Helping David Spencer Recover

Dear Family and Friends,

As some of you may have heard, our beloved friend and colleague, David Spencer, is experiencing medical issues and is currently receiving treatment. Not only is David a loyal and much-loved employee of the Holter Museum of Art (and has been for many years), he is also a cherished beacon of knowledge and kindness in the Helena community—a community that he holds very dear.

During this past weekend, David's fellow staff at the Holter noticed that he was under the weather. On Monday the 16th, a staff member observed that his condition was getting worse and brought him to Urgent Care. After receiving care from medical staff in the ER, he was admitted to the ICU, where it was determined that he is suffering from double-lung pneumonia and sepsis. Recently, he has been moved from the ICU to a regular medical floor, which is good news.

Although David's book collection is vast, his lifestyle is very minimal-- he does not own a phone, a car, or a computer. We know that the Helena community considers David to be "family," and vice versa. At this time, financial support is important. While we know that funds will be needed to cover the basic medical/hospital costs, we are also preparing for the possibility of David needing help with long-term recovery.

Donations from this fundraiser will go towards lessening the financial burden of his medical treatment and future things he might need to make his recovery go as smoothly as possible.

About David:

After many years of living in Europe, David moved to Helena in 1985 and earned a degree in English Literature from Carroll College. His love for books is obvious to anyone who sees him, as he can often be spotted carrying piles of books to and from his favorite places, which (of course) include the Lewis and Clark Library and Aunt Bonnie's. Even to those who have never met him, he is a familiar figure, with his heavy tote bags and eccentric neckties. However, if you've lived in Helena for a while, it's likely that you've met David, perhaps over a cup of coffee at Firetower or a beer at one of the downtown breweries, if not at the Holter. He is known to be fond of intelligent conversation and philosophical discussions, and seems to have a book recommendation for everyone. It's probably not far off to assume that David has, in many ways, kept the spirit of literacy and learning alive in Helena for many years.

It's times like this that we are reminded how important our community is, and how necessary it is for us to take care of each other. Above all, we ask that all of you who know David keep him in your thoughts.

Thank you Helena!