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TAX SCHEME | Kirkland man pleads not guilty to defrauding brother-in-law of $1.2 million [3]
Arts | Kirkland Arts Center gallery features FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2013 artwork from visiting Beijing painter [6]
A DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING
BUI | Sheriff ’s Office given OK to impound boats of BUI drivers [13]
Rotary to host a capella fundraiser for brain cancer Rotary member David Heyting fights tumor dubbed ‘Goliath’ BY RAECHEL DAWSON rdawson@kirklandreporter.com
D
avid Heyting is a regular 36-year-old guy who spends his time with his wife and two boys, ages 6 and 8. He works in Kirkland as a certified public accountant, lives in Snoqualmie, enjoys hiking and helping others through the Rotary Club of Kirkland Down-
town. But just two years ago Heyting’s life changed when he underwent brain surgery to remove a golf-ball-size tumor from his right frontal lobe. “I think looking back I was having some mood issues but I never ever would have thought I had [a brain tumor] at the time,” Heyting said. “A lot of people
get headaches and stuff like that, I had none of that.” As part of their many charitable endeavors, the Rotary Club of Kirkland Downtown will put on their first A capella Concert to raise money for the Chris Elliott Fund, a local nonprofit dedicated to ending brain cancer. But having supported Heyting in the past at the Seattle Brain
Cancer Walk, last year and this past September, members of the rotary felt more could be done and the A capella Concert fundraiser was born. “[The] rotary’s motto is ‘service above self ’ and with David right in our own club and being part of the family, it seemed right to support him and his family in his treatment and the Chris Elliott Fund seemed [ more ROTARY page 5 ]
Supporters of David Heyting hold up “Defeat Goliath” signs. Goliath is the name that his family gave his brain tumor that he is currently battling. The Rotary Club of Kirkland Downtown, of which he is a member, will host a fundraiser to benefit ending cancer. CONTRIBUTED
Autistic son inspires mother to push for insurance reform BY CARRIE RODRIGUEZ crodriguez@kirklandreporter.com
Shayan Forough watches a car roll over a pine cone he placed in the middle of the street. “Ow,” he said. “Can we watch movies on Christmas Eve?” He asks the question repeatedly to his mother Arzu Forough as they stand by a park near the family’s Kirkland home. Shayan then suddenly breaks out into a song. “Hail to Aurora!” the 17-year-old Juanita High School student sings. To anyone on the outside, Shayan’s communication may seem random. But to his mother, the fact that he can communicate at all is something to celebrate. “He still has limited language proficiency but he is still making progress,” she said. “He is spontaneously asking questions this year that he wasn’t last year.” The two have cleared many obstacles since Shayan was diagnosed with autism at 1 year old. Shayan has struggled with learning to communicate, developing motor skills, making connections with other humans and even overcoming self-injury. But he has made great strides in these areas thanks to behavior therapy. He is also the inspiration
Woman pleads guilty in fatal car collision Prosecutor to recommend 136 months in prison BY RAECHEL DAWSON rdawson@kirklandreporter.com
Arzu Forough with her 17-year-old son Shayan, who inspired her to advocate and achieve autism insurance reform in Washington state. Most recently, she achieved Legislative funding for her nonprofit organization to advocate for families needing insurance. CARRIE RODRIGUEZ, Kirkland Reporter behind one of his mother’s biggest challenges that she continues to advocate for health insurance reform for her son and other children with autism. During her son’s lifetime, the mother-of-two has pushed for autism insurance reform in two states - including Washington where a bill was named after
Shayan - won a class action lawsuit regarding autism insurance against the state of Washington and, most recently, achieved Legislative funding for her nonprofit organization Washington Autism Alliance & Advocacy that will help advocate for families struggling with self-funded health insurance for autism.
But there is still a lot of work to do to ensure all children with autism get the health insurance they need to cover the intensive and costly behavior therapy for autism, she said.
Early struggles Forough knew early on that Shayan was different
than other kids. By his first birthday, other kids in his play groups interacted with each other while Shayan stood alone. “They really wanted to be around others and Shayan seemed to have his own agenda,” his mother said. “He wasn’t connecting to other children, he wasn’t [ more AUTISM page 12 ]
Kirkland resident Kelly Ann Hudson, 43, pleaded guilty Sept. 30 to vehicular homicide, vehicular assault and reckless driving in a collision that killed one Kirkland woman and injured others last year. Hudson originally pleaded not guilty to the charges. According to the King County Prosecutor’s Office spokesperson Dan Donohoe, Hudson was driving under the influence of alcohol and prescription drugs when her minivan struck a car head-on on Aug. 7, 2012. In the car was Joyce Parsons, 81, who died in the collision, Parsons’ brother Arthur Kamm, and two family members Jenny Grieshaber and Daniel J. Grieshaber, who were all seriously injured. Jury selection was expected to begin this week for Hudson’s trial before she changed her plea. Donohoe said prosecutors will recommend 136 months of prison time in a 102-136 sentence range. [ more GUILTY page 3 ]