LETTER: Benefit For Maui’s Peggy Kan Hai

By Matthew Kan Hai

Peggy Kan Hai. Courtesy photo.

I would like to introduce you to Peggy Kan Hai. A woman with a heart big enough to love the world.

Peggy is an inspiring, motivating, remarkable, strong, and incredible woman. She lives her life showing compassion, empathy and understanding for all. Friends and family and wonderful people of our community have joined together to help, support and honor Peggy.

With a variety of different fundraising methods, the goal is the same for all. To help raise funds to help a wonderful woman who almost lost her life here on Maui 5 years ago in a very serious auto accident, caused by a young man who drove his motorcycle directly into her at extreme speeds. His life ended in doing so, but shattered Peggy’s life as much as it shattered so many of her bones into thousands of pieces. She has had a long journey filled with months of hospitalizations, surgeries, and lives each day in pain. Last year she learned that some of the bones, which had never healed, became necrotic, and if she didn’t remove bones from her leg, ankle, and amputate half of her foot, she would lose her life once the necrosis spreads. While in the hospital she contracted a deadly C Diff bacterial infection that tried once again to take her life. Thanks to the grace of God, her loving Ohana, and a cure found from afar, Peggy is still with us today.

With five years of surgeries, and years of payments, Peggy and her family still have over $50,000 in medical bills. And now there is a great need for prosthetics, orthotics, special devices, and shoes to aid in her walking ability and to prevent more damage, to an already compromised knee, hip, and spine. To better help meet these needs we are trying to raise $40,000 to cover the costs of those items that insurance doesn’t cover.

“Peggy is a wonderful asset to this community. She donates her time, works within the community and with our keiki in so many ways. She is a Therapist and an Educator. She has spent years working with people with mental health illnesses, troubled youth, special needs children, learning disabilities, and volunteering her time at Crisis Centers, Rape and Suicide Hotlines, and several support groups for Mental Health as well as C Diff.

She gives of her time, and helps all in need regardless to what someone can or cannot afford. She is a local girl from Maui, who went away to further her education, but returned to Maui many years ago, to give back to her community and to raise her son in a place she believes to be Paradise, not just because of the beauty of the islands, but because of the people here, who in her eyes are like no other. I thank you in advance for any help you can offer. You can make a difference in the life of someone loving, caring and respectful of everyone. She is there for anyone who needs her, and now as a community, as human beings, as people with heart, we have the ability to be there for her. Together I know we can find ways to perpetuate the true ALOHA SPIRIT that only we here in Hawaii truly understand and respect.

All Donations can be sent directly to and made payable to Peggy Kan Hai c/o Raise Your FOOT at 163 Hiwalani Loop Makawao, HI 96768 or made online at http://www.giveforward.com/raiseyourfoot (more information on all the fundraisers can be found on this site also)

Events currently scheduled to help support Peggy are a Benefit Luncheon and Silent Auction@Lilikoi Grill in Haiku on June 3rd (12 p.m.-3 p.m.) and a Car Wash on June 2nd at Sound Pros (9 a.m.-3 p.m.) . Tickets are required for the Luncheon and can be purchased for $25 by calling 250-6699 or 298-4141

Thank you on behalf of family and friends of Peggy Kan Hai.