By Eliza PARTIKA

Friends, community supporters and former employees of the Crows Nest gathered at the Sunland-Tujunga Elks Lodge on May 3 to fundraise for former Crows Nest owner Art Miner. Miner underwent open heart surgery that did not go well. He was in a coma for 31 days with collapsed lungs and failed kidneys and lost his fingers and part of his left foot. 

People talked and embraced throughout the May 3 fundraiser, chatting loudly, dancing and singing along to local bands Jukebox Heroes, Full House, Yesterday Today, and Mumbo Jumbo. Hundreds of community members stayed late to listen to the bands, enjoy an open bar and barbecue dinner, and bid on raffle and silent auction items. Miner told the CV Weekly the support has been overwhelming. 

“The turnout was an incredibly emotional thing. [The Crows Nest community] has always been incredibly supportive – it’s all part of this,” Miner said. 

The fundraiser took three months to organize including pinning down the bands and food. Former Crows Nest employees helped with the food, drinks and music. 

Costs for upper limb prosthetics are rising and are often not covered by insurance, according to the clinician Sandra Bross, R.N. B.S.N., who is helping Miner with his prosthetic. Bross has her own practice, Bross & Associates, where she builds prosthetics. Bross proudly shared the progress that has been made on Art’s upper limb prosthetics. 

The prosthetic must be made from multiple parts that are paid for and put together. The unique pieces will be fitted together to make the full prosthetic hands. 

“We are trying to work with [the insurance company] to get what we can from them. We spent hours and hours together, working on this,” she said. “We will need to continue raising money.”

Miner carried the model prosthetic around the Elks Lodge and showed it to friends. On the model, the robotic fingers moved back and forth using buttons controlled by sensors in the silicon hand. 

The family raised $68,000 so far on their GoFundMe, more than half of the $100,000 needed to pay for all of the parts that will make up the full prosthetic. 

Miner said he and his family are planning additional fundraisers at local restaurants and at the American Legion. 

To support Art Miner’s GoFundMe effort, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-art-miner-get-lifechanging-prosthetics.