Rob and Samantha Rich Family Fund
Donation protected
*UPDATE* - Thank You.
Samantha and I would like to thank everyone that has provided food, helped financially and been there for us in our time of need. We are truly overwhelmed by the outpouring of loving support. Although there is no cure for dementia Samantha is a fighter, as most of you know, and she continues to remain positive and live life as normal as possible.
It is hard to put into words what all the support has meant to our family. So for now we will just say thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Rob
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To be blunt, it’s been a hell of a year.
As many of you know, Samantha was diagnosed with early onset Dementia this past Summer, just before her 36th birthday. Prior to the diagnosis, our family began noticing some significant changes in her mood and behavior that we weren’t sure how to explain. Last Christmas, we noticed a few things that didn’t seem quite right. While playing cards, Samantha was having trouble dealing out the right amounts, was confused, and had to keep recounting. While playing Clue, she seemed to struggle with remembering which cards she had in her hands. She became withdrawn from conversations and activities, quiet, irritable, and her usual get-up-and-go attitude seemed to quickly fade away. Something was very wrong. Several doctor’s visits and tests later, it was determined that the white matter in her brain was inexplicably “disappearing”. White matter, once it begins to deteriorate, does not regenerate. When it’s gone, it’s gone forever. She was referred to a Neurologist at the U of M whom she has now visited on several occasions and undergone numerous tests, and conversed with yet another specialist at Mayo to discuss available clinical trials and see if she may be a good candidate. The latest appointment brought with it the news we’d all been subconsciously expecting, and deeply dreading…medically, there is nothing more that can be done to help Samantha. The specialist at Mayo was kind, but direct; "I don’t want you to waste your time coming here, and give you any hope, when there isn’t any."
As you can imagine, the distress this has caused Samantha, Rob and the kids has been…heavy. To say the least. Before the diagnosis, after many years of consideration, Rob and Samantha made a big decision for their family. Rob had always dreamed of operating his own excavating business, and just last year, they made his dream a reality. Starting a business is a massive undertaking, and it isn’t cheap…but they had prepared for this; planned, calculated, weighed their options, and knew they could do it as a team. Fast forward to the present, Rob is now supporting the entire household on the sole income of a brand new business, as Samantha is no longer able to work. Additionally, Samantha is no longer able to drive a vehicle, or be left unattended and requires 24/7 observation, which has thus far been administered by Rob and my parents. Her ability to care for herself has rapidly declined over the past 6 months...none of us expected things to get so bad, so quickly. You always think there's going to be more time. Coincidentally, my dad’s cancer has returned for yet another round (this is number 4), which has made it increasingly difficult for he and my mom to be available to help. Samantha is no longer able to perform basic tasks independently, like preparing a meal, taking a shower, tying her shoes, or brushing her teeth without assistance. She needs long-term professional care in the immediate future, and without financial assistance, there's no possible way their family will be able to afford it in addition to everyday living expenses, and additional medical bills that have already been accumulating.
It's heartbreaking, what is happening to my brother’s family. There’s really no other way to describe it without swearing a lot and getting really, really angry. Samantha is a proud US Army veteran, has an MBA in Accounting, and is a bad-ass mother of 4 beautiful, kind, loving children who have been incredibly supportive and brave through their pain, confusion, and heartache. She and Rob were married in October of 2015 after many years of building a life together. Nobody could have imagined that 3 short years later, everything they had planned for the future would transform into this horrible unending nightmare.
Our family doesn’t like to ask for help. None of us. We’re stubborn, proud, do-it-yourselfers who would give you the shirt off our backs, but would never ask you for yours because we don’t need anything from anybody. EVER. Until now… and since anyone who knows Rob knows he won't ask for it, I am asking on his behalf. Rob and Samantha desperately need a miracle, and I don’t know what else to do to help them get one. If you’re able to help somehow, you’ll never understand how much it means to them and you’ll certainly never know how much it means to our family.
