Lewis Whitney (AKA Lulu) is a 70-year old male and the cofounder of the non-profit organizations Kokolulu Farm and Retreats and HIQI (Hawaii International Qigong Institute).
Lulu is a Vietnam War Era Veteran (1968 – 1970) and as such suffered numerous back injuries. In 2003 Lulu rolled a tractor down the hill on the farm and suffered compression fractures of the lower lumbar in his back. He was told by the doctor he went to after this accident, that he would be crippled the rest of his life. 
Subsequently he was diagnosed with severe osteoporosis, bulging discs, bone spurs and a total of 5 compression fractures in his lower back, all documented by FMRI, Sonogram, Ultra sound, and X-rays. He was told by several doctors that he would soon be unable to walk. In 2006, Lulu received in the mail a walker and a cane sent by the United States Veterans Administration (the VA). When he went to see his doctor at the VA, he asked the doctor if he had requested the walking devices to be sent to Lulu. His doctor said yes. Lulu asked him why. “Because soon you will no longer be able to walk on your own power.” His doctor also said, “I notice that you have not filled your pain medication prescriptions. Why? You must be in tremendous pain.” Lulu said, “I have no pain and I walk just fine on my own.” The doctor said, “What are you doing to control the pain and walk normally? Lulu said, “I do Zhineng Qigong every day.”
Lulu began doing Zhineng Qigong in 2003 and found that LQUPQD, “legs and hips” from level 2 and wall squats were especially helpful in restoring full mobility and providing pain relief. Lulu says, “As long as I do these exercises everyday, I’m good to go.” Lulu has helped several people who have come to Kokolulu/HIQI avoid back surgery and have pain relief by teaching them Zhineng Qigong.
On May 6, 2016, Lulu had open-heart surgery at Trippler Army Medical Center in Honolulu. The surgery lasted 9.5 hours. He was told that he died twice during the surgery. There were an additional 14.5 hours of complications after the surgery where the doctors told his wonderful and supportive wife, Karin Cooke, RN, that they did not know if he was going to make it. Before the operations, Lulu sent out Kokolulu’s newsletter asking over 1700 people to send him FA QI (through what ever way they were comfortable with – prayer, etc.). Before the surgery Lulu asked the surgical team to send him FA QI throughout the operation and before they began operating to place their hands on his body with loving thoughts. Lulu began doing LAQI in his mind before and during the surgery and throughout the challenging times after the surgery and in the next few days while recovering. Two weeks after the surgery Lulu left the hospital on his own power and traveled to Oregon and California visiting family. The doctors were amazed how quickly he recovered. Lulu continues to lead a normal life at Kokolulu in Hawaii with a renewed commitment to share the gifts he has learned with others facing chronic illness and pain.
Lulu believes that Zhineng Qigong saved his life and gave him incredible insight into what makes him happy and how to fulfill his life’s purpose.
Karin Cooke, RN and Lew Whitney, M.Ed, who co-founded and operate HIQI and Kokolulu Wellness Center in Hawi, on the Island of Hawaii (AKA The Big Island) began studying qigong together in 1993 and have studied with many masters in China. They travel often to Hainan, China, to study and practice Zhineng Qigong at the Hexianju Centre with the masters there who trained and worked at the Hua Xia Zhineng Qigong Training Center (called the Medicine-less Hospital by Westerners). Zhineng Qigong is the cornerstone, along with the Food As Medicine component, of the program they teach at HIQI/Kokolulu Farm and Wellness Center.