Last week the entire office decided to have one of those three martini lunches on a Friday. Afterwards, in what I can only describe as an act of lunacy, everybody decided to go back to work. I told them they didn’t have to. I wasn’t gonna’. Instead I decided to walk from South Congress to my North Star, Shiner’s Saloon.

As I was walking upstairs, I passed a man sitting on the couch that bore a thinner resemblance to Chiver Lawrence Daigle. Which is to say, he looked like Lawrence, but 215 lbs. lighter…. and somehow more fragile.

After confirming that it was, in fact, Lawrence. I invited him upstairs to hear his story. He described an ulcerative disorder which caused his body to be constantly stressed, which led to an inability to hold food down, which led to the loss of most of his stomach.

Lawrence’s weight loss triggered unforeseen consequences. Lawrence has a partial prosthetic foot from multiple injuries sustained as a paratrooper in E battery, 2nd regiment RCHA.

“ (The old prosthetic) was rubbing in the front because of the weight loss. So I had to go out and get a new one. These things take some getting used to. I need to figure out how to get this thing to do what I need it to do. I’ll figure it out. Just have to stay positive. No pain no gain.”

But the rubbing was not only caused by the weight loss, but also a general physical instability.

After Lawrence’s 398’th jump, he stepped on an IED which blew off half his right foot. The bones in middle of his foot after poke through the skin and often become infected. “It’s non-stop. The last one put my in the hospital for a week. And you know who paid my bills, John? Cupcake at Shiner Saloon. Shiner’s can’t afford to do that, they should not have to supplement my health insurance. But they did.”

Lawrence also has severe back problems that need immediate attention. Lawrence logged so many jumps, his middle 5 vertebrae are basically disintegrated and need to be fused. Yes, all 5 vertebrae.

Finally, I asked Lawrence, “If you don’t mind me asking, how much does a new foot cost?

“About $8,000 which I didn’t have. I offered $800 a month for 10 months to make it work. It was depressing. I’ve filed it with insurance but who knows?”

BTW I’m not here to make commentary on insurance. A little history - here at Chive Charities somebody’s insurance or lack thereof factors little into how we greenlight recipients. Our job is to identify the need and solve it, simple as that. Otherwise we’d be mired in a ‘how much of this will insurance pay?’ doom cycle.

Lawrence is currently working as the cook at Shiner’s and he had to leave to fill orders in the kitchen. During our chat, Lawrence asked me for nothing, and he never would. He’s not that type of person. After he left, the upstairs bartender, Ashley, said that Lawrence needed our help more than he let on, “He’s been fighting a good fight but we all need help sometimes. And he ain’t gonna ask for it, you should call Kupcake.”

So I did.

It was a short conversation. “The think I like best about Lawrence is he has a helluva' story. John, nobody deserves help more than Lawrence,” Kup said, “But he’s trying to do it all on his own. Even the Lord rested on the 7th day.”

Well said.

I called Lawrence and told him what Kup said, in fact. Lawrence paused, “Other than my wife, I have no family or support here. But I have Shiners and I have the Chivers. And without them., I don’t know what I’d do. My wife Jenny has a heart of gold and I don’t deserve her….

I worry that I’m not good enough. But last week I finally told my primary care doctor I need help. It was the first time I said this words out loud. I need help.”

Every year on the Friday before Memorial Day, I throw my credit card down for our veterans and active duty so we can raise a glass for those who gave the last full measure. But this year, I think we should honor our fallen veterans by helping one too.

Lawrence was injured defending a fragile idea that is our North America freedom. It cost him his foot, leg, and his back.. and today we’re going to have his back.

The goal is $8,000 to pay for a prosthetic foot and help stabilize our guy. We will also be setting up a donation table for Lawrence at Shiner’s Saloon - 100% of money raise will go to Lawrence. Anything over the goal will also go to Lawrence. As you’ve read, there is a greater need beyond just his leg.

At theCHIVE, we’ve always endeavored to bring our online community into the real world. On Friday, I invite all our veterans and active duty to join me and theCHIVE employees at Shiners Saloon from 5-7PM to Break John’s Credit Card. If you’re not a veteran, please come and say hello and enjoy some fantastic drink discounts.

I can think of no better sendoff to the holiday than to honor a veteran and Chiver like Lawrence. He’s working 7 days a week at Shiner’s, breaking his back to make ends meet. It’s time to give him a day off.

“And on the seventh day God finished His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done."

- Genesis 2:2-3

-John