Hi, my name is Melissa, and I am fundraising to help my parents with my dad's final expenses. My dad is a fully disabled veteran, and my mom is legally blind. My siblings and I help as much as we are able, but the final expenses for my dad are going to be a challenge. My dad has been in liver and kidney failure for some time and is also suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. Due to his age and multiple systemic organ failure, he was not a candidate for organ transplant. He took a turn for the worse last week and will be at peace soon. About Mel... My dad served in the Army during the Vietnam War He was in the special forces, 9th Division (long-range reconnaissance patrol). He was there for one month and eighteen days before being wounded in combat. He was shot multiple times in the chest and sustained shrapnel injuries in his legs and feet. He was the recipient of several medals including the National Defense Service Medal and the Purple Heart, among others. I wish I could tell more about his service, but he never liked to talk about it much, and I never pressed him for details. Like many of our veterans, my dad suffered from severe PTSD. For about five years before his health declined, he found purpose volunteering with Tomorrow's Hope. He was a PTSD counselor and worked with other veterans and with those suffering from anxiety and/or addiction. In addition, he also was a certified peer specialist working with Peer Star, mentoring veterans who struggled with addiction. My dad was truly one of the coolest people I've ever known, and in many ways was a true renaissance man. He lived his life to the fullest and never failed to learn something new at every step along the way. As one of his five children, I can guarantee you that you could ask each of us what our dad liked best, and you'd get a different answer from us all. It isn't that we don't know our dad. Our dad knew each of us well enough to know what spoke to us, what would resonate with us, and then built upon that, sharing his knowledge, hobbies, and interests -- everything from rock music and shooting pool to movies and restaurants, to hunting and fishing, and so many other things in between. He had a wicked sense of humor and sharp wit. He was a loving husband, father, son, brother, uncle, and best friend. The world will be less bright without him. Any funds received will help to pay for my dad's memorial and cremation services. Any leftover funds will be used to help my mom with living expenses since her benefits as a widow will be greatly reduced.
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