Hi! I’m Ashley. I’d like to talk to you about Larry Pankey, my brother-in-law. He and my sister, Katrina, need some help - even though they are not the kind of people to ask for it - so I offered to tell their story.

TLDR: Larry is currently recovering from back surgery. He’s been having mobility issues and for his own safety (and to help with his recovery), he has to be able to live on one floor in an accessible home. If you’ve never been to their house, the only full bath is on the second floor and that has a claw foot tub. Obviously, some changes need to be made, but home renovations aren’t cheap – especially when you’ve been out of work for surgery and rehab. Our family has been helping as much as we can over the years, but this latest event has happened so suddenly that we need help. I truly hope that as a community we can all give a little and get this done for them.

Here’s what absolutely must be done as soon as possible:

We’ve received quotes for this work and the total is approximately $10,500.

I know some people like to keep it short and sweet, but I have so much more to say about all of this, and I would like to share it with you if you are interested.

You may already know that Larry is one of the most loyal people you will ever meet, with the most amazing smile and a kind heart that he extends to help or defend anyone he sees in need. He has worked in public service for more than 20 years, moving into a leadership role and giving his best to those around him. One of his favorite things about his job is getting to mentor his coworkers and he takes great pride in earning their respect and becoming a part of their lives and development. At home, he is a loving dad and supports all 5 of his kids and 2 grandkids with every fiber of his being. He has even opened his giant heart up to a (massive) cat - though he swears he is a dog person.

About 10 years ago, Larry had a kidney transplant. He has never been the kind of patient who was easy to diagnose or who responded to medication the way you might expect. Nearly all of those outlying medication side effects seem to be a description of how he is going to react. It is a blessing to receive a transplanted organ, but it does not mean that it is always easy to maintain. Knowing this, Larry started looking to his retirement and providing for his needs with this remodel project. The half bath that he used to use downstairs was too small for his 6’4” self and when he had a medical complication years ago, he fell in there. Not only did he hurt himself, the bathroom became totally unsafe and unuseable. That might seem extreme to people who don’t have chronic health issues, but it is something you learn to take in stride when you are living through it.

Larry and Katrina started planning, but every time they made headway on this project, some other health crisis would come up and take Larry out of work for a length of time. Just last year he was out of work for 7 months because his medications changed and he was having severe side effects that were so abnormal that the doctors took that long to track down the cause of the issues and get him back to work.

I say all of this to give a tiny insight into what he goes through all the time, but still smiles through. He doesn’t say it often, but I know it really bothers him that he can’t provide the things he and his family need because of his recurring health issues.

Right now they are dealing with his back issues, and of course being post transplant means that his risk is always higher and his available medical treatments are limited. For instance, there are very specific pain medications that he can take so he doesn’t damage that awesome kidney that he takes care of. This also means that recovery will take longer and must be approached carefully.

The back issues he has been living with for years became serious in February of this year when he slipped on the ice on a sunny day after just enough of a melt and refreeze. The worst kind of February day, really. That fall caused his discs to compress on his nerves which made it difficult (and occasionally impossible) to walk. This is so severe that there were days that he couldn’t tell whether he needed to use the restroom or not. No amount of physical therapy or massage could fix the situation so he finally had surgery April 28th and has been recovering slowly since.

Being able to make these changes to their living space will make such a huge difference for Larry, and also for Katrina. It will remove worry about navigating a flight of 100+ year old stairs multiple times a day. It will also mean he won’t have to climb into a claw foot tub to shower, which provides a significant amount of independence. My sister is 5’4”, she is capable of many superhuman feats, but lifting Larry if he falls is not one of them.

I know $10,500 is a huge ask, but the good it could do is incalculable. Every dollar is a precious gift and if people’s generosity can reach that high and even exceed it, you may wish to know where any extra money would go. Know the additional funds would go to three things:

Thank you all so much for your time reading, your thoughts, and if you should be able to do so, your donation. Truly, thank you.

PS – there is a Tip option when you make a donation, the tip is to help support the operating costs of GoFundMe, the tip is not funds for Larry and Katrina. And one last time, thank you.