Abbey Mullendore (on the right) with her sister Tamzin Gillis and brother Tyler Mullendore. (Photo courtesy Abbey Mullendore)
-by Beverley Phillips
Tyler Mullendore is being a good big brother, organizing a concert series and online auction in support of his sister, Abbey Mullendore, who is recovering from brain surgery.
Abbey has been open about her health journey, from needing a ride to the ER to getting out of surgery in Halifax, which removed 99 per cent of a meningioma brain tumor. Her Facebook posts have garnered an outpouring of love and concern from friends, family, and fans.
Reaching out to her to check in on how she is doing, she had this to say:
“On February 9th, I underwent a seven-hour craniotomy brain surgery to remove a meningioma tumor. The surgery was successful, and almost all of it was removed. However, the tumor was actually growing from the wall of a major blood vessel that connects the brain to the spinal cord, so complete resection was not possible. Now we wait for the results and grading of the tumor to determine what further treatment and recovery might look like going forward. We were given a baseline of six-12 months for full recovery, but we will have a better idea when the results are in, and we meet with the surgeon for follow-up in a few weeks’ time.
“Recovery has been slow and steady, and that will be the case for a while. I’m quite limited in what I’m able to do for the next several months – work, driving, performing, many of the everyday aspects of life have been put on hold as I settle into a new ‘normal.’ With that said, I’m just so grateful to have the surgery behind me and to have received the medical care that I did. Everything happened at such lightning speed that I haven’t even had the time to fully process it. I think that’s not such a bad thing. The week leading up to the surgery was heavy. Lots of fear and uncertainty. It was a lot. But, we remain hopeful that the worst of it is in the rear view, and the focus is now on rest and recovery, and all in good time, getting back to business.”
Tyler said that it was a pretty scary couple of weeks when they didn’t really know what was wrong. Being just 13 months older, the siblings are very close. He gave his perspective on how she is doing and her attitude. “Abbey is doing pretty good. She has good days and bad days,” he said. “She’s trying to stay positive, and she’s very resilient. She has a very strong personality, and she’s got a really good group of friends and family supporting her.”
With a six- to 12-month recovery ahead of her, her ability to make a living is put on hold. She has a mushroom farm, and she performs on stage with Classic Albums Live, singing the role of Stevie Nicks in their tribute show to Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 album Rumours. They are both physically demanding careers, and simply not possible at this time.
Tyler is organizing the fundraisers as she has to take so much time off from work. And he adds, “She’s not the type to ask for help, but she’s the first to offer.”
It was a friend of Tyler’s who suggested they do something. “I wasn’t thinking about anything public,” said Tyler. “I was just staying close to her. I was very worried, and my head was wrapped around what was going on with her medically. But a buddy of mine sent me a message asking how she is doing and saying he was really sorry that all this is happening. I said, “Thanks, man.” And then he said he’s going to throw a fundraiser.”
And the idea has since grown from there.
On March 1st, a variety of acts, including The Back Pack, Aaron MacDonald, Peter MacInnis, and Hearts of Kin, will perform from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Daniel’s Alehouse in Sydney. On March 6th, a different lineup of musicians will take to the stage at Capital Sports Club on Lady Hammond Road, in Halifax. The series closes at the Iona Heights Inn in Iona on March 14th. The Inn is offering a discount on rooms that night in support of the cause. Admission to the shows is by donation.
It wasn’t hard getting acts to support the cause. “Most of the artists are either friends with her or fans of her,” said Tyler. “The Nova Scotia musician community is close. We all know each other for the most part. Everybody’s jumping on board and just being amazing. People are being very generous and very, very supportive.”
An online silent auction is also being organized with the help of Steve Luxton, a good friend of Abbey’s in Sydney. Items to bid on include a guitar signed by Matt Anderson, a fiddle signed by Ashley MacIsaac, and other items like lobster, meals, and a visit to the hair salon. The auction opens on Saturday, February 28th, and runs until April 1st. The website will be announced soon on social media.
To support Abbey on her healing journey, check out one of the concerts, the online auction, or go to the GoFundMe page set up by her sister, Tamzin Gillis.