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Thread: A Request For Help

  1. #1
    Super, Duper Moderator Youk Of The Nation's Avatar
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    A Request For Help

    About 7 or 8 months ago, my father was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. It is hereditary. My grandmother and grandfather both had it, my grandmother died from it. Two of my great uncles did as well, along with my great-grandmother and a scattering of my dad's cousins.

    My father is now on oxygen 24-7. He can't stand or walk for more than a couple minutes without breathing becoming basically impossible. He needs a double lung transplant, but we are still going through the frustratingly slow process of applying for the transplant list. We're close, hopefully, but we're still not there yet, and they can't tell us when we will be or even if we have the time to wait.

    In the meantime, he's on a thousand different medications and is constantly going back and forth between East Hartford and a hospital in Boston (Brigham and Women's). They are very, very good, but it still a tremendous strain on him and the family.

    Thankfully, his insurance is covering the medical costs completely, so we do not need to worry about that. The issue is everything else. My father was the only one in his household who worked. My stepmother has a host of physical problems which make it difficult for her to find a decent job, even if she wasn't occupied around the clock with taking care of him. They receive Social Security (or disability, I'm not sure how it works since I'm not an expert on this stuff) payments now that my father can no longer work, and they are also on nutrition assistance. (Which my father hates after having worked his entire life). But those payments don't begin to cover everything.

    My stepsister set up a GoFundMe page to help cover things like rent, food, travel to and from Boston several times a month, utilities, and so forth. We recently had a fundraiser at the local golf course that my father was a player at for 30+ years, and it went well, but it still only covered about a month's worth of expenses.

    The problem is, no one in my family has the kind of social media presence that GFM is meant to take advantage of. Most of them who even have FB only have each other on their friend lists. The GFM has stagnated thanks to that.

    I won't ask anyone to donate money, I know a lot of you have to be as strapped for disposable income as I am. What I am asking is that those of you who have FB and Twitter could repost and forward and otherwise promote the GFM on your various profiles. Most people might ignore it, but the more it gets out, the more people might contribute. 10 people tell 10 people who tell 10 people...and so on. You get the point. If 200 people across the country who happen to be FB friends with people I know just toss in 5 bucks, it would be a huge thing for my dad.

    It's really not easy for me to ask this of anyone, but I've known a lot of you for years. Hell, I've known a couple of you for literally over a decade. If you have no objections to social-media-badgering your drinking buddies and co-workers, I would be grateful beyond measure.

    Thanks.


    https://www.gofundme.com/2p2ppudg?ssid=787978989&pos=1
    Quote Originally Posted by YANKEESRULE View Post
    Yea got hand it to the Sox, they just could not go queitly into the night. Well, they are just post-poning the inevitable.
    - From the 2004 ALCS Game 4 Gamethread. A reminder that no game is over until the final out is recorded, and things will always get better. Misspellings unchanged as a reminder that Yankees fans are just terrible.

  2. #2
    Resident Old Fart Spudboy's Avatar
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    I did what I could Bud.
    "Hating the Yankees like it's a religion since 94'" RIP Mike.


    "It's also a simple and indisputable fact that WAR isn't the be-all end-all in valuations, especially in real life. Wanna know why? Because an ace in run-prevention for 120 innings means more often than not, a sub-standard pitcher covering for the rest of the IP that pitcher fails to provide. You can't see value in a vacuum when a player does not provide full-time production."

  3. #3
    Deity Kimmi's Avatar
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    I don't have a FB or a Twitter account but I will ask some friends if they would mind sharing the link.

    I'm sorry that you and your family are going through this. My best to you and your family.

  4. #4
    Super, Duper Moderator Youk Of The Nation's Avatar
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    Thank you both.
    Quote Originally Posted by YANKEESRULE View Post
    Yea got hand it to the Sox, they just could not go queitly into the night. Well, they are just post-poning the inevitable.
    - From the 2004 ALCS Game 4 Gamethread. A reminder that no game is over until the final out is recorded, and things will always get better. Misspellings unchanged as a reminder that Yankees fans are just terrible.

  5. #5
    Leyenda Thunder's Avatar
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    I gave $35, and might give more after my end of the month bank statement goes through.
    Quote Originally Posted by mvp 78 View Post
    I can't disagree with you

  6. #6
    Super, Duper Moderator Youk Of The Nation's Avatar
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    Thanks Thunder. I might let you know about any local fundraising efforts, maybe you could get the word out in your area.
    Quote Originally Posted by YANKEESRULE View Post
    Yea got hand it to the Sox, they just could not go queitly into the night. Well, they are just post-poning the inevitable.
    - From the 2004 ALCS Game 4 Gamethread. A reminder that no game is over until the final out is recorded, and things will always get better. Misspellings unchanged as a reminder that Yankees fans are just terrible.

  7. #7
    Leyenda Thunder's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Youk Of The Nation View Post
    Thanks Thunder. I might let you know about any local fundraising efforts, maybe you could get the word out in your area.
    Yeah.. I could bring it up at one of my Honor Society meetings. They're always looking for service opportunities.
    Quote Originally Posted by mvp 78 View Post
    I can't disagree with you

  8. #8
    #SurvivingFarrell Station 13's Avatar
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    What electric company does your parents use? If they use National Grid/Everource, they should able to get a 10-25% discount, The electric account must be under his or wife's name.

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