THT1106

My mother used to tell me, among many other things, "Erin, you'll never get help when you need it, unless you ask for it." And then she'd go through life being completely independent of anyone else. She never asked for help or relied on any other person to do things for her. She was strong, and kids, well, we learn by example don't we?

I grew up always wanting to accomplish everything on my own, prove myself to be as strong and independent and dependable as she was. So I've spent years never asking for help, feeling like I was weak if I ever needed someone for anything. Well, right now I'm going to ask you all for help, and I refuse to even indulge my tendency to be apologetic or ashamed while I do it. Not so hard really, because I'm not asking for myself, I'm asking for my brother in law.

He became a first-time homeowner in March/April, a new Daddy in June, and a cancer patient in July. He went from the captain of the local fire squad and a full time employee of a mattress factory, to a full time Leukemia patient undergoing chemotherapy in a matter of a week. His family is struggling just to keep the bills paid and food on the table - and that's without taking into consideration all the treatments, travel and life-saving medications that his insurance either doesn't pay for at all, or only pays a portion of. Just one of those medications alone, an experimental drug that his insurance won't pay for, costs $400 a month, and may be the one drug that gives him the chance at surviving long enough to get a stem cell transplant (the modern version of the bone marrow transplant) that is the only thing that might guarantee his remission.

So what I'm asking is that you please please take a minute to use the donation button there on the right, and contribute whatever you can to help them out. Help me help them pay for that medication he so desperately needs.