Keeping it together when trouble comes, again.

Hi, I'm Chris. The gents in the picture are Howard, and my friend Cliff Berman. This is about Cliff and his family, as you might suspect from the neck brace. If we're friends on Facebook, there's a pretty good chance you know Cliff.

If you know Cliff, you know most of this story. I'm writing to the rest of you. If you don't know Cliff, Valerie, Jonny and Anna, I wish you did. Your life would be richer for it.

Cliff is a lot of things, a former firefighter, a talented carpenter and craftsman, Husband, Father, Grandfather, drummer, etc., etc.. Cliff is good at a lot of things. Asking for help isn't necessarily one of them.

About 6 years ago, Cliff was diagnosed with bladder cancer, most likely a result of his time as a firefighter. The flame retardants applied to their turnout gear absorb into the skin and are highly carcinogenic. Cliff began enduring repeated and very painful treatments. For months at a time, he couldn't work, and the treatment process was, well, nasty and insanely difficult. Not to mention expensive. Along the way, the cancer had traveled to his kidney, so the kidney was removed. Still, Cliff and his family kept it together, doing the best they could in difficult times with a little help from friends. Amazingly, there was no bitterness. Hurt, struggle, yes, but no bitterness.

Then there was COVID. Like a lot of families, COVID was pretty disruptive financially for the Berman household, but they kept things together, with Cliff working whenever he could, and his wife Valerie working full-time and then some.

Around the time COVID was in full swing, Valerie was diagnosed with multiple cancers. Then Anna needed surgery. And the hits kept coming...

They were just getting their financial legs back under them. Cliff's and Valerie's respective cancers were in remission, and Cliff was working multiple jobs, and hustling for more, when the thing that led to the neck brace happened. A 16-year-old driver unexpectedly turned left in front of Cliff. Cliff ended up with a totaled car, stitches and staples in his head, a skull fracture and a broken C2 vertebra, and, once again, no way to work for months. Insurance is helping, but not nearly enough.

Still, no bitterness. Cliff doesn't want to make things any worse for the 16-year-old who caused this, figuring that the lesson the kid learned was sufficient.

It is frequently said that many households are one disaster away from financial ruin. This is the Berman family's 5th or 6th (depending on how you count) disaster in 6 years. They have kept things going through tenacity, resilience, and help from their community. Right now, we need to cast a wider net for help, which is why I'm writing.

If you can help, please do. If you can't help, please help spread the word.

Thanks!