I'm Brenda and I'm asking you to give a helping hand to two of the dearest young people I know, who have been socked with a devastating medical emergency and resulting financial crisis.

Patrick Haggerty is a hard-working guy who has suffered a life-threatening attack of diverticular disease; he's been hospitalized, is home on round-the-clock antibiotic infusion therapy, and may face serious surgery very soon. His wife Ashley, a beloved preschool teacher to some of the city's most disadvantaged little ones, has got health insurance that doesn't cover him--nor does his own job, for a warehouse business too small to offer benefits. You can imagine the fiscal chaos they face, as he has run out of sick days and faces weeks more convalescence.

Why do I care so much? Not just because Patrick and Ashley are family friends. But because these particular fellow New Yorkers are facing the "perfect storm" of their generation: working hard, doing the right thing, and being left with no safety net (but you and me!) when misfortune hits hard. Both Ash and Pat have already overcome huge obstacles, apart and together--and want only to go back to life as they knew it. And to build back Patrick's health without worrying about "the wolf at the door."

As the bills pile up and half their income stays on hold, I'm asking you to start this tough year with the gift of hope and community. If you know them, you know. If you don't--well, these two are the best, and they're navigating this crisis with everything they've got. But sometimes we all need a hand. Tell the wolf to get lost, and please be as generous as you can. A huge thank-you, from the bottom of my heart!