Over the past several years, my father — Wayne McManners, the one and only Bubba Wayne — has been living with Parkinson’s. It’s been a journey, though not much of an adventure… which truly sucks, because my dad has always excelled at adventure. Over the past year, his struggle has become harder. His mobility is more limited, his voice more strained, and his spirit has taken a hit too. After multiple stints of physical therapy and respite care, Dad has made one thing clear: he just wants to come home. And we want to make that happen for him. His care to this point has required a tremendous emotional and financial investment, and we are now hoping to raise some funds — or “folding money,” as my dad would say — to get him safely set up and comfortable at home.

Anything raised will go towards:

• In-home caregiving support

• Trained caregivers to assist with daily personal care (2-3 x a day)

• Help with bathing, hygiene, dressing, etc.

• Support with safe transfers & mobility

• Ensuring his comfort, safety, & dignity at all times

• Physical assistance we cannot provide ourselves

• My mom & I are unable to safely lift or move him on our own

• Extra hands are essential to prevent injury to him & to us

• Light housekeeping related to his care

• Cleaning & maintaining a safe, sanitary environment

• Laundry related to bedding & personal care needs

• Care coordination & scheduling

• Ensuring consistent coverage

• Allowing us to manage visits, routines, & rest periods smoothly

With this support in place, we will be able to focus our energy on what truly matters right now: spending as much meaningful time with him as possible and helping him stay connected with friends, preparing him nourishing and comforting meals, enjoying music, movies, and conversation, and creating a peaceful and loving environment at home.

So many of his friends have asked if there’s anything they can do to help. If you’re one of them, this is one way. Donating to this campaign would help us make his return home possible sooner than we could on our own. Beyond that, what we want most for him right now is connection and reflection. We would love for his friends to send along songs that bring Bubba Wayne to mind. And we would love for you to call him. His voice is weak, so you may not be able to hear him very well — but he can hear you, and he needs to. Please ring him up, share your stories, and make him laugh. Mom and I have been sitting with him and going through his messages more regularly, and it truly lights him up.