Amie Penwell- Mercy - A Song of Prayer For Tika Hick

A message from Tika's favorite musician- Michael Franti

The community of people who come to our shows is so diverse, and every day I am moved by the lives of people I meet at our concerts. Every now and then I will meet someone so remarkable that I am moved to tears and action.

A few weeks ago I met a woman named Tika Hicks at the Harmony Festival in Santa Rosa. She... had contacted our office about meeting me, because she was coming through a very difficult set of challenges in her life. Within the span of one month her and her boyfriend David lost their home to foreclosure, became parents to a beautiful newborn boy Indigo, and then suddenly Tika was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Any one of these events is challenging unto itself, but to have them all happen one after another is almost too much for any of us to handle. When I met Tika, David and their baby Indigo, Tika had just finished 3 months of chemo-therapy.
She looked as you might expect, with hair missing, and hollowed cheeks, except for one detail that one would not expect... a huge smile of gratitude. She introduced me to her bright eyed son and I took a photo with him. She wept as she described how my music had helped her get through this rough period in her life. Her man was equally sincere in his gratitude. Despite all they had been through they still had each other and Tika told me that having cancer was just another of life's many challenges that she would face bravely, knowing she had found her life's partner in David and had a healthy baby, she would survive cancer and they would make it through this rough time together.

One month later Tika's doctors informed her that her sickness had developed and that she would need to undergo a double mastectomy this July 20th. Tika, David and Indigo, decided that they would take a trip to Maui for a few days vacation in order to prepare for what they both knew would be a traumatic life changing surgery. While at the beach in Maui last Saturday July 16th, David was standing on some rocks near the ocean's edge when a rogue wave struck him and he fell into a blow hole in the rocks. In front of friends and many gatherers, he drowned and was washed out to see where his body has yet to be recovered.

Tika has now had to return to Marin County, California, without the support or even body of David, to undergo this urgently needed double mastectomy procedure on Wednesday.

I spoke to her on the phone today and will be visiting her tonight. I will find out how we as a community of music lovers can best support her. We will be setting up a way that people can make donations on www.michaelfranti.com and will be doing a benefit acoustic show for her and her son on August 10th in San Francisco, CA at the Little Baobab restaurant.

I know that you all who enjoy our music are some of the most loving and compassionate people on this planet. Please stay tuned for more details and spread the word to all in the Spearhead music community, as more details come out on how each of us can help Tika and baby Indie.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Tika
• Hick

[jonnyboymaui]

Thank you for sharing this- there nothing more healing than prayer, music, and kind words. Beautiful.

[gayeajoy]

This song is one of the most beautiful I have ever heard. Thank you for sharing it with us. May all strength and love go out to Tika and Indigo.

[DowntownGrid]

Beautiful - My heart and prayers are with Tika and Indigo. Nothing stays the same - a year from now Tika will be running down the beach with her little boy, healthy and peaceful. Amen to that.. Thanks Amie.

[tinamacd]

Thank you for this. You have shared a beautiful song...and in turn healing energy. I have been struggling with how I can help...what do I do? Such tragedy. You have put in to words what I have been feeling. I hope that Tika sees this and knows how many of us out here are sending white light and peace to her and her beautiful son. Namaste.

[miabella916]

Touching!