Help Gary Minott's Family
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Gary Minott needs your help because cancer is winning.
A good family friend, and his family, needs everyone's help. The Minott Family is dealing with a very sad situation. Our good friend Gary Minott has been battling throat cancer and the cancer is winning. God will be taking Gary soon. The family needs help with the costs of celebrating his life and the costs of keeping their home for Shalimar and her two Sons, Phillip and Zachary.
The funeral costs alone will be $14,000. This is an immediate need.
Whether his services are in a week, or God willing, in months or even years from now, they still need to make the arrangements and the costs go up dramatically if they wait.
No amount is too small. Every little bit will help.
Please share this link THROUGH FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND EMAIL. The only way to make this happen is to get it out there.
Watching the rapid delcline of Gary's condition has been heart-breaking and humbling. It reminds us of how important the "little things" are.
They are some the most loving and caring people I know and my goal would be to pay off their mortgage so that Shalimar would never have to struggle with keeping their home - after the struggle of losing her husband and the father of her sons.
Watching the rapid delcline of Gary's condition has been heart-breaking and humbling. It reminds us of how important the "little things" are. I've never been so close to anyone's cancer struggle, and trust me when I say that the journey is devestating--both physically and emotionally. Now very thin, unable to speak and dependant on a tracheotomy for breathing and a feeding tube for sustenance, seeing Gary is really hard. It just does not seem fair. However, during this time I have had the privelege to witness some amazing moments.
Although her eyes look weary, and I can see the weight of the situation on her shoulders, Gary's wife continues to wear a smile and offers thanks and hugs to everyone around her.
Gary's wife, Shalimar, has been by his side at every second and has gracefully taken on the impossible role of care-giver. Since Gary has been on Hospice she has taken care of all his medical needs. In her own words, she has become a "pro" at cleaning the blood from his trach so he can breathe (a task that I cannot imagine she ever thought would be a part of their lives). Although her eyes look weary, and I can see the weight of the situation on her shoulders, she continues to wear a smile and offers thanks and hugs to everyone around her. She is there for her two sons every day, and though she surrounded by the inevitable, she still finds beauty in the simple pleasures of spending a day outside with her husband. She told me the other day that she feels blessed.
As for Gary, he surprises me daily with his fight and his commitment to live life as normal as possible. At the end of July, just days after being released from the hospital (admitted due to internal bleeding) the whole family - Gary, Shally, Phillip and Zachary - traveled to Northern California to watch Zachary play in the US Water Polo Junior Olympics. Gary attended all of Zack's games and watched his son lead the team in victory after victory. No doubt this was a special time that his family will remember forever.
The doctor said he would have 2 weeks to live...this is a man who knows how important the little things are.
On August 3, the doctor said he would have 2 weeks to live (which means he is already on borrowed time). This is when he decided to go on Hospice. Since that time I have seen him at least 4 times walking his beloved dogs, Stacey & Jo-Jo, even though he struggles to breathe. Last week I was outside and saw Gary wheeling out his trash cans! Shalimar said he still wanted to do what he could to help out. (I love that!) I began talking to Shalimar about the option of hiring a professional care- giver. She told me that they will not administer medical attention and that they are basically "companions". She said Gary did not want a care-giver. We looked at Gary and he was motioning to the two dogs. Shalimar asked him what he was trying to tell us, and since he could not speak, he wrote this in the dust on the trash can lid, "These are my companions." ...then pointed to his dogs again. This is a man that knows how important the "little things" are.
It is nice to have neighbors that remind you of the good old days...simpler times when we all take care of each other.
Gary and Shalimar have been the kind of neighbors that anyone would be lucky to have. We've never had to worry about asking to borrow jumper cables, or borrowing his bike rack when we go camping. In the busy world that we currently live in, it is nice to have neighbors that remind you of the good old days...simpler times when we all take care of each other.
It's in this time that we need to join together and take care of them. Please contribute!
Funeral costs alone are over $14,000.
Remember that life is short. Make every moment count!
Gary has not worked since November and Shalimar has used all her disability benefits from her job, but still stays home to care for him.
I am still praying hard for a miraculous healing, but maybe his miracle will come in the form of financial help for his family. Let's all take part that.
(This picture was taken in March - post surgury and with a clean bill of health. Only 5 months ago. Remember that life is short. Make every moment count!)
Mahalo to all the Ohana!
Thank you for your help.
