We've already seen what the members of this site can do to help others. There were members like the late Oscar Garcia (oscarug) and more recently, the late Josh Byrone (ChipDouglas510) who was not only a member, but a former part of our staff. Anyone that knows Pat, knows that he is always thinking of others first. Pat started a GoFundMe page for his brother, which has already raised $1,000 of the $15,000 goal. He and his brother's family are going through a tough situation, which is explained below.
Hello, I've started this campaign on behalf of my older brother Rob (36) and his family. He was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) back in October and has been unable to work since. He was immediately admitted to the hospital and began chemotherapy treatment within 48 hours of the diagnosis. Before he even had the chance to ask me, I knew that I was going to be tested to be his bone marrow donor and do whatever was needed if I was a match. After several weeks of waiting, we found out that not only was I a match, but I was considered a perfect match, which according the doctors is extremely rare!
After a few delays due to health insurance and some additional testing on me, we finally had the bone marrow transplant on March 23. Currently, he is doing well and the prognosis is good, although the road to recovery is a long process. While they do receive some financial assistance, it isn't nearly enough to cover bills and expenses with three young boys ages 10 and under.
My brother is often too proud to ask for help when he needs it, so after some careful thought, I decided to create this campaign. I'm hoping that this will help to ease any financial difficulties and stress due to the circumstances. Growing up, he was always there to support and encourage me and now I want to return the favor!
I've already contributed to the fundraiser. If you cannot donate, simply sharing the GoFundMe page on social media might help or, in the very least, spread awareness. If you can't do either, maybe simply praying for his family or leaving some kind words would help.
As always, this GoFundMe is not officially sponsored by this site or any of its partners. I just wanted to share the information because I knew Pat wouldn't.
Moderators, I would ask that you would keep this thread in Niner Talk (for more visibility) for at least the weekend. Then it can be moved wherever appropriate.
