Pat Richardson Needs Your Support

Dear Friends;

Thank you for visiting this site. My name is Paul Fennell, Nancy Richardson's brother. I have created this page because Pat and Nancy need our help. Nancy has shared the following information with many close friends and family but a lot of people may not know what\'s been going on with Pat so I created this web page to share it with you and ask for your support.

Pat, as you may or may not know, struggles with grave health concerns. Pat was diagnosed with a form of Leukemia called Myelodysplasia (MDS) in 2000 and to this day is still fighting an ever increasingly difficult battle. MDS essentially is a malfunction of the bone marrow; the material in the hollow centre of the bones, which produces and refreshes the various cells which make up the blood. It does not stop production altogether but gradually produces less cells and those cells don't properly mature and so are unable to carry out their normal function. Gradually you lose the benefits which each type of missing cell brings. Nearly 30% of sufferers are between ages 60-70 and nearly 60% between 70 "“ 80 years. Pat was diagnosed at 40.

Due to unfortunate circumstances Pat has been unemployed since January of this year. In the hopes to improve his quality of life, a form of chemotherapy commenced making re-employment practically impossible "“ sadly the chemotherapy was unsuccessful. He continues to have his blood transfusions every 2 weeks or so but on July 20th, he will be undergoing what we hope will be a lifesaving bone marrow transplant. He will require 24x7 care and will not be able to go out in public for about 6-12 months. They do not have any private insurance and government disability insurance may not be available for 12-16 weeks. Even with Nancy's income and their children's assistance it is barely enough to cover their monthly medical, transportation and living expenses. If the transplant is successful he, in all likelihood, will not be able to work for close to a year.

This is why I am asking for your support on their behalf. I am asking for donations to help out during this time. We know times are tough for everybody but if you can spare any amount it would be greatly appreciated. And if you can\'t afford it, we totally understand, but please share the link to this site with as many people as you can. ANY amount would be appreciated....they are taking everything day by day.....this financial help will be a weight lifted off their shoulders and will allow them to focus on Pat's recovery at this critical time. If everyone pitched in to donate, it would all add up to make a huge difference for their family, which is struggling even now. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

All my thanks, Paul.