Breathing for Vince

My name is Bill (everyone calls me Grubby cause my last name's Grubb). I'm a bartender at a popular Irish pub in South Jersey called Schileens. Its the friendliest, funnest bar on the Eastern seaboard and id like to think im a big part of that. A few years ago a goofy guy named Vince ( I called him Vinny for the 1st couple months, til i found out he hated it) walked in and changed the bar forever. Vince grew up in town but had just recently moved back because he had just lost his wife, Kat, to brain cancer. Newly single and back on the bar scene, Vince quickly made a lot of friends. I mean a lot. With a constant smile on his face, infectious laugh, and his constant need to pick up peoples tabs (so giving), Vince became a welcome regular who knew just about everyone who came in this local powderkeg. His love of all things pop culture including Marvel, DC, Star Wars, football, and just about everything i loved, me and Vince became close friends. This bar became his second home and I, his loyal, loving friend. Skip ahead a couple years and these ladies Lisa and Danielle come in and Vince and Danielle hit it off. Danielle, a friendly, funny, divorced, local girl had gotten Vince' s attention and soon enough, all of his time. After I gave my approval, which Vince needed to continue seeing her lol, they quickly moved in together along with her charming teenage son, Renz, and quiet, smart, Vans shoe-loving ,teenage daughter, Brie. After about a year, they threw the wedding of the decade with the entire pub in tow and it was epic! Just like every marriage, they had good days and bad ( far more great than bad), and got into the usual post-nuptial arguments (won mostly by Danielle), but life was good. And it was about to get better. I'll never forget the day, Vince and I were watching football at Danielle's brothers' house and we were outside smoking when he told me he was gonna be a dad!! He made me promise not to tell and said I was the only one that knew and I assured him I wouldn't. As soon as we went inside, Danielle spilled the beans anyway and there were hugs all around. Vince was nervous about this new venture (as all new dads are) and I convinced him he'd be an incredible dad (which he is).
Baby Catherine was everything they'd hoped. Healthy and cute and perfect in every way. Things couldn't get any better. Until Vince started having a hard time breathing. Tests were run and cancer was quickly ruled out (which was a slight sigh of relief), but doctors couldn't figure out the problem. He went on oxygen full-time as he went in for test after test, and biopsy after biopsy. Until finally they think they have it diagnosed. Pulmonary Fibrosis, a rare but very serious lung disease (basically cancer with a fancy, bigger name), and it turned their lives upside down. He's not working and only getting a percentage of his pay from disability. He's rapidly losing weight and that constant smile and infectious laugh have all but deteriorated. The biggest Star Wars fan in the galaxy can't even go to the movies to see The Last Jedi, when just 2 years ago, we couldn't stop talking about The Force Awakens and how bright the future is. I'm crying as I'm writing this, some sad tears and some happy, thinking about all the good times we've shared in such a short amount of time. I'm hoping this page will help off-set some of the medical bills and help them have one less thing to worry about in such a sad, and trying time. So please, give what you can, and help this family (and a shit-ton of friends) get a slight sigh of relief in such a crazy, surreal time. Thank you all and God bless.