In 2020, I shared it was not all about COVID for our family. With great shock and grief, we learned that my brother-in-law, Patrick DeGeorge, has ALS… also known as the fatal Lou Gehrig’s Disease. There is no cure and not very many treatments that can guarantee more than a few more months to live. Sarah, Pat, and the girls now needed to learn how to live a new “normal.”

Hearts. Stopped.

It’s now 2022. Mr. Pat is still in good spirits though he says his “body is used up and slowly losing everything I used to be able to do. I never thought I would miss the feeling of splitting wood and digging holes, yet here I am, dreaming of spade shovels and splitting mauls.'' With Pat losing quite a bit of ability to care for himself, he and Sarah felt uncomfortable with him being home alone while the girls are at school and Sarah at work all day. Based on the belief that Pat’s monthly insurance payments would be enough to cover the loss in income and the increase in monthly expenses, they had an opportunity.

Both decided that Sarah would stay home and be Patrick's full-time caregiver for the year: “Not everyone has the ability to be a caretaker; it is a hard job that, in most cases, pays little to nothing, so I'm going to soak up as much of this time as I can. So glad that I get to be here for my family.”

But wait. A few weeks later, Sarah gets a call from her husband’s disability insurance company: “Sorry. Looks like we’ve been overpaying you this past year, and the correct monthly amount will be less… oh, and you’ll need to pay back $37K.”

Hearts. Stopped. Again.

A few days later, still devastated by the news and what to do next, the DeGeorge family decides to head out for one more family dinner before scaling way back on whatever they can to save funds. Before making it to the restaurant, their handicap van transmission quits. Queue a semi-wrecker tow truck to get the van home and find that it’s a suspected torque converter.

Hearts. Stopped… yet again. (Don’t cry, Jenn)

Now, this is just a high-level view. Could you ever imagine the little details and heart-wrenching emotions they have to work through to continue supporting their family? I can’t. They would never ask for such support, but when you find your tribe, you love them hard and do what you can to help care for them... as they have done for you.

You know them. Sarah and Pat have done so much for many. It’s our turn to take care of them and the girls.

Any funds raised will go towards caring for this incredible family - fixing their primary vehicle, monthly bills, Pat’s medical premium, possibly a lawyer to correct the mistake the insurance company made… and whatever else they’ll need.