Help Save a Life, Community Icon Sgt. Rick Leach
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Retired Sgt. Rick Leach needs our help! We never would have thought we would be here right now, especially asking the community for help when Rick is always the strong one and the one helping everyone else. Sadly Rick has been diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis and is requiring a double lung transplant to save his life. He is under the care of Duke Hospital, currently home and trying to gain a spot on the transplant list. Due to the substantial cost of the surgery, lifelong medications, and medical expenses, fund raising efforts are required in order for him to attain placement on the transplant list.
Rick is a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, community servant, and a family man. He has always been such a strong, healthy, loving, kind, caring, thoughtful, and extremely outgoing person who would do anything for anyone! Rick has never known a stranger. You never see Rick without a big smile on his face. He is such a heartwarming compassionate man and I am so incredibly proud to call him my husband!
Rick smiles and acknowledges everyone he comes into contact with. He has been a tremendously active pillar of the community. He served in the community as a Sergeant of the School Resource Team, with the Holly Springs Police Department for many years, and just retired 2 1/2 years ago after 25 years of service with the police department. Rick was raised one of twelve siblings, and grew up on a farm in the Holly Springs area. He grew up knowing how to work hard, but more importantly how to treat people. As the Sergeant over the School Resource Team, Rick took the time to visit every school and spend time with children and families in the community. He would stop by to sit and have lunch with Elementary School students, or stop by the High School to hello to a student who he promised he would stop by to see. Rick would run by the Middle School to participate in gym class with students. He even coached a basketball team. He was very active in the lives of everyone in the community. It was not uncommon for Rick to tell me as he was driving around in his patrol vehicle that someone he knew was outside in the yard so he is going to stop by and check on them, and say hello. Rick and I attended numerous after school games, plays, and even High School Proms. He always had a hard time saying goodbye and seeing his students off but would not want to miss it for anything in the world! To Rick, the students were his kids.
Family is incredibly important to him. Rick always says, "He is spending time and making memories!" Family time is very special, and we have a very large family! He adores and loves spending time with the grandbabies and always finding new adventures. Whether it is teaching our grandson Kylan or Jaiden how to fish, or riding go-carts with our granddaughter, Faith and her little sister Grace tagging along. Rick is so proud of his children, too but he is a proud man himself and doesn't express it a lot. We have two grown sons and a daughter, my step-children but I love them just as much!
Rick proposed to me at his retirement ceremony and we have only been married one year and nine months. It is especially hard for me to see Rick going through this but we are going through this together and we are going to fight every step of the way! We are trying to maintain a positive outlook on everything and talk positivity into existence! We are praying hard that Rick gains his spot on the transplant list, that he has the best possible match, has a smooth and successful surgery with no complications and no rejection, and we pray that we can continue to have a very long, happy, healthy life together because we have really only just begun!
The overwhelming support we are already starting to receive through social media posts, texts, phone calls, emails, and prayers are truly deeply, and sincerely appreciated!! We know this is only just the beginning and there is going to be a very long road ahead but we are so incredibly grateful for your support and donations!! Please continue to pray for Rick, we will need all the prayers we can get now and as we go through this long process.
Thank you, and you are all in our prayers too!! We appreciate you, and God bless each and every one of you!!!
Rick and Jann Leach
Rick is a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, community servant, and a family man. He has always been such a strong, healthy, loving, kind, caring, thoughtful, and extremely outgoing person who would do anything for anyone! Rick has never known a stranger. You never see Rick without a big smile on his face. He is such a heartwarming compassionate man and I am so incredibly proud to call him my husband!
Rick smiles and acknowledges everyone he comes into contact with. He has been a tremendously active pillar of the community. He served in the community as a Sergeant of the School Resource Team, with the Holly Springs Police Department for many years, and just retired 2 1/2 years ago after 25 years of service with the police department. Rick was raised one of twelve siblings, and grew up on a farm in the Holly Springs area. He grew up knowing how to work hard, but more importantly how to treat people. As the Sergeant over the School Resource Team, Rick took the time to visit every school and spend time with children and families in the community. He would stop by to sit and have lunch with Elementary School students, or stop by the High School to hello to a student who he promised he would stop by to see. Rick would run by the Middle School to participate in gym class with students. He even coached a basketball team. He was very active in the lives of everyone in the community. It was not uncommon for Rick to tell me as he was driving around in his patrol vehicle that someone he knew was outside in the yard so he is going to stop by and check on them, and say hello. Rick and I attended numerous after school games, plays, and even High School Proms. He always had a hard time saying goodbye and seeing his students off but would not want to miss it for anything in the world! To Rick, the students were his kids.
Family is incredibly important to him. Rick always says, "He is spending time and making memories!" Family time is very special, and we have a very large family! He adores and loves spending time with the grandbabies and always finding new adventures. Whether it is teaching our grandson Kylan or Jaiden how to fish, or riding go-carts with our granddaughter, Faith and her little sister Grace tagging along. Rick is so proud of his children, too but he is a proud man himself and doesn't express it a lot. We have two grown sons and a daughter, my step-children but I love them just as much!
Rick proposed to me at his retirement ceremony and we have only been married one year and nine months. It is especially hard for me to see Rick going through this but we are going through this together and we are going to fight every step of the way! We are trying to maintain a positive outlook on everything and talk positivity into existence! We are praying hard that Rick gains his spot on the transplant list, that he has the best possible match, has a smooth and successful surgery with no complications and no rejection, and we pray that we can continue to have a very long, happy, healthy life together because we have really only just begun!
The overwhelming support we are already starting to receive through social media posts, texts, phone calls, emails, and prayers are truly deeply, and sincerely appreciated!! We know this is only just the beginning and there is going to be a very long road ahead but we are so incredibly grateful for your support and donations!! Please continue to pray for Rick, we will need all the prayers we can get now and as we go through this long process.
Thank you, and you are all in our prayers too!! We appreciate you, and God bless each and every one of you!!!
Rick and Jann Leach
Organizer
Jann Leach
Organizer
Holly Springs, NC
