Help the Kammeraads' fight against addiction

Hi, it's Danny here. Some of you know me, but most of you, of course, don't. I need to tell you of my dear friends, the Kammeraad family. They are some of the best people I've ever met and in my 58 years that's saying something.

Their eldest, Carlos, was diagnosed with depression three years ago and somewhere along the way he turned to drugs in order to deal with the pain. He's been in and out of rehab, not just in the Grand Rapids area where they dwell, but across the country. He's also been treated for depression and related mental health issues on an inpatient basis several times.

I have known Carlos essentially his entire life, almost from the moment their lives began together. Why, I can remember when Kevin and Stephanie brought him home, and their excitement in the time leading up to that day...and I don't mind saying, this is truly a special and worthy young man. He is hugely talented in several disciplines, he is nice, polite, intelligent, and quite deep...but also, at the moment, quite lost.

Recently, he has fallen off the wagon through the use of multiple substances and spent the weekend in the hospital, where he still is. The Kammeraads have found an excellent treatment facility in Florida, but insurance doesn't cover it all, and for those of you with any experience in this area, why you know that addiction is debilitating and treatment is incredibly costly.

A 90 day stay is quite likely, and that's before associated costs, including travel, meals, and incidentals.

And if by chance more is raised than what this beautiful family needs for this treatment specifically, any overflow will go towards their auto deductible and a replacement car for the one Carlos sadly totalled last week and accrued expenses from previous stays.

I need you to know something: This is the most worthy, wonderful family I can think of, and they're in trouble. They need help, and I cannot tell you how much of their own lives they have given to others, despite trials and tribulations that shouldn't happen to any of us - but when it's your child in danger, why, everything else pales in comparison.

Won't you help? This is not just a family member's life you'll be helping to save, it's an entire family - and this is one kid with the talent to make a real and genuine positive difference on this planet. Trust me, when you help him, and them, you're helping everyone, and yourself, at the same time.

Please do what you can for Carlos and his beautiful family!