Thank you,
-Mel
Samantha and I would like to thank everyone that has provided food, helped financially and been there for us in our time of need. We are truly overwhelmed by the outpouring of loving support. Although there is no cure for dementia Samantha is a fighter, as most of you know, and she continues to remain positive and live life as normal as possible.
It is hard to put into words what all the support has meant to our family. So for now we will just say thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Rob
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To be blunt, it’s been a hell of a year.
As many of you know, Samantha was diagnosed with early onset Dementia this past Summer, just before her 36th birthday. Prior to the diagnosis, our family began noticing some significant changes in her mood and behavior that we weren’t sure how to explain. Last Christmas, we noticed a few things that didn’t seem quite right. While playing cards, Samantha was having trouble dealing out the right amounts, was confused, and had to keep recounting. While playing Clue, she seemed to struggle with remembering which cards she had in her hands. She became withdrawn from conversations and activities, quiet, irritable, and her usual get-up-and-go attitude seemed to quickly fade away. Something was very wrong. Several doctor’s visits and tests later, it was determined that the white matter in her brain was inexplicably “disappearing”. White matter, once it begins to deteriorate, does not regenerate. When it’s gone, it’s gone forever. She was referred to a Neurologist at the U of M whom she has now visited on several occasions and undergone numerous tests, and conversed with yet another specialist at Mayo to discuss available clinical trials and see if she may be a good candidate. The latest appointment brought with it the news we’d all been subconsciously expecting, and deeply dreading…medically, there is nothing more that can be done to help Samantha. The specialist at Mayo was kind, but direct; "I don’t want you to waste your time coming here, and give you any hope, when there isn’t any."
As you can imagine, the distress this has caused Samantha, Rob and the kids has been…heavy. To say the least. Before the diagnosis, after many years of consideration, Rob and Samantha made a big decision for their family. Rob had always dreamed of operating his own excavating business, and just last year, they made his dream a reality. Starting a business is a massive undertaking, and it isn’t cheap…but they had prepared for this; planned, calculated, weighed their options, and knew they could do it as a team. Fast forward to the present, Rob is now supporting the entire household on the sole income of a brand new business, as Samantha is no longer able to work. Additionally, Samantha is no longer able to drive a vehicle, or be left unattended and requires 24/7 observation, which has thus far been administered by Rob and my parents. Her ability to care for herself has rapidly declined over the past 6 months...none of us expected things to get so bad, so quickly. You always think there's going to be more time. Coincidentally, my dad’s cancer has returned for yet another round (this is number 4), which has made it increasingly difficult for he and my mom to be available to help. Samantha is no longer able to perform basic tasks independently, like preparing a meal, taking a shower, tying her shoes, or brushing her teeth without assistance. She needs long-term professional care in the immediate future, and without financial assistance, there's no possible way their family will be able to afford it in addition to everyday living expenses, and additional medical bills that have already been accumulating.
It's heartbreaking, what is happening to my brother’s family. There’s really no other way to describe it without swearing a lot and getting really, really angry. Samantha is a proud US Army veteran, has an MBA in Accounting, and is a bad-ass mother of 4 beautiful, kind, loving children who have been incredibly supportive and brave through their pain, confusion, and heartache. She and Rob were married in October of 2015 after many years of building a life together. Nobody could have imagined that 3 short years later, everything they had planned for the future would transform into this horrible unending nightmare.
Our family doesn’t like to ask for help. None of us. We’re stubborn, proud, do-it-yourselfers who would give you the shirt off our backs, but would never ask you for yours because we don’t need anything from anybody. EVER. Until now… and since anyone who knows Rob knows he won't ask for it, I am asking on his behalf. Rob and Samantha desperately need a miracle, and I don’t know what else to do to help them get one. If you’re able to help somehow, you’ll never understand how much it means to them and you’ll certainly never know how much it means to our family.
Thank you,
-Mel
Organizer and beneficiary
Melody Rich
Organizer
St. Paul, MN
Robbyn Rich
Beneficiary
