My name is Rachael Beal, and I am organizing this fundraiser for my dear friend Larry Wood, age 79, living in Greenville, Texas. On December 22nd, Larry’s life was shattered by a sudden and senseless act of violence at his home that took the life of his son, Davidson Lee Wood, and left Larry seriously injured. After a short stay in the ICU, he is now in the hospital’s rehabilitation unit. Because the hospital requires a security code for updates and I am not immediate family, I have not been able to speak with Larry directly or confirm a release date, but I have been told he is talking clearly and looks better than doctors initially expected. Praise the Lord for that.

I had spoken with Larry earlier that same afternoon, just a short time before the 911 call was made Monday evening. It still feels like a bad dream and almost impossible to believe. We were talking, checking in as we often did, this time about finding a different job or some ways he could make a little extra money on the side—neither of us could have imagined that his life would change so completely before the day was over.

I grew up with Davidson in Allen, Texas. We met at Allen High School when he sat behind me in Mrs. Allen’s World Geography class, and I later lived with his family, who treated me like one of their own from day one. Larry has been a second father to me ever since; keeping in touch after I moved away for some time, and attending my wedding in 2013, years after returning home. They have always been generous, funny, and fiercely loyal people who never hesitated to help anyone else. Seeing what Larry is going through now is absolutely heartbreaking and one of the most difficult things I have ever witnessed.

Larry has spent his entire life working hard and taking care of others. Even at 79, when he should have been retired long ago, he kept working. He held a steady day‑shift security position with the Collin County misdemeanor courts for nearly a decade until the COVID shutdown. Since then he has been working rotating 12‑hour shifts as a security officer at different locations in North Texas. Sadly, this has all been 1099 work with no retirement plan, no 401(k), and no real safety net.

Larry became a first‑time homeowner only 16 months ago, after a lifetime of renting, and it has been one problem after another. I think it qualifies as a "money-pit." Soon after moving in, he began having serious plumbing issues. One plumber charged him around $400 and did nothing to solve the problem, and another used a camera to inspect the old lines and told him it would be about $10,000 to replace the original 1940s piping, but charged him nothing. His first winter there, he discovered the furnace needed to be replaced and went without proper heat, relying on a small electric heater in his bedroom. By summer, he learned the air conditioner also needed replacement, and spring rains revealed that roof flashing on a newer addition had been installed incorrectly, allowing water to get in.

On top of all that, he is now behind on his mortgage after suffering losses from fraudulent transactions on his mortgage account, where payments he had already made were reversed through no fault of his own. With no savings, no retirement, and constant unexpected expenses, every setback has hit him hard.

Larry is a gentle, humble man—sometimes a little grumpy, as we all can be—but anyone who knows him will tell you his heart is generous and his faith unwavering. He is a proud U.S. Army veteran who served during the Vietnam War, a devoted Christian, and a born‑again believer who has always leaned on Jesus Christ in times of hardship. With the job change his very active church life has had to take a back seat to life, which I was saddened to hear. He has given much of his life to work, service, and his community, and now he needs that same compassion returned to him. He is facing a long rehabilitation process, ongoing medical needs, and the challenge of rebuilding his life from the ground up while grieving the loss of his son.

This fundraiser is to help Larry with:

>Rehabilitation and medical recovery costs not fully covered by insurance, including therapy and follow‑up care

>Basic living expenses such as food, utilities, and essentials while he is unable to work

>Housing stability, whether that means catching up on mortgage payments or helping him relocate to a safer, more manageable home

>Transportation needs, including a working vehicle so he can attend medical appointments and meet his day‑to‑day needs

>Really just about anything you could think of that he needs to live

Communication with the hospital and family has been challenging, but I am doing everything I can to ensure Larry gets the care and support he deserves. I will continue posting updates here about his rehab progress, his living situation, and how your generosity is directly helping him rebuild.

At a time when most people would be resting in retirement, Larry—a veteran, a father, and a man of deep faith—is fighting to heal and start over. Your kindness, whether through a donation or by sharing his story, will make a real difference.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for standing with Larry during this devastating time.

(Organized by Rachael Beal — lifelong friend of the Wood family and former classmate of Davidson Lee Wood.)