(Originally published June 8, 2023)
Last week jazz saxophonist Donald Harrison, the “Big Chief of the Congo Square Nation Afro-New Orleans Cultural Group,” made an unusual appeal online on Facebook during his medical emergency; an anxious request for our prayers as he awaited arrival of EMR to be taken to hospital.
Many people reacted and responded to this urgent prayer request.
Below is Donald Harrison’s personal thank-you post to the hundreds who answered his plea for prayers. This is the type of human engagement that is possible when social media operates as an agent of community building and an instrument of human compassion.
Donald Harrison wrote:
“From the bottom of my heart I thank everyone. I know I was kept here by the wellspring of positivity, chants, and prayers. I love all of you more than you will ever know. I believe this is a moment of confirmation that all of us were heard.
“It shows together, our voices are listened to by a higher power. I must also take a moment to say I am blessed to have my wife Mary, she stopped everything to make sure I am ok.
“When I overheard the doctors saying I had 99 percent blockage of a main artery in my heart it made realize I was right to feel I was in a moment of life and death. They told me I had a massive heart attack the day after surgery.
“The day I went into the hospital I was in unimaginable pain. The ambulance drivers and the hospital staff made a series of great moves which saved me. Even though I knew my life was in the balance the love I was covered in, and the outpouring of immediate hope to keep me on this side gave me a sense of peace.
“In the ambulance they started me on intravenous medicine, and continued at the hospital. They took me from critical to stable condition overnight. The next day the operation was done through my arteries to my heart. When it was over I had blood flowing through my heart again. They let me see the video of the before and after.
“My eyes are opened to a new day of less is more. I hope I can keep going and continue to give back what was given to me.
“Like most jazz artists I have had the hardest of time trying to keep a band going. We have to fight every inch of the way for minuscule positive movement. Our love of the music keeps us strong at the helm. I dedicated my life to making it better for the whole of music, and worked to teach young people what the masters of every generation of jazz artists taught me. I fought to show young artist how I use foundational elements to move music from that perspective. I am elated to say most of them liked my idea and keep it going their way.
“Nouveau Swing is truly an underground revolution that most don’t know is happening. My goal of keeping knowledge of the foundation alive shall continue. I fought to prepare young people to get scholarships to colleges they could not afford, and to get them ready for any musical opportunity they wanted to pursue was successful beyond anything I imagined. I think it is because I knew intrinsically I needed to have the skills to do everything I loved. Please know I will continue on the same quest, but take it a little at a time now. If we all help each other think of the enormous strides we will make toward a better day. Peace, and Love, Donald”
When I read this powerful post, I replied with this affirmation to Donald:
Your powerful testimony and gifts of communication musically and verbally affirm a deep love of life and of people and of all that is truly creative and human. I join others in being personally deeply moved and pleased that you’ve made it through. Small wonder that you are proclaimed the Chief of Congo Square in Afro-New Orleans Culture. It seems your call for prayers are indeed being heard. We will continue to pray for your complete recovery.
Last week jazz saxophonist Donald Harrison, the “Big Chief of the Congo Square Nation Afro-New Orleans Cultural Group,” made an unusual appeal online on Facebook during his medical emergency; an anxious request for our prayers as he awaited arrival of EMR to be taken to hospital.
Many people reacted and responded to this urgent prayer request.
Below is Donald Harrison’s personal thank-you post to the hundreds who answered his plea for prayers. This is the type of human engagement that is possible when social media operates as an agent of community building and an instrument of human compassion.
Donald Harrison wrote:
“From the bottom of my heart I thank everyone. I know I was kept here by the wellspring of positivity, chants, and prayers. I love all of you more than you will ever know. I believe this is a moment of confirmation that all of us were heard.
“It shows together, our voices are listened to by a higher power. I must also take a moment to say I am blessed to have my wife Mary, she stopped everything to make sure I am ok.
“When I overheard the doctors saying I had 99 percent blockage of a main artery in my heart it made realize I was right to feel I was in a moment of life and death. They told me I had a massive heart attack the day after surgery.
“The day I went into the hospital I was in unimaginable pain. The ambulance drivers and the hospital staff made a series of great moves which saved me. Even though I knew my life was in the balance the love I was covered in, and the outpouring of immediate hope to keep me on this side gave me a sense of peace.
“In the ambulance they started me on intravenous medicine, and continued at the hospital. They took me from critical to stable condition overnight. The next day the operation was done through my arteries to my heart. When it was over I had blood flowing through my heart again. They let me see the video of the before and after.
“My eyes are opened to a new day of less is more. I hope I can keep going and continue to give back what was given to me.
“Like most jazz artists I have had the hardest of time trying to keep a band going. We have to fight every inch of the way for minuscule positive movement. Our love of the music keeps us strong at the helm. I dedicated my life to making it better for the whole of music, and worked to teach young people what the masters of every generation of jazz artists taught me. I fought to show young artist how I use foundational elements to move music from that perspective. I am elated to say most of them liked my idea and keep it going their way.
“Nouveau Swing is truly an underground revolution that most don’t know is happening. My goal of keeping knowledge of the foundation alive shall continue. I fought to prepare young people to get scholarships to colleges they could not afford, and to get them ready for any musical opportunity they wanted to pursue was successful beyond anything I imagined. I think it is because I knew intrinsically I needed to have the skills to do everything I loved. Please know I will continue on the same quest, but take it a little at a time now. If we all help each other think of the enormous strides we will make toward a better day. Peace, and Love, Donald”
When I read this powerful post, I replied with this affirmation to Donald:
Your powerful testimony and gifts of communication musically and verbally affirm a deep love of life and of people and of all that is truly creative and human. I join others in being personally deeply moved and pleased that you’ve made it through. Small wonder that you are proclaimed the Chief of Congo Square in Afro-New Orleans Culture. It seems your call for prayers are indeed being heard. We will continue to pray for your complete recovery.
