Accident & Recovery

On May 18, 2009 the editing of the October 2008 Concert was about 70# % completed and on that day a 21 year old uninsured driver broadsided my car about 100 feet from my home. The emergency room doctors said I had a sprained ankle and wrist but refused to allow an X Ray or MRI of my neck.
 
From May to October I had serious problems with head and neck pain, my hearing, vertigo, double vision etc. Yet, many doctors dismissed these symptoms as nothing but a neck sprain. In October I had a dizzy spell, fell and broke my left ankle. On November 3rd I had a stroke which didn't affect me physically and again the emergency room doctors declared that there was nothing wrong other then a sprained neck!

On November 18 I had a video shoot planned with the Magnificent Men at the old Uptown theater in Philadelphia. However, at 5am I had a stroke which left me unable to stand and barely able to talk. The EMTs took me to Captial Health Hospital in Trenton, NJ. Five days later I was released from Intensive Care and at that time the doctor in charge of my care informed me that upon my arrival on the 18th in the Intensive Care ward he wrote one word next to my name - FATALITY.  No one at Capital Health expected me to survive the day.

It turns out that in May the accident caused a rupture of one of the vertibral arteries in my neck. This caused all of my physical problems and a series of mini strokes leading up to the big one on November 18th.

On November 23rd I was admitted to the Marlton Rehab facility unable to walk, talk, swallow etc.

After five weeks at Marlton I was able to walk a few steps and talk like ET.  While at Marlton I realized that so much in my life was unfinished and that if I died these things would go unfinished. I told Don Gross, my editor, to finish the 2008 Concert Video editing. He finished the editing in February 2009 but there were and are a few small things that I'd like to change.

Since then I have made great strides in walking and talking. I have what is caused a Mid-line disorientation which divides my body vertically and causes me constant dizziness and the lett side of my body is completely unable to discern hot or cold - I tend to walk like I'm drunk I guess. I drive better then I walk! I drive fine. The nerves to my right eye and throat are damaged. I must wear an eye patch most of the time - buit I can see 20/20 out of it when no using the patch. I also am unable to swallow - so I've lost over 40 pounds and must eat via a tube directly into my stomach through my chest.

The doctors have said that fewer then 10% of the people who have vertibral artery fractures and this kind of stroke survive. So, I beat the odds and am on the mend.

I've probably recovered about 90% of what I was physically able to do and it's expected that I will continue to progress physically. I'm still in rehab for my throat and I am hopeful that I will be able to eat again in the near future.

One thing that wasn't affected was my mind. During past months of rehab I have been working on the 2008 Concert DVD and other things like scanning some of my estimated 60,000 negatives and slides of musicians. I've also been transferring to digital metal tape my video and audio recordings of my old concerts and interviews that go back to the 60s. Later in 2010 you will be able to see excerpts of these.

One major challenge was raising the extra money required to have the 2008 Concert DVDs manufacture by the company that does Disney's and Sony's DVDs and not at local manufacturer without copyguard.


SoI would like to thank the many folks who have been praying and pulling for me. I've been given yet another chance in life. For that I'm grateful.

I have also found my way into writing the book that my alma mater, NYU, my agent and some publishers have been awaiting. At no time have I ever had writers block - except on my own autobiography!!! Well, I've figured that out and hopefully I will have it done in 2011. One thing that i realized during the planning of the book is that on at least 7 or 8 occassions over the past 45 years I was in situations where I should have been killed or died and didn't. The must be a reason for this.

On of the reasons may be is that I have more to do with vocal groups, Dop Wop and documentary films.

For those of you who understand my situation this past year - thanks. To those of you who have hard feelings about it - well there's nothing I can do except release the DVDS or refund your money and you can harbor hard feelings about me forever. I'm used to it. Many, many people have hated me since I produced the 1983 Burlington Concert. I can only surmise that their negativity was based on jealousy. I, however, will continue to try and do what I've been doing over the past 40 plus years - bringing musicians and vocalists opprotunities to perform especially those who  are ignored by the main stream producers.

M del Costello


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