ll be able to put weight on both legs – That day can’t come soon enough for him – but until then, he is being an excellent patient and doing what the doctor orders. He’s now being encouraged to put his whole body weight on his arm, and that, though difficult, is a good part of his daily physio sessions with Rachel, the kids and his amazing Dad, who has been there to help on the daily!
He still loves reading your messages and connecting with our ClayUnity, so feel free to sign or re-sign the greeting card at the top of this page. Once again, both Rachel and Ron can’t begin to thank you enough for all your thoughts and prayers and light and encouragement and love and support in all and every way that it comes.
Friday Mar. 10:
And the long road continues. Ron has been sent home from the physio with exercises to do at home including using therapy balls (thanks to those of you who have continued to find items on Rachel’s Amazon Wish List). Coming back from any injury is a touch go, but having a number of injuries kind of complicates the way that Ron has to make it all work. He’s calling his exercise time – ‘My manoeuvres” and he’s just getting to it. His dad has been right alongside him encouraging him on.. 4 more, 3 more, 2 more, ….
Ron sent me a note the other day, after his doctors’ appointments and said “I need to go LIVE with you, not for a long time, but I need to thank everyone for everything they have done for me. The card writing, the wish list items, the direct deposits, … the love… All of it! And so, Friday, while on the Livestream making the larger bowls, Ron came on and joined us. We all got to see him and laugh at his antics and his resilient spirit.
I also announced that the larger bowls I was making were going to be part of a RAFFLE. One of these bowls when finished, are going to one of you. The way to get in on the raffle is to send Rachel your TikTok name, your real name and email address and any dollar amount you can consider. You can send it through Paypal, Zelle or Vemco. Links and instructions above
Ron came on earlier in the stream, then went to do his exercise and surprised us with another visit. If there is any takeaway from our time with him today, well… there were many takeaways actually, but, one of them was WEAR A SEATBELT ALWAYS!
more updates to come in a few days.
Wednesday, Mar. 8:
It’s been a few days since I updated here. Ron has still been trying to find that comfortable position to rest in and … he hasn’t quite put his finger on it yet. UGH! Although he is still very uncomfortable and the pain has not subsided too much – he assures me, he’s finding more and more ease with positioning himself and breathing. Today was a huge day. He was scheduled for a revisit to the hospital for a whole whack of appointments and follow ups. I wouldn’t even begin to try to describe what it took for /ron to get through the day, but … rest assure our friend Ron is one heck of a trouper. First, just getting out of the house for the first time since getting home from the hospital, was a feat all in and of itself. Getting into and our of a truck – an hour and a half drive to the hospital and into the hospital. He had the staples from his hip and torso, along with stitches removed from his arm and knee today. I don’t think OUCH would come close to expressing the pain of that, but he got through it, had a bunch of labwork done and met wtih his trauma team. Tomorrow he will meet with a Physio Therapist and an Occupational Therapist for the first of what will be many visits.
One thing that has been made clear to Ron is that he won’t be able to place any weight on one leg ( actually the hip ) which is a difficult pill to swallow. This means that for 3 months, he’s going to have to become friends with a wheelchair.
The physio appointment will help to give Ron and Rachel a more thorough list of what is needed to help Ron’s recovery.
There were more parcels delivered to their door this past weekend and again… and even the tooth fairy came to visit Braxton – What an unbelievable support you have all been. Both Ron and Rachel continue to be so very moved by your kindness and thoughtfulness and to say they are filled with gratitude is an understatement.
Day 17: Friday Mar. 4:
Don’t ya love little breakthroughs. Ron mentioned that he was able to adjust the way that he is taking air in, and it seems that very slow breaths are providing some ease of the pain that he has been experiencing with breathing. It’s not perfect, but he did get some relief today. He also received a number of items today that are going to help so much. When he can, he will let you all know just how filled with gratitude he is for every greeting, andevery item that has arrived at their front door, from diapers to dog food, to medical devices to shower hoses and so much more. As we were talking today, his kids were in the background and being around them is the great normalizer. Just being in the same room as the activity of the kids, is great medicine too. That’s an easy pill to swallow. Here’s hoping for a bit more comfort through the evening Ron.
Day 15/16: Wednesday -Thursday, Mar. 1-2:
Well, … the things we can take for granted… Simple everyday things like the ability to take a deep breath or finding a comfortable position to sleep in. The word on the street is that some of the injuries that Ron has are going to take between 6-8 weeks to begin to feel like they are healing. Each day we hope will bring a bit more relief but there are also days like these two which were pretty painful. Once again, though, both Ron and Rachel have been feeling all your kindness, generosity and support and are so grateful.
