Monica Nelson - Artist Relief Campaign

Monica survived emergency surgery and months of ICU and rehab. She is relearning how to do nearly everything. But recovery is fragile and time-limited. She urgently needs financial stability and help covering basic living expenses so she can focus fully on healing during this critical recovery window.

Your gift today reduces stress on Monica and her husband and main caregiver, Ivan, increases her chance of physical recovery, and helps ensure this singular musician has the support she needs to one day stand at the mic again. Please give what you can—and give now.

MONICA’S STORY

By Brandon Lieberman KBOO-FM

One's level of fame is in the heart of the beholder. While most people in the world don't know about Monica Nelson of Portland's Oregon Music Hall-Of-Fame inducted Obituaries, for a certain segment of late 1980's Portland, greater Northwest and underground punk music lovers she was indeed, THAT Monica Nelson. The it-girl among that era's punk populous of this region. She was, just by her presence in that moment-of-time, hacking through the mainly male thicket of local punk on the same trail that was blazed by the Neo Boys.
Monica Nelson

Others that were wowed by Monica's stark confessional lyricism and powerful vocal delivery include Neko Case who mentioned so in her recently published auto-biography, Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill, who once told Monica it was seeing her in the Obituaries that made her realize that a punk rock band would likely be a good vehicle to further amplify the messages she had to deliver. And the first time I met our so-missed friend Mia Zapata (of The Gits) we immediately bonded over our mutual love and admiration for Monica and the Obits. A reverence that turned out to be mutual, as after they gigged together once, Mia had also become one of Monica's very favorite singers of all-time.

My favorite review of Monica's vocal prowess came via an unintentional source. During her time living and singing in NYC, her band posted some audio for one of the songs called "Greed". A Myspace troll commented something to the effect of, "I prefer the growly male singer to the sweet female one". But there's only one singer on that track. What Trollie didn't realize is that she was unintentionally attesting to the fact that Monica Nelson's range was mind-blowing beyond her normal listening comprehension, but that beyond the initial misconception that it was two separate singers, Monica's non-doctored audio-magic had her visualizing two singers of opposite sexes!

Unfortunately great inspirational art is sometimes the product of tremendous hardship. The emotional Obituaries songs where a teenage Monica Nelson sang about being gang raped, and then raped again by the therapist she was taken to about it. And then the on-top-of-that troubles at home were not fictitious. They were inhabited by real life evil-doers who stole from Monica the inner-being-peace that can never really be fully restored or replaced. That no one was ever held to account, builds on the swallowed fury within and further adds to the remnants of trauma packed into one's internal luggage.

When I first got the call from Monica's husband Ivan that she had fallen and was hurt, he was hoping I could come over and help get her to the hospital since he wasn't sure what was wrong. But moving at all was causing her pain. Well just because I was getting the call (and not 911 or something) I was thinking it was likely a broken or cracked rib or two, or maybe a shoulder separation injury. But I was driving, and heading the wrong direction. But still, even thinking it was one of those serious (but not life-threatening) injuries I said to Ivan that it seems urgent enough to call an ambulance. Ivan agreed, we hung up and he made the call. More about what happened with the ambulance later, but when Ivan called me again hours later. I was so completely shocked and devastated to hear she had just gotten out of surgery for a broken neck and a spinal cord injury. Life for them would likely never be the same going forward.

Starting the next day I would visit the ICU or the Trauma Ward every day for a month. Ivan would go twice a day. The first time I just went without calling, knowing it might still be too soon, and I might not get in. I did get in, but I was too soon. She was in a drug induced slumber, but I got to see her, and left her some books and a note. This high intensity section of the ICU is an amazing part of the hospital that I hope you never have to see. Monica's first room was huge, and almost bridge-of-The-Enterprise-like with it's high tech equipment and myriad of screens and its ample space. But I soon realized it was like that, in case they needed to rush in a medical team, or maybe let a whole family come in to say goodbye. When I would visit, I could have always parked closer than I did. But despite the heat around the time when it happened, I always wanted to walk a block or so to concentrate on only bringing healing positivity with me inside, and leaving any of the worlds' or my own negativity at-the-door. The ICU's and Trauma Ward have their own family waiting areas that you have to pass by first to get in. They're nicer than in the other parts of the hospital, with private bathrooms too. But traversing that area while trying not to be affected by the sobs, often from children, and the grieving and dire looks from everyone having some of the worst moments of their life with regards to someone they love, is tough to do. This is the region of the hospital that Death also visits the most. I happened to be there on day three when one of the Doctors said Monica's room was getting "downgraded" from the ICU to the Trauma-side of the floor. I was never so happy to hear that term! Because Monica's condition was (and still is) extremely serious. On the upside there was no brain damage, and her spinal cord injury was partial (not complete) so there's hope for slow improvement over the first year. Spinal cord injuries are amongst the slowest organs in the human body to (hopefully) heal somewhat. But at first Monica could only move her arms, but without enough hand control to do tasks, She wouldn't be able to hold the books I first brought for example (but she did like them).

After her month at the ICU, Monica was sent to RIO (The Rehabilitation Institute of Oregon) in Northwest Portland. Technically the visiting hours were the same, but now Monica (and sometimes Ivan too) were in sessions and classes most of the day about life going forward. They do great work there, but because Monica is on the Oregon Health Plan, she didn't get to stay there as long as she really needed, despite being granted two extensions . Nurses actually told her there that they often cut patients loose early (thanks to our insurance-profit controlled health system) and that folks often have to show back up at the ER to fix it. When I heard that, I said, "That's insane...that's not a plan!". But that ended up being exactly what happened, as Monica has had to visit the Emergency Room three times since being evicted from RIO.

I keep moving the goal posts of what I hope for her as every little sign of improvement comes. Back in the ICU-Trauma Ward days it was very small things, like holding a pen, and then being able to write her name again. The accompanying drawing I made for her early-on when she had mentioned to me during that day's visit that Ivan's son might be coming to see her, so she had told Ivan to tell him that drawings had healing powers. So I brought it with me the next day. The sign of improvement that has made Monica the happiest so far was regaining the ability (and body control) enough to sing again. But as reports from her physical and occupational therapy sessions continue to improve, I'm really hoping to be able to see her one day be able to stand at the mic again. And if she can take a few steps to get there....even better. There's bicycle therapy too, so I'm really wishing for even more!

But she has a limited time-window while improvements are still possible. And needless to say this abrupt life change for both Ivan and Monica comes with other unfortunate side effects, expenses and demands. Monica needs help with almost everything. All the things that all of us do every day without even thinking about it now take great physical and mental effort for her to accomplish. Many, many everyday things she cannot do without help. It can be dangerous for her to be alone, and Ivan has to go make a living, and had to adapt the house (that they do not own) so that coming home was even possible for her. They don't own a vehicle right now that can transport her.

I promised before some more information on what happened with the ambulance ride. There was none! When the ambulance arrived the driver and the EMT and/or Paramedic who showed up asked Monica to do some stuff. Decided she wasn't injured enough to warrant an ambulance ride, and had Ivan sign a disclaimer attesting to that. She had a %&^#%!! broken neck and severed spinal cord....either one of which is far more than enough to warrant an ambulance ride, and she had both!! When they found out about that at the hospital they did have them file some paperwork to document it. And since they were the supposed "medical experts" on the scene, and provided Ivan with a completely false medical diagnosis before asking him to sign papers, those should be voided. And hopefully some measure of account can still come.

I can't tell you how many times (especially early-on, but still sometimes) I have had to stop my brain from futile spinning, trying to find a way to "fix" this injury-situation for Monica. But in these next 8-9 months, while improvement is still possible for her, they should not be having to deal with any sort of antagonistic issues. Or financial worries, or safety concerns at all. Monica needs a medically trained helper to be with her when Ivan (or others) can't be. And they still need to pay their rent and other bills. Hopefully much of these needs will be lessened by Monica's improvement over this crucial recovery-window period. But the best chance of making that happen is with as little outside stress as possible. Financial and otherwise. Which is where you and I can really help. If I can one day see Monica stand at the mic in a venue and sing again (like she is in my drawing). To me, that would be a priceless ticket.  Thank you to Melanie and the JWF for providing this venue and the technical support for this effort to help "That Monica Nelson" !! Please give what you can. Thank you.