Ricky Nichols was one of the first kids I met when I moved to Osceola in 1975. He's had a remarkable journey through life, making a living as a chef and delighting children of all ages while playing Santa. 4 years ago, you might recall we had a GoFundMe for Rick as he was in the fight in his life, battling a rare fungal infection of the lungs called Blastomycosis. Through Grace and stellar medical care, he recovered from that setback. With what his lungs went through, I daresay its a miracle he survived the Covid years, and he returned to work in the kitchen. His journey in recent years has brought him to work places like San Antonio and now Cincinnati. Now, in Cincinnati, he again faces an incredible medical challenge. He writes me, matter-of-factly: "So I'm in congestive heart failure, stage 3 kidney failure, and pneumonia in my lower left lung. " But, that may not be the worst of it. This week, the doctors at Jewish Hospital of Cincinnati have performed a bone marrow biopsy and Rick awaits the test results.

Rick has been Hospitalized for over a week, with no release date in sight. He's unable to work and is unlikely to return to work for months. In addition to the medical debt he's being saddled with, he's going to need some help to replace his lost income.

Rick remains positive and is ready to fight to return fully to life. He's battled before and came out on top. I sure wouldn't bet against him. I hope you'll join me in showing him some support and encouragement by donating what you can, to help him in his recovery. And don't forget, it just may help you to be on Santa's "nice" list.