Make a wish possible for Joe Forte
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I found myself on FB scrolling my news feed as we all do on a daily basis. I came upon a heartfelt and heartbreaking post by a man i went to High School with... Joe Forte.
Now i didn't know Joe very well in H.S. It has been years since I have seen nor spoken to him. I do remember his smile and kind nature in H.S. When I read his post it broke my heart. I know when you read on it will break yours too.
But, please read on...
The thought is not a kind one when you are very ill and just trying to survive daily thing's in life that most of us take for granted. We all try to provide, care and give something to our families. Say something as simple as a vacation. Yet, when you are sick it's the vacation you never got to go on or enjoy with your family because most of your life you have been too ill and unable too.
For Joe the inevitable that we all think of and worry about ...our own mortality is his present reality.
With today's medical expenses and living on Long Island we all know no matter where you live how expensive it is. it's a struggle to survive when you are gravely ill.
Imagine if you had to think of your own family with worry of how they will get by without you? That is a costly scary thought alone. To think of not knowing when or how long you have left to live and told potentially not long. How would you feel???
What if you had a wish to do something special with your family that most of us get to do at least once a year. Something as simple as a vacation. The one thing we work so hard for. Those moments to escape with our loved ones to some place to spend quality and precious time. For Joe time is just that...precious!! As you read his post you will see how precious his family is to him.
As you read his word's below you will see what i did. He is a selfless man not writing of his own concerns for his health but for his "rock" his beautiful family. His wife and his two boys who are ages 8 and 6. His youngest son is Autistic.
Joe was diagnosed with stage IV Colon cancer.
I try to always put myself in someone else shoes. I also try to live my life to help other's and to do onto other's as you would hope someone would do for you. For in a world of uncertain... kindness can take only a moment.
Joe's wish is to take his family on a vacation to Disney World. A vacation they are long overdue for and potentially his last vacation if they can get to go.
For those who pay it forward, for those that know Joe, for those who are strangers that can relate in any way and can donate any amount small or large anything is greatly appreciated.
It takes unity, community, support and love to make a difference in the world or in this case Joe's life!
Please read Joe's heartfelt word's and post below:
I need to take some time to thank my ROCK Tina Reidy Forte. You have no idea how she supports me emotionally and cares for my healthcare needs. The things she has had to learn with medications and other procedures is beyond my explanation. Tina lives with the fact every day that someday, sooner than later, I will no longer be here. She does all of this while not only caring for me and my boatload of issues but she cares for our two children, an 8 year old and a 6 year old with autism. She doesn't talk about it much, if at all really, but I know she's scared to death of the difficult task of raising these boys on her own. It pains me that there is not a damn thing I can do about it. I appreciate the thoughts and prayers that you have all sent my wife but I ask you please when you hit your knees tonight that you say a special prayer for Tina. I plead with you that when I'm gone that you remember to think of her every day and that you don't forget her. She will need your encouragement and support even more than she does now. Tina is my best friend and my loving wife. The thought of retiring and moving somewhere warm, becoming grandparents together, being at our children's graduations, seeing the boys (or at least Gavin, we don't know what the future holds for Griffin) get married and just going on a family vacation every year things many take for granted does not exist for us. We have filled out an application with the Dream Foundation, a Make a Wish for adults if you will, to hopefully go back to Disney World. It most likely would be our last vacation together as a family. On the application the doctor had to approve it, it's part of the Dream Foundation requirements, there is a section where the doctor has to give her estimate of my life expectancy. It was the first time we have actually discussed how many months or years I have left. So now we know how much time I have left and what living on borrowed time will be. So today I fight, not for the end of my cancer because that would just take a miracle which we are still praying for, Im fighting for more time, I fight for time. Tina and I are so grateful for each and every one of you. This has been a hell of a journey. We are looking forward to the holidays. Come this November, it will be two years since my diagnosis. What a blessing it would be to go into the third year of this battle. All I can say what I know for sure, it would not be possible had it not been for my Tina. God bless her.
Thank you for taking the time to read and if able to donate.
God bless Joe and his family and yours!
