Old(er) timers will remember Mark Israel, and his many valuable contributions to the world of distance learning. It has been four years since he was terribly injured when his bicycle was hit by a car, in San Diego. Here's an update on Mark from his wife, Rosy. Two extraordinarily courageous people. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thankfully, Mark is still progressing. His voice is back, but it is a whisper and can only be loud if he is pressing hard on his belly. For the past year he has been taking gait retraining sessions three times a week, and we are just now getting some results (is a matter of time and practice for him to walk, his original prognosis was never so this is great). His hands suffered from contractions that made writing impossible, but with splints and many hours of practice he is slowly regaining the use of pens. Mentally he is much better than expected. As I mention we had no hope according to the doctors and Mark made constant yet slow progress. True he has trouble remembering some past events, but he is able to store new memories. His emotional responses are sometimes to intense, making him appeared childish. But I still can't tell how much more these things can change, since the past four years have been a about him reaching new milestones every week or month. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rosy and Mark would probably be pleased to hear from people who knew him online. Don't expect a prompt reply; her life is overwhelmingly full. [email protected]
His accident tragic But he did not die. His contributions were fine And we miss them. Were it that we all would display courage in the face of such adversity And that we may never have to face such a foe. God bless you, Mark.
