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| Larry, Pat and me - May 24, 2017 - Larry's down for his annual birthday Old Time Photo shot - notice he's using a cane now |
This morning I was talking to my longtime friend Larry on FaceTime. Larry was diagnosed with ALS last December.
I've known Larry since third grade. That for you folks who haven't regularly followed by blog is a LONG TIME ago, sixty-six years to be exact.
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| Our annual Old Time Cowboy photo shoot - May 27, 2017 |
Like me, Larry is retired and living on a fixed income of Social Security and a modest pension from the bank where he toiled away for so many years. Like I said, like me. Perhaps the only difference is that I work part-time at a local hotel to try and keep up with my bills and go on the occasional holiday with my good friend Pat from Toronto.
Larry has always lived on a tight budget but now with increasing medical bills due to his ALS health care, he is losing ground. The bills are starting to pile up. I suggested to him to start one of those Go Fund accounts. I could tell by his reaction he wasn't real keen on asking for help. And I have to say, I don't blame him. I don't like asking for help either. But sometimes one doesn't have much of a choice.
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| Me and Larry with our third grade school teacher Miss Ezra in 2005 - Larry and I met in her class in 1951 |
I remember a few periods of my life when I was flying low, I asked my Mother for help and she provided it, thus keeping me from crashing to the ground. Of course I always paid her back as I paid back my brother Isaac when I had no money to move to Pittsburgh when I got out of the Army in 1963. I paid him back that $250 also.
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| Miss Ezrah's third grade class - 1951 - Larry is standing in front of Miss Ezra one in next to the blonde girl. I am standing to the far right next to the girl with the pigtails. I still remember her name, Peggy West! |
I don't know if Larry has ever asked anyone to help him out with money. It's not in his nature just as it isn't for most of us.
After my conversation with Larry this morning I got to thinking if I could, as a friend, set up a Go Fund Me account for him. I checked and viola! I can. So I did. Click HERE to go to the link.
Now I realize most of my blog followers don't know Larry except maybe you have read some of his occasional comments on my blog. And over the years I have written about our friendship. However, I do ask that if any of you are so inclined to help Larry, you can click on his Go Fund Me link and leave a small donation. Even if the donation is $10.00, that helps if there are many who donate $10.00
Yes, I am soliciting for funds. I still don't feel totally comfortable using my blog to solicit funds but this time it is for a good cause. Larry will pass on as we all will. Unfortunately for Larry, his passing will be slow and agonizing. If there is anyway I can ease that passing for my longtime friend, I will.
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| Larry now August 12 2017 on FaceTime |
Thank you all.
