Rushing to help
W
hen I fi rst moved to Lincoln
County it took a little while before
I stopped questioning the decision
to pack up all of my belongings, my mother
and the person to whom I would later be
married and move 600 miles for a job.
One of the places that started to make
me feel like it had been a good decision
after all was a small farm that had a
cute stand that sold the organic produce
grown there and was adorned with metal
sculptures made by the partner of the
farmer, a talented artist whose work can
be seen in such places as Lincoln City’s
Regatta Park.
Th e farmer and his wife were both
valued members of the community,
contributing food, time and beauty, and
when the house they lived in burned to the
ground, that community came together to
ensure they very quickly had a home again.
Watching contractors donate time
and ability, vendors donate materials and
others donate funds to build a home for
their neighbors was when I really knew
I had made a good move. And recently
two of the people that were involved with
that fundraising eff ort, musicians June and
Joren Rushing, were recipients of another
example of the strong community found
here.
“We do have an amazing community
and it includes a tribe of musicians that
make up the backbone of the music scene,”
said local musician Richard Silen. “When
one of our own fi nds themselves in need,
we rally around that need.”
Th e need came from a perfect storm
of events for the Rushings when Joren
was hospitalized with a critical intestinal
infection, the stress of which caused an
underlying heart condition for June to
come to the surface, sending her to the
emergency room only days after her
husband.
“I thought I was having a panic attack
but I was actually having a heart attack,”
June said. “It turned out I had congestive
heart failure and needed triple bypass
surgery.”
Had Joren’s medical emergency not
triggered an event that fi nally forced her to
seek medical care the story may have had
an entirely diff erent ending.
“As musicians we don’t have great health
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care options so we tend to put off going
to doctor,” June said. “I’m pretty sure what
happened with Joren ended up saving my
life.”
Th e bills however, began to pile up, but
luckily friends like Rebecca Ottensmann
and Lozelle Jennings, who has since passed
away, were already working on a fundraiser.
“Without the money that was raised
for us we would have lost everything,” June
said. “It doesn’t come naturally to me to ask
for help, I’d rather be the one giving it, but
this community helped us in ways I can
never fully thank them for.”
Th e help came in many forms including
a big party at the Eagles club in Newport,
which raised roughly $5,000 for the couple
held so dear by friends and fans.
“Th e Eagles volunteered the venue,”
Joren said. “Th ere was such a great turnout
that there was nowhere to sit; hundreds of
people came.”
Help also came in the form of dog
walking, food and company.
“Th ere were several weeks after her
surgery where June couldn’t be left alone
but I still needed to be able to leave for
short trips,” Joren said. “Whenever I needed
it there was always someone there to sit
with her; it was amazing.”
June had been hesitant to air her
personal woes on social media but when she
did she found an outpouring of support.
“I fi nally started sharing my story
because I thought giving a voice to
the symptoms might help others seek
appropriate medical help,” she said. “Th e
June and Joren Rushing
power and energy of so many people
pulling for me helped me go into the
surgery with much less fear.”
Th e current health report for the
Rushings is very positive. June’s recovery
from surgery is going well and Joren ended
up avoiding a surgery he was originally told
he would need. Th ey are back to playing
live music, though with a new level of
appreciation for everyone in their circles
both close and wide.
“We are so genuinely grateful for
everything that’s been done,” June said.
“I want to make sure to also send out a
big thank you to Marilee Harrison, who
arranged the food train, the dog walking
and a separate GoFundMe account.
Whether it was good wishes or tasty dishes,
we were were well taken care of.”
Silen, who is originally from Austin, calls
the way neighbors support each other here
a rare fi nd.
“It’s beautiful to see this kind of thing
happen in a community and especially
around music,” he said. “And when it’s time
for June and Joren to come out for someone
else, I know they will.”
Stay connected to the Lincoln County
music scene by joining the Newport Rocks!
Facebook page.
oregoncoastTODAY.com • facebook.com/oregoncoasttoday • February 21, 2020 • 5