Dug/Duggy Degnin became the right hand man on the Eklectia Album project, and as well as taking on the role of Associate Producer, he was also an accomplished singer songwriter, and you can hear him on the album. In the year that I had known him, Duggy had made it through a T cell lymphoma condition, had battled many chronic health issues, always determined to overcome them, and was so very excited about being part of everything Eklectia. He helped bring my dream to fruition, which was achieved in just  9 short months - this world first, ground breaking album featuring experiencer's music, personal sound bites, along with interviews and commentary makes it totally unique...Dug wrote on 20th Dec 2018, I can now, for the first time, listen to the album without my 'tech ears' - its brilliant!' He was all set to start on a PR move to get Eklectia known in the wider world in 2019...sadly this was not meant to be.

 

On 28th Dec, I had a message telling me that Dug had a massive stroke on Christmas day, he was in a coma, and life support had been turned off. He waited until News Year's day at 1.16am to depart the environs of Earth. I am absolutely devastated....he had become a close friend, and sounding board and had found his niche passion. Through a channeled communication from a friend and animal communicator, who had met Dug, she wrote 2 typed pages in which it appears Dug told her to let me know that he can do much more from where he is and that he was limited with his body, and he is going to do all he can to move things Eklectia-wise forward from his new perspective.

 

His funeral at the Woodvale Crematorium, North Chapel Brighton was on Thursday, 17th Jan, at 2pm attended by many loving friends from the music side of life as well as family and others. Dug was 59 years old. His legacy was not only the co-piloting into the material world of this unique album, he continued to be inspired by our work. His own idea was to  produce a 'BandAid' type song, where those from Eklectia who could, would participate in this one song, which Gary Williams also on the album, wrote the chorus of and was able to play it to Duggy...who loved it, telling Gary 'that's the one...we're going with that.'  Now Gary has almost finished the song...which is going to be produced in memory of Dug, and part of my own heart song is to start a hardship fund for experiencers and those in allied fields having a difficult time, to provide resources/funds on an ad hoc basis...as well as from the Eklectia album sales. Dug was also passionate about the idea, so 40% of that song, will  go to this fund if we can get it off the ground. Both  Duggy  I and were stumped for a fitting name...well, no longer,  he himself has provided  it, it will now be known as The Duggy Degnin Fund  as soon as there are funds in.

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It remains for me to say thank you so much Dug, you are sadly missed on this plane, and I hope all is as you  would  wish whereyou are, and look forward to any further  work we have to do that you might yet still feed in to. Meanwhile here is a bit of an interesting story that I came across which Dug relays below.   

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With much love for your continued journey,  Joanna and the Eklectia crew.