A good family friend, and his family, needs everyone's help. The Minott Family is dealing with a very sad situation. Our good friend Gary Minott has been battling throat cancer and the cancer is winning. God will be taking Gary soon. The family needs help with the costs of celebrating his life and the costs of keeping their home for Shalimar and her two Sons, Phillip and Zachary.
The funeral costs alone will be $14,000. This is an immediate need.
Whether his services are in a week, or God willing, in months or even years from now, they still need to make the arrangements and the costs go up dramatically if they wait.
No amount is too small. Every little bit will help.
Please share this link THROUGH FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND EMAIL. The only way to make this happen is to get it out there.
Watching the rapid delcline of Gary's condition has been heart-breaking and humbling. It reminds us of how important the "little things" are.
They are some the most loving and caring people I know and my goal would be to pay off their mortgage so that Shalimar would never have to struggle with keeping their home - after the struggle of losing her husband and the father of her sons.
Watching the rapid delcline of Gary's condition has been heart-breaking and humbling. It reminds us of how important the "little things" are. I've never been so close to anyone's cancer struggle, and trust me when I say that the journey is devestating--both physically and emotionally. Now very thin, unable to speak and dependant on a tracheotomy for breathing and a feeding tube for sustenance, seeing Gary is really hard. It just does not seem fair. However, during this time I have had the privelege to witness some amazing moments.
Although her eyes look weary, and I can see the weight of the situation on her shoulders, Gary's wife continues to wear a smile and offers thanks and hugs to everyone around her.
Gary's wife, Shalimar, has been by his side at every second and has gracefully taken on the impossible role of care-giver. Since Gary has been on Hospice she has taken care of all his medical needs. In her own words, she has become a "pro" at cleaning the blood from his trach so he can breathe (a task that I cannot imagine she ever thought would be a part of their lives). Although her eyes look weary, and I can see the weight of the situation on her shoulders, she continues to wear a smile and offers thanks and hugs to everyone around her. She is there for her two sons every day, and though she surrounded by the inevitable, she still finds beauty in the simple pleasures of spending a day outside with her husband. She told me the other day that she feels blessed.
As for Gary, he surprises me daily with his fight and his commitment to live life as normal as possible. At the end of July, just days after being released from the hospital (admitted due to internal bleeding) the whole family - Gary, Shally, Phillip and Zachary - traveled to Northern California to watch Zachary play in the US Water Polo Junior Olympics. Gary attended all of Zack's games and watched his son lead the team in victory after victory. No doubt this was a special time that his family will remember forever.
The doctor said he would have 2 weeks to live...this is a man who knows how important the little things are.
On August 3, the doctor said he would have 2 weeks to live (which means he is already on borrowed time). This is when he decided to go on Hospice. Since that time I have seen him at least 4 times walking his beloved dogs, Stacey & Jo-Jo, even though he struggles to breathe. Last week I was outside and saw Gary wheeling out his trash cans! Shalimar said he still wanted to do what he could to help out. (I love that!) I began talking to Shalimar about the option of hiring a professional care- giver. She told me that they will not administer medical attention and that they are basically "companions". She said Gary did not want a care-giver. We looked at Gary and he was motioning to the two dogs. Shalimar asked him what he was trying to tell us, and since he could not speak, he wrote this in the dust on the trash can lid, "These are my companions." ...then pointed to his dogs again. This is a man that knows how important the "little things" are.
It is nice to have neighbors that remind you of the good old days...simpler times when we all take care of each other.
Gary and Shalimar have been the kind of neighbors that anyone would be lucky to have. We've never had to worry about asking to borrow jumper cables, or borrowing his bike rack when we go camping. In the busy world that we currently live in, it is nice to have neighbors that remind you of the good old days...simpler times when we all take care of each other.
It's in this time that we need to join together and take care of them. Please contribute!
Funeral costs alone are over $14,000.
Remember that life is short. Make every moment count!
Gary has not worked since November and Shalimar has used all her disability benefits from her job, but still stays home to care for him.
I am still praying hard for a miraculous healing, but maybe his miracle will come in the form of financial help for his family. Let's all take part that.
(This picture was taken in March - post surgury and with a clean bill of health. Only 5 months ago. Remember that life is short. Make every moment count!)
Mahalo to all the Ohana!
Thank you for your help.
Organizer
Margaret Bird Spradley
Organizer
La Palma, CA
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