Help Dede Whiteside Rebuild Her Life

My name is Celia Hirschman and I'm a friend of Dede Whiteside. We need your help! Many will know Dede as the longtime record promoter to radio, working at Augie Blume & Associates (A&M, Warner Bros, RCA, Windham Hill, Mushroom & more), along with Geffen Records, Fantasy, Milestone, Prestige, Landmark, MTM, and Makin' Tracks, She's also affiliated with ROSE (Radio Organized for Solar Energy) as well as RACE (Radio Action Coalition for the Environment) two organizations she helped found in the late seventies and eighties. Dede has always been a go-getter with passion.

In November 2024, Dede suffered a massive stroke. Fortunately her housekeeper was present and realized something was very wrong and got Dede immediate aid. But the stroke left her with no ability to speak and her movement skills damaged. Most importantly, her mind is perfect. Just like the tenacity she showed working records, Dede has been working hard to recover her speech with speech therapists and mobility with physical therapists. I just had a conversation with her today where her speech was much improved. This is not an easy road and she's dedicated to focusing on her recovery, which is estimated to last a year. And this is where you come in!

Dede moved to San Miguel Allende in Mexico a number of years ago, where the US dollar goes much further. Her medical costs there are a fraction of what they are in the US. Here's what she is facing as she recovers, in US dollars:

$4000 dollars a month for 24 hour care x 12 months

$700 a month for prescriptions x 12 months

$200 a month for speech therapy x 12 months

$5438 in hospital expenses (8 days)

Total: $64,238 US Dollars

If you'd like to know more about what happened to Dede, in her own words:

It all started it my cat. Perhaps.

For those that have a beloved dog or cat, you can understand how a missing pet affects you. My beloved Hoppy, age 13 was missing. And he was missing for a total of 12 days before being found.

Calling every afternoon and evening, neighbors looking, posting everything nothing. On the eighth day I had to go the hospital for an esophagus problem to have a laparoscopic procedure. The gastrointestinal issue was found, and could be resolved with pill and dietary nutritional. On last day of my hospital visit I heard my cat had been found! I was able to leave the hospital and take the cat to the vet. Hoppy was in good shape although he had a little bit of construction dust on him which we were able to get off.

Before the stroke

Next three days was normal but on the morning of the fourth I woke up, not feeling great and thought I would go back to bed. I got up without looking in the mirror, got in the shower and put on clothes. My caretaker had arrived but I couldn't answer the door. After 15 tries and having to have someone crawl over the roof to get into the front door, finally she saw me and knew immediately that help was needed. Apparently I had a stroke. Thank God for her! She called an ambulance and took care of me, spending almost the first three days at the hospital with me. The stroke affected the right side of my body mostly my face and voice, with some effect of my hands and my right leg as well. I can stand and so every day I take little walks to keep up my body and I pay the piano to try to keep my hands limber and try to get my right hand working again. My mind is in sound condition, but I don't have the ability to speak too well (in fact it took quite a bit of effort to be able to create this document for you) with help from my AI app.

I'm living in Mexico now which is a good thing because you can get people to help you in a very good way and they're very good with senior people as well. Medicare does not covers anyone outside of the country, and recovery would be near impossible with my condition. I need to stay calm, eat three meals a day and sleep 10 hours. I need to see a speech therapist once a week and I need have 24 hour care for probably a year while I'm recovering because falling would be problematic. I have a little bit of a problem with my right leg. I have a very good attitude and feel like it's just another part of life's challenges. I'm sure I will get well with this kind of care and attitude, even though the doctors have said that there is an 80% chance of getting another stroke which would kill me, I feel that I will be part of the 20% chance that makes it. I have that kind of determination.

That's why I need your help. I want to get back to where I can speak again and I want to start my compositions again. The piano means so much to me and always has in my life. Many people think that they're fine as they are, but I have more work to do. I've helped of people in their careers as a music industry executive and I would love to have a chance to give my own compositions life.

I have a trust set up when my husband was alive (also was for me) in Carmel, California so it can be helpful to help me here in Mexico. I have really good care and wonderful great team of people, but I need to be able to carry it through. Your monetary care for me will make that happen.

Thank you kindly for you heartfelt gifts.

Gratefully,

Dede