Give Hope to Patricia and Ron in Their Time of Need

My name is Amy Canaday, formerly Carr, and I am raising money for Patricia Ryden and Ron Baumgardner of Galesburg, Illinois. I met Patricia in 1986 when we worked together at the Marigold Nursing Home with my mom, Elaine Carr. Over the years, we became close friends and Patricia even stood up in my double wedding with my twin sister. Patricia has become part of my family, and so has Ron.

Patricia is facing a devastating battle against small-cell lung cancer. This is an aggressive form of lung cancer that metastasizes quickly. Patricia's cancer was found so late that one lung is entirely blocked and has now collapsed. She is now at St. Francis ICU in Peoria, Illinois, where she is undergoing treatments to try to give her more time with her family.

This family has been through a rough three years from losing Ron's father, their son Josh, and Patty's sister. Life did not stop for the family as they continued to face hardships. Ron was in and out of the hospital and has had to temporarily close his business, E & I Audio of Galesburg.

Due to all of these setbacks, the family has depleted their entire savings on hospital bills and has fallen behind financially in more ways than one. Any amount of help would be a blessing for this family so they can continue to focus on being together and staying strong for Patty.