Sincerely,
Christina
Now i didn't know Joe very well in H.S. It has been years since I have seen nor spoken to him. I do remember his smile and kind nature in H.S. When I read his post it broke my heart. I know when you read on it will break yours too.
But, please read on...
The thought is not a kind one when you are very ill and just trying to survive daily thing's in life that most of us take for granted. We all try to provide, care and give something to our families. Say something as simple as a vacation. Yet, when you are sick it's the vacation you never got to go on or enjoy with your family because most of your life you have been too ill and unable too.
For Joe the inevitable that we all think of and worry about ...our own mortality is his present reality.
With today's medical expenses and living on Long Island we all know no matter where you live how expensive it is. it's a struggle to survive when you are gravely ill.
Imagine if you had to think of your own family with worry of how they will get by without you? That is a costly scary thought alone. To think of not knowing when or how long you have left to live and told potentially not long. How would you feel???
What if you had a wish to do something special with your family that most of us get to do at least once a year. Something as simple as a vacation. The one thing we work so hard for. Those moments to escape with our loved ones to some place to spend quality and precious time. For Joe time is just that...precious!! As you read his post you will see how precious his family is to him.
As you read his word's below you will see what i did. He is a selfless man not writing of his own concerns for his health but for his "rock" his beautiful family. His wife and his two boys who are ages 8 and 6. His youngest son is Autistic.
Joe was diagnosed with stage IV Colon cancer.
I try to always put myself in someone else shoes. I also try to live my life to help other's and to do onto other's as you would hope someone would do for you. For in a world of uncertain... kindness can take only a moment.
Joe's wish is to take his family on a vacation to Disney World. A vacation they are long overdue for and potentially his last vacation if they can get to go.
For those who pay it forward, for those that know Joe, for those who are strangers that can relate in any way and can donate any amount small or large anything is greatly appreciated.
It takes unity, community, support and love to make a difference in the world or in this case Joe's life!
Please read Joe's heartfelt word's and post below:
I need to take some time to thank my ROCK Tina Reidy Forte. You have no idea how she supports me emotionally and cares for my healthcare needs. The things she has had to learn with medications and other procedures is beyond my explanation. Tina lives with the fact every day that someday, sooner than later, I will no longer be here. She does all of this while not only caring for me and my boatload of issues but she cares for our two children, an 8 year old and a 6 year old with autism. She doesn't talk about it much, if at all really, but I know she's scared to death of the difficult task of raising these boys on her own. It pains me that there is not a damn thing I can do about it. I appreciate the thoughts and prayers that you have all sent my wife but I ask you please when you hit your knees tonight that you say a special prayer for Tina. I plead with you that when I'm gone that you remember to think of her every day and that you don't forget her. She will need your encouragement and support even more than she does now. Tina is my best friend and my loving wife. The thought of retiring and moving somewhere warm, becoming grandparents together, being at our children's graduations, seeing the boys (or at least Gavin, we don't know what the future holds for Griffin) get married and just going on a family vacation every year things many take for granted does not exist for us. We have filled out an application with the Dream Foundation, a Make a Wish for adults if you will, to hopefully go back to Disney World. It most likely would be our last vacation together as a family. On the application the doctor had to approve it, it's part of the Dream Foundation requirements, there is a section where the doctor has to give her estimate of my life expectancy. It was the first time we have actually discussed how many months or years I have left. So now we know how much time I have left and what living on borrowed time will be. So today I fight, not for the end of my cancer because that would just take a miracle which we are still praying for, Im fighting for more time, I fight for time. Tina and I are so grateful for each and every one of you. This has been a hell of a journey. We are looking forward to the holidays. Come this November, it will be two years since my diagnosis. What a blessing it would be to go into the third year of this battle. All I can say what I know for sure, it would not be possible had it not been for my Tina. God bless her.
Thank you for taking the time to read and if able to donate.
God bless Joe and his family and yours!
Sincerely,
Christina
Organizer and beneficiary
Christina Spano
Organizer
Selden, NY
Tina Forte
Beneficiary
