Knees for Neil

Zoe and I had the privilege of growing up in the small town of Medway, MA.  Medway is not exactly the most exciting place in the world, but it was a wonderful community for us to grow up in and the place we will always call home.  Part of what makes Medway home is the sense of community and the familiar faces we are bound to see when we return.

The most significant of these familiar faces are our lifelong next door neighbors, Neil and Frankie.  Neil and Frankie have known us