Cathera is a Liver Transplant Recipient.

Cathera received two liver transplants, the first one in December of 1998, given by a living friend of Cathera's who donated 40% of her own liver. This transplant became infected and slowly over the course of a month became non-functional.

During this month Cathera lay in intensive care heavily sedated, on life support, fighting a raging infection and many times near death.

Much of the work, which Cathera has produced since then, deals with the places her spirit visited as well as experiences she had during this incredibly difficult ordeal.

Cathera feels that she had the choice of "crossing over" or coming back to this reality. As she now says, "I've been to the other side."

In January of 1999 a donor liver from a deceased person was available and Cathera underwent a second transplant followed by a slow, difficult, but "incredible" recovery. Cathera wishes to acknowledge the dedicated, exceptionally skilled doctors and staff of Mt. Sinai Hospital, especially Dr.'s Emre and Fishbien as well asTransplant Coordinator Lindsey Arnott.

Their tenacious efforts to give her every chance, her own immovable faith and desire to return to her life in the Woodstock community, the loving support of her friends and admirers and the universe's willingness to answer all of our prayers are responsible for the miracle of her survival.

The direction of Cathera's artistic expression is now fueled by this experience and is an ongoing "life's work" representing the endless facets of the human experience and the "miracle of being."

Love to you all.

Cathera will, from time to time, add personal thoughts and musings to this section, so please stop by again.