Day 14: Tuesday, Feb 28:
Thanks to all of you… Your words of encouragement and love in your messages to Ron in the greeting card, or to Rachel in direct messages mean so much to Them. You have shared the nicest sentiments that have helped Ron to “get on getting on.” Many of you have helped supply items that Ron really needs as he moves forward and you’ve been so kind and generous and honestly, Ron and Rachel both are so very grateful for you all.
And… with the mere assistance of a walker, but not a person, Ron strutted across the room today – huge!
Day 13: Monday, Feb 28.
Ah… The sounds of children playing. Well if that isn’t a serum for healing… So today was the first full day away from hospital beds and beeping machines in hallways and nurses waking Ron up in the middle of the night for check-ins. It was a hard day nonetheless as there is a split focus going on. First on the physical changes that are taking place as Ron’s body gets a bit stronger and is able to bend and move a bit more each day – also there is a focus on trying to navigate the paperwork associated with medical expenses and hospital stays etc. etc. We wish there was a button to turn the latter off, but the reality is such that both of these things are heavyweights.
Day 12:
ONWARD HOME!
Morning was full of anticipation, as Ron was asked what Pharmacy do you want to use. This has all kinds of good sounding vibes. Like he may actually get released today to go home.
The waiting is difficult of course, so many things have to line up to get discharged from a hospital the day they say you may… but…. They did!
And I just got a text from his dad’s truck. “HOME JAMES”. Ron is sitting up and heading home. He got in the truck pretty much alone, and now… just to get out of it. but… this is truly amazing!!!!
Everyone, heartfelt thanks from Ron for walking along side of him and Rachel as they have had some pretty trying days. Part 2 of the journey and the healing is now underway. This normally is quite a long process to recovery from such injuries, but if the next stage is anything like this first stage, we’ll be seeing Ron on online and he’ll keep improving at breakneck speed. – Wait – let’s rephrase that – NOT BREAK ANYTHING! Just at a pace that makes sense for him and his healing!
You are nothing short of amazing Ron!
Day 11: Busy day – visitors – family – Dr.’s are still talking about a release tomorrow.
Day 10:
Our bodies are truly amazing things. Today, Ron was in great spirits and is doing so amazingly. His doctors are thrilled with his progress and well… Ron just sees it as what ever he needs to do to get home and back to his life, he’ll do and he’ll work harder than any one to get to that end. I’ll share more as I know it, but please know that he said again how much he adores our ClayUnity and is so filled with gratitude for all the love and support and friendship that has befallen upon him and Rachel and the kids. He said, I just can’t wait to show his support back.
Day 9:
And… another good morning. Rachel brought Ron up to date on all your greetings and well wishes.
They went through the virtual greeting card and Ron has asked me to thank each one of you who has taken the time write in the card and then he paused and said “hey listen,… just thank everyone so much for even taking a literally even a second out of their day to just think of me.” …
“I’ll have my own peice to say to everyone in time, but please, tell them how much I truly appreciate all their thoughts.”
If you all could have heard his voice it would have made you melt. He is truly moved and grateful for everyone’s love and support and kindness in our Clay-Unity.
The next piece of great news is that he will be moved again today to the next Step-Down Unit. This is all moving in the right direction. His voice is sounding stronger each time we speak and he just can’t wait to get on with getting on! You know Ron.
Day 8:
Well, ron has past the 1 week mark and onto week 2. I’ll do a further update later, but he’s been doing a good bit of moving around today, so as we can imagine, it’s like a sore day but each day now is moving leaps and bounds in the right direction.
Stay tuned and keep those good vibes coming on in. (said with my best West Virginian accent)
Day 7:
First night in the Step Down Unit and Ron’s definitely moving forward. He is still in a lot of pain, but grateful that his body is doing what his body is doing and sees just how much has changed since the first day of his accident. He said that he thinks he got a couple of hours sleep last night which is great. Sleep and rest is so important for healing.
Ron is pretty exhausted today though. So much has happened in the last 2 days alone, and he’s definitely feeling it. I love it when he says to me … I think I’d like to try and sleep – so… off the phone we go and I hope that he can manage a few hours of solid sleep.
Just an aside, Ron was moved on the first day from the initial hospital he was taken to from the accident, to the current hospital he is in which is, as I understand, the best hospital in the area and is also a teaching hospital. Those of you who work in the medical world have told me that a teaching hospital is the best place with the best care possible.
Ron is feeling like a bit of a human pin cushion at this point or maybe a penyatta (forgive my spelling those of you who speak spanish) because he is constantly being poked and prodded. The staff thinks he’s pretty wonderful as we do. Even in his extreme condition, he is still able to make them laugh.
Just a bit of a further update… Yesterday was purely liquids to see if his system could tollerate it. I believe that meant more ice chips and clear broth. Well… Looks like our guy is doing great because I was just on the phone with Ron when he said that he was served Italian Ice this morning and it was great. I bet having something sweet swirling around in his mouth was like an explosion of flavour. lunch was brough it while we were talking and … whaaaaaaat??? Chicken Tenders. now… eating them is another thing, I imagine this is going to be slow going before he is able to take in anything that remotely looks like a full meal. But the progression toward moving forward is so great. I might just have to bbq some more chicken today in honour of Ron.
Thanks for everyone’s concern and well wishes. We are an awesome community!
Day 6:
You can jump up and down for a bit of joy today. I sure am. A number of things happened today all before 11:30 am Ron’s time. What I know about the medical world is that things can change quickly … like in an instant. There were actually some pretty rough patches yesterday, however, today is a new day. The sun seems to be shining on Ron and for that, we are so grateful.
The first call of the morning – here’s how it went. They had just brought Ron up from another set of CT scans. and they decided it was ok to remove one of the tubes he has had attached since day 1. This was amazing. I could hear the excitement and relief in his voice but… it was all a bit much The bodily movements re the scans and the tube removal were as you can image, very painful so here is how our convo went: “Can you call me back in 1 hr”… “Of course”)
And an hour passed… I called back…He was having a visit from the Physio Therapist team and although I can’t quite imagine how, but their intention was to get him up for the first time today. Here is how our convo went. “The physio team is here, Can you call me back?”… “Of course”
next call – the nursing station said, I can’t transfer you cause he is being moved to ‘STEP DOWN’ you can call there in 20 minutes.
well….. that is definitely cause for some celebration folks. all your well wishes and love and Ron’s will and fight and resilience and determination have been nothing short of amazing. Without saying too much, the past 5 days have definitely had some very serious hurdles. We can’t stop sending all those positive healing vibes white light and visualizations of full recovery, cause this ain’t over yet by any means but this is a huge step in the right direction.
Next call to his new bed. Here’s how it went.
“They are just doing stuff with me… Can you call me back… Of course”
You can’t make this stuff up folks. So yes I have talked to Ron for about 5 seconds per call this morning. Each conversation has been the same in the end (lol) but with all kinds of great news for the first few seconds.
Sigh. Smile. Breathe.
Day 5:
Well. Let’s all take a deep breath. Ron had 2 more surgeries today and he is resting back in the ICU and is in stable condition. One surgery was to repair his hip and the other to repair his arm. Some other bits and pieces got closely looked at and have had to be addressed as well. He still needs to be closely monitored, but one more day is about to be over, and we are all envisioning an uneventful night. I think the medical staff use the term “unremarkable” as a good thing – so let’s use that! Ron… we wish you a peaceful rest and hope you are able to sleep well into the night. Rachel as always is holding down the fort being his rock. She’s been nothing short of amazing. Here’s to Rachel. It’s nearly impossible for Rachel to respond to lots of people right now, so I want to say that I will help relay info back and forth if I can. Right now, Rachel wanted me to tell all of you that she is so grateful for your well wishes, your concern and your ‘support’ in what ever way that comes, be it items from her Amazon wishlist, Venmo or paypal deposits etc. etc. each is so appreciated.
Day 4:
Still in ICU – hip and arm surgery is scheduled for tomorrow – likely am so keep your thought’s positive folks. There may be a possibility of moving out of the ICU and into another area of the hospital determined after a revisit to the ICU after surgeries. He’ll be monitored there for a while but the how is that sometime this week, he’ll be saying goodbye to the ICU. Ron is breathing a bit easier with new meds, but it’s still very painful – The nurses love him as we all do!
Day 3:
Pain meds seem to be making a dent in the pain and though still in and out of sleep most of the day, he was able to talk to Rachel for short spirts. He is still in the ICU with 2 nurses specifically attending to him along with a trauma team.
Day 2:
Ron’s ventilator was removed, though his breathing was very shallow due to do the pain and broken ribs/sternum. Pain seemed to be unmanaged by the medication. New cocktails were given but pain management continued to be an issue. Ron was in and out of consiousness most of the day.
Day 1:
So… Ron was in a very serious car accident recently. He was rushed to the hospital and had a then moved to a 2nd hospital after determining that his injuries were going to require a specialized trauma team. His spleen was removed, his sternum, hip, arm and 4 ribs were broken. Along wth an operation to remove his ruptured spleen, he also had a 2nd surgery to see to a lascerated liver. He was placed on a ventalator and stayed in the ICU.
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