Contact
RICK
ZERNER
for Exceptional Personal Service
& the Area's Best Selection
of Fine Automobiles.
Our Class Clown
Friends and family establish fund to help Mark Herman,
seriously injured in accident.
SCOTT TURKEN
Special to the Jewish News
le
very class has its clown; the
person who is willing to do
anything for a laugh, no mat-
ter how
daring, silly or stupid.
For a very large
class in metro Detroit
and Chicago, Mark
Herman has always
been our clown. He
has the knack of
knowing something
about a lot of people
that will just crack
them up. His humor
is always so unpre-
dictable and outra-
geous that you always
Mark Herman
want to be around
him. "The funniest
guy I know" is the quote most com-
monly uttered about "Herms."
Most recently Mark, 25 and a gradu-
ate of North Farmington High School
and Eastern Michigan University, was
pursuing his dream of taking his talents
to the mainstream. Mark was in a
Second City program in Chicago, a stu-
dent show. Mark's creative talents were
also helping to develop "Full Body Wag"
— a sketch comedy show that he co-
developed. Recently, a compilation ver-
sion of their show, featuring Mark, was
entered in the Chicago Film Festival.
Frozen Dreams
spinal fusion to stabilize the injured ver-
tebrae) early in the afternoon, our class
clown said to the doctors, "Hey, you
think I'll be out to watch Seinfeld at
six?" Even in his darkest hour, Mark
made sure that his many friends and
family at the hospital had a good laugh.
But what has happened since
that fateful afternoon is hardly a
laughing matter.
A breathing tube was placed in
his throat shortly after he entered
the hospital and a ventilator
helped his breathing during the
weeks he remained in the ICU
"Of all the people in this
world... to see Mark lying there
helpless like that...it just breaks
my heart,'' said sister Suzanne
Leibovitz of Birmingham.
Friends And Family Rally
Countless visitors from Detroit,
Chicago, Toronto, California,
Connecticut and elsewhere came to be
at Mark's side.
"It just takes your breath away,"
Mark's mother Alice Herman of West
Bloomfield said to me upon my first
view of my dear friend.
Alice is one of the strongest and
warmest people I've ever known. She has
spent every waking hour at the hospital
with her son, thinking positively that it
will all work out for the best.
In his hospital room, a black and
white portfolio picture of Mark, hand-
some as ever, hangs on the board. Alice
showed it to me and said, "He's got to
get back like this; he just has to."
That has been the mantra of all who
are close to Mark: Stay positive and
hopefully a miracle will happen.
"Herms" came back to Detroit and is
now at the Rehabilitation Institute of
Michigan. There have been some posi-
tive signs: Mark's halo brace, which has
stabilized his spine since the injury, was
removed — making Mark much more
comfortable. His ventilator also was
removed, but a tracheostomy collar
remains. Mark also has shown feeling in
his shoulders. The medical team treating
But, in an instant, Mark's hopes and
dreams seemed to come to a crashing
halt.
While lifting weights in a gym at his
apartment building in Chicago, Mark
fell victim to a horrible freak accident.
The bar from the chest-press machine
appeared to be latched in, but wasn't,
and fell rapidly on Mark's neck, crushing
his fourth and fifth cervical vertebrae in
his spine.
Mark was rushed to Northwestern
Hospital in Chicago. The news was not
good: Mark did not have any feeling in
his arms or his legs.
As with most spinal
e.4cc mtributon,
i mail i a check, payable to the
injuries, the doctors
'''''''"Trrevcocable Trust, to Morgan Stanley,
couldn't promise any-
. r Mark Hern- ian Trust, 220 Park St.,
thing. While being
am, MI 48009
ii i
wheeled in for surgery (a
❑
Mark has noted that the symptoms don't
always indicate whether or not someone
can recover and live a normal life with a
spinal injury. Most of the time it
depends on the individual. Mark's love of
life and great sense of humor are a
tremendous attribute for him.
But only time will tell; the recovery
process is long and arduous — especially
for the family. "We know the road ahead
is going to be long and difficult. But
Mark will always have the unconditional
love and support from his family and
friends, and we'll never give up hope,"
said Suzanne.
Always on Mark's family's minds is
their late father Bert, who died of ALS
(Lou Gehrig's disease) in 1998. His
passing left a void in Mark's life, but
Mark said many times, the experience
made him a stronger and more spiritu-
al person.
Another obstacle for Mark is that as
of June 11, the funding from the insur-
ance company no longer provides com-
prehensive coverage for his care. The
family also hopes to acquire home
health aid equipment and to be able to
modify Alice's home to better accommo-
date Mark.
Because of the astronomical expense
that these injuries require, further
monies will have to come from outside
sources.
Mark's family has established the
"Friends for Mark Herman Trust" to
help defray the enormous costs and
expenses associated with proper care and
treatment. Mark's family is hoping that
people will be as generous and caring as
they've been so far. "It's so touching and
overwhelming how many people have
come around and offered their support,"
said Alice. "It's really amazing." ❑
Shoppers'
Donations
Legacy Jewelry in Franklin will
donate 10 percent of the cost of pur-
chases made on June 14-16 to the
the Mark Herman Irrevcocable Trust
for shoppers who mention the trust.
The store is located at 32800
Franklin Road. (248) 626-1885. ❑
Your Tri-State
Source
Since 1956
VIN
DEVERS
MERCEDES-BENZ • AUDI
5.370 MONROE • SYLVANIA, OH
419/885-5111
www.vindevers.corn
FREE
ERICSSON 0.
A I 228d
TALK ALL YOU
WANT NIGHTS
& WEEKENDS!
FREE
Long Distance
250 MINUTES
$29.95 A MONTH
ANY QUESTIONS!
PAG ERONE
cingular
WIRELESS
Cellular and Paging Services
Crosswinds Plaza • Next to Kroger
Orchard Lake and Lone Pine
West Bloomfield
248-538-2100
..,01011 CENTRAL HIGH SCHo
v
C LASS OF 1951 0
so year reunion
Saturday,
Sept. 1, 2001
Eldorado Golf Club
2869 N. Pontiac Trail
Walled Lake, MI
Please Contoct
JoAnne Satovsky Shatanoff
248-682-8555
Ilene Sweet Monast
V18-683-5665
f
,
Earl J. Rudner
248-661-2670
Mildred Lewis Kovan
248-851-3880
erg
6/15
2001
39