Aloha Friday – June 5th, 2009

Aloha Friday
A car stopped near a one-lane bridge along the road to Hana.

Our Aloha Friday photo each week is from our Maui Photo Day Calendar. Visit www.mauiphotocal.com for more details on how to add a new Maui photo on your iGoogle page or your blog everyday, as well as how to subscribe via RSS.

So Much Aloha in a Time of Need
Earlier this week, I posted an update on Twitter that Cindy and I had to rush out to Des Moines (from Chicago) for a family emergency.  Cindy’s younger sister, Jill, needed to have emergency heart surgery and actually had to be resuscitated twice on Tuesday during the entire ordeal (that morning and then again during pre-op).

It’s been a very difficult week to say the least. But the messages, prayers, and well wishes from my Twitter friends from Hawaii have been so supportive and heartfelt. There was so much Aloha from so many great people. I wanted to extended another huge Mahalo to @raatz, @AMauiBlog, @OahuAJ, @GoVisitHawaii, and @AngelaKeen for their thoughts and support, and to all the other friends and family members that have sent us messages, phone calls, and emails these passed few days.

Just a quick update, Jill remains in the Cardiac ICU unit at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines, IA, in critical but stable condition.  She continues to make small improvements each day, and Wednesday night she was able to open her eyes and acknowledge that we were all there by her side.  Yesterday morning, Cindy and I got to meet the pastor at Jill’s church who drove down from Northern Iowa to see her. We said a pray with her and she knows she has God on her side, too.

Cindy and I had to return home late last night, but Jill is still on our minds and in our hearts. Her mom, husband, and his family will be back visiting her again tonight and staying over the weekend. Cindy and I are also trying to arrange another visit for the following weekend as well.  It’s going to be a long road, but we’re all confident that with her strength and everyone’s support, she’s going to pull through.

Thank you again, everyone.

- Kris