It is with VERY heavy and deeply saddened heart that I have to report to everyone that my little brother Rick has passed very unexpectedly on to Glory in the arms of Jesus after severe breathing problems caused him to fall out on the morning of May 20. his heart arrested at least several times on the way to the hospital and his brain was without oxygen for far too long during those arrests so he suffered massive brain damage and was on a ventilator for 11 days. The first few of those days his poor body went through hell because his brain was too damaged to be able to control his body temperature, his blood pressure, his blood sugar (they were actually having to give him shots of insulin because his blood sugar was spiking up over 300), AND he was so full of fluid throughout his body that it was just leaking out of his pores, yes, you could watch it steady coming out. I was wiping his whole body down with cold rags but it was coming out so fast I couldn't keep up with it. He passed on 5/31/25. He would've been 59 on June 15. This has been devastating & just plain tragic. We're all still in a state of shock and disbelief that this is even real. Our grief is at an unimaginable level, and making these decisions feels like just totally impossible He is in a mortuary in Hill City, KS. He will be cremated probably today , 6/11. I had been trying to find somewhere between Wichita and Hill City for a more affordable price, as it will cost $4500 just for cremation where he's at and there is no insurance and only myself to deal with paying for it as his girlfriend has been in the hospital through all of it, possibly on her way out of this world too. Problem is, I live on SSI and, well, I think you get the

picture. What I found in all of my calling is that some places wouldn't even transport as far as hill city and the ones who would charged $600-$800 JUST for the transport cost, not counting cremation costs or anything else. Plus all kinds of other little charges and also if I move him using another mortuary, then I will still owe the transport fee to the mortuary where he is now because they came from hill city to Hays the night he died and took him back to hill city and since he's been there since 5/31 I will have to pay a storage fee for all of the days he been there. I don't even know how much that is, but I'm scared to even ask! So, I signed the paperwork yesterday to leave him there and and let the process begin, too much time has lapsed already...I want to also have a memorial here in Wichita for him after this phase settles a bit, which will also cost some money that I don't have, another reason I'm asking for help. I know times are tight, and Lord knows that I hate to ask, but every little bit will add up and help IMMENSELY as I have absolutely no funds to even start with. So please, friends and family, pray on it and please help if you're able, no amount is too small because it all adds up to SOMETHING, which is way more than I have right now. I feel bad that I'm in no position to pay for all of this myself, because I dang sure would if I could, and my brother deserves for me to at least do my best to try to get help in seeing him off in a timely manner. I'm all he has in this right now, his fiance is going back in the hospital again today and she's just not able to do anything but continue to fight to live. I don't know what I'll do if I lose her too in the middle of all of this... So even if you can't help monetarily, I understand, but please please keep Sherry in your prayers, she's a VERY sick woman struggling to even find the will to go on at this point. Thank you in advance to everyone following our tragic story and sending love and prayers and any other help you're able to give. You all have my eternal gratitude for your help, whether it be prayers or kind words, hugs, etc, it all helps me feel not quite as alone in this as I get to feeling sometimes. God bless you each and every one. I love you all. If anyone is having a problem giving to the fundraiser, as in being worried how the funds will be used, let me assure you in no uncertain terms that this money will ALL be going to Rick's final expenses like the cremation and all the little fees for Ash jewelry/urn, there's many free to get the hospital records we need need from 2 hospitals and the EMS, fees for death certificates, etc. And with a little grace from above, there will be enough left to do a small memorial later. But you are welcome to call the STINEMETZ FUNERAL HOME and pay them directly if anyone works be more comfortable with that than the fundraiser. Phone # is [phone redacted] and talk to Phillip Stinemetz. Thank you again to everyone that has shown support and love in whatever form you were able to, it really means everything to me/us and I pray great blessings to each of you. All my love, Dianne & Family