Estate donates van to Rancho

DOWNEY - The estate of John Calley, the highly talented and widely respected former studio chief of Warner Brothers, United Artists and Sony Studios who passed away last month, donated a wheelchair accessible van to the Espana family last week in a private ceremony at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center.The van will allow son Mario, now 15, to travel with his parents and three siblings instead of having to take separate transportation, as has been the case since he was the victim of a drive-by shooting last year. Mario was shot in the neck, chest and head, and became a quadriplegic, paralyzed from the chest down. He has always been a good student who was an innocent bystander when his life was instantly changed. He made a remarkable recovery at Rancho and is now attending high school. The photo above shows the Espana family with Mr. Calley's daughters Sabrina Calley and Emily Zinneman, his longtime assistant Erica Hagen and family friend Geoff Goodman. The Calley estate also donated a power wheelchair to a Rancho patient and a new Geri Cariac Chari to the Geriatric Stroke Unit. This special chair helps patients sit up smoothly when transitioning from their hospital beds, making it easier for their circulatory system to readjust to the sitting position. "We are very grateful to the Calley family for their wonderful gifts that are already helping this wonderful family and so many other patients," said Rancho CEO Jorge Orozco. -Greg Waskul, Rancho Los Amigos Foundation

********** Published: October 27, 2011 - Volume 10 - Issue 28