Help Rick say goodbye and spread God's word.#2

(Please Note a Few Changes I've Made, I've Started my Trip in Texas First and Have run into some Unexpected Expenses. Any Help will get me Closer to Seeing you all that I Love so much. Some have mentioned it may be weird to do what I'm doing, because we all die. Well I'm considering this a blessing from God because I would have given anything to see my mother before she died but wasn't given that opportunity and so since I do know my approximate time line, I'm making sure I get to see everyone I've been missing for so many years. It's already hard saying goodbye but I'll tell you it's such a great feeling knowing I've been able to be part of so many others lives and God gives us what we need even if it doesn't appear to make sense, he's never wrong about what's best for me I promise.. 

Also it looks like I'm on pot or something in this picture, not the case, I've been looking a little rough these days, losing weight, and pale and I have more days of feeling sick like than I have good days.  I get terrible headaches, lose my vision sporadically but very short bursts,and I'm always finding myself gazing off and forgetting what I'm doing a lot.Idint like it and I tell myself it's because I'm getting older not because I have a degenerative brain disease. I also cut my finger pretty bad to the bone and actually cut a piece of the bone off, I'm getting bills that are cutting into the donation fund also.if you can please help financially I'd be so grateful,  I have started this and need to complete this so I can feel like I accomplished something I set out to do.Im trying to remain positive and I have such a n amazing friend with me , or actually I should say I'm with her as I have put everything in her life unexpectedly.  It's the friends and friendships I've made like this that have kept me going actually.  Thanks so much Rachelle you are definitely a selfless caring human and I'm just happy to know you.. Anything helps friends so please if you can donate please do.... Love Rick

6/11/2023

Hello Dear friends, family, and anyone else that may come across this,

It's with a very heavy heart and God's grace that I'm writing this. I am 46 years old and am asking for all of your help so I can visit a few of my remaining family and friends and spread God's word as I slowly count down my remaining days. I have been diagnosed with CJD, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. CJD is a human prion disease. It is a neurodegenerative disorder with characteristic clinical and diagnostic features. This disease is rapidly progressive and always fatal. Infection with this disease leads to death usually within 1 year of onset of illness. 

I have started to experience the symptoms and it's going to be a rough time for sure. I am asking everyone for prayer and if you can help with money I would really like to visit as many of my friends and family as I can before things get to where I don't remember you guys and can't move from a wheelchair. Basically the disease is destroying my brain and I'll suffer dementia, hallucinate and lose all motor skills in the next few months I'm told. This disease is not contagious by touch or contact or anything, but by contacting any brain tissue you could be in contact so hopefully nobody does surgery on me while visiting.. I want nothing more than to see you all but I can't afford to do much these day's.

I do still try to work when it's available but it's not consistent and some days are worse than others for me and this disease. I would like to get the financial help to be able to see my dad ,step mother, brother and sister all who I haven't seen in almost 20 years. I'd also like to hopefully visit some life long friends that I've kept in touch with throughout the years like Matt and Beth Cake, Zach Lancaster, Jason Jodiin, Rob Hutchinson, Allison Green, the Whole Mohr family, Jacqueline Daniel's and family, Rachelle Holman and family, Angel Ramirez, Megan Sexton, Jewuan Marshall and family, and many more. I'd especially like to Visit my Uncle Oly and Molly Strombrrg. Oly has been the most influential and caring loving man in my life and I owe him so much for his guidance and wisdom and love and care through the most trying times in my life no matter how stupid or screwed up I was. 

Luckily most of these people live in Minnesota and fairly close to one another. I have a few other people I would like to say goodbye to in Brooklyn New York, like my first pastor Vito at Resurrection Presbyterian in Brooklyn and all of the friends I've met there. My last stop would be in Salem Massachusetts to see Tabitha Gauthier and Aliyah as well as a very inspiring Pastor Matt at Great Rock Church in Danvers, Massachusetts. Any financial aid I receive will go to Transportation and a hotel and food to say my goodbyes to all I can in the short time I have and hopefullyspread Gods message to at least one person. So many people have been so positive and inspiring in my life and I want to thank you all for the role you played in our friendship and my life. Friends I'd be lying if I said I wasn't terrified, confused, Mad and feeling like I wasted so much of the life God gave me. I'm trying my best to keep the glass half full not half empty but it's definitely not that easy, but I know God has great things planned for me and he won't allow me to suffer and he has a purpose and reason for everything.. My biggest regret is that I don't think I lived up to my potential and am leaving without actually contributing anything real to the world, but this can be my purpose if I can just spread God's word to at least one more person then maybe I can sleep a little easier. We don't really get to choose our time here but with faith in God our time here is only a fraction of our eternal lives in Heaven. So please pray everyday because nothing else actually matters friends nothing of this material world comes close to our lives with God.Thank you so much for reading this and please if you can help it would be greatly appreciated..I love you all and I'm sorry I missed many people, I will hopefully be able to at least call some of you. 

Love Rick Townsend Jr.