DECORAH'S YORI OYLOE GETS BACK IN THE RACE

Miracles often take a lot of determination and hard work, and always demand the courageousness of spirit that makes them miraculous in the first place.  The miracle of Yori Oyloe is no exception.

        Yori is the 27-year-old son of Lana and Marc Oyloe of rural Decorah.  He is an artist  -- a sculptor and painter.  He is also a biologist, nature lover, and avid bicyclist.  After attending Macalester College, Yori moved to Seattle, and began       working at the world-famous Pike Place Fish Market. Owner John Yokoyama says that he was one of his best employees.  Yori is young and bright, and he’s gifted with a spirited and generous sense of humor.  It seemed that almost infinite possibilities spread out in front of him.

        But in late July of last year, Yori fell fifteen feet onto cement and suffered a traumatic brain injury.  The admitting physician at Harborview hospital said he was near death, and Yori remained in a coma for about a week. For some, it must have looked like all the bright promise of his life had dimmed in a matter of seconds.

        However Yori has no plans to give up on his dreams.  He has learned to walk against all odds.  He thinks beautifully.  His speech improves every day, and so do his motor skills.  He is the darling of the brain-injury medical community he has worked with.  He is learning balance and strength. He also has to relearn how to use his right arm, which was dislocated and torn when he fell.

        “I have to think about every step I take,” Yori told his friend Patsy Martinson of Decorah.  ”But you know what? Every time I lose balance or stumble, I catch myself.  I haven't fallen yet."  Yori Oyloe is definitely back in the race.

         A Back in the Race event to benefit Yori is scheduled for Saturday, September 7, at Curley’s Cafe Deluxe, 421 W. Water St., Decorah, beginning at 5:00 p.m.

         There will be music all evening long, including sets by Switchback, members of the Iowa City band Big Wooden Radio, and others to be announced. All the music is free, but donations for Yori are of course warmly appreciated.
    
         A sit-down gourmet dinner prepared by Ruth Hampton of Trout River Catering and Val Sanderson of  Chameleon Café will be served from 6:00 to 7:30 downstairs in the Café Underground. The menu is still being planned, but promises to be both elegant and delectable, and includes wine.  Seating is limited to about 70 people. Suggested donation for the dinner is $35 per plate, and advanced tickets will be available at the Oneota Community Food Co-op, 415 W. Water St., Decorah, next door to the Café Deluxe.

         At 8:30 there will be a benefit auction. in the Café Underground, featuring works by some of our finest local artists and items donated by local businesses and individuals.  If you are interested in donating items for the auction, please contact Sharon Grimm at 563-382-8546.

         After the auction, music and dancing will go on till midnight!

        If you would like to make a contribution to Yori, send a check made out to Back in the Race to Back in the Race, PO Box 73, Decorah, Ia. 52101.  All contributions are tax-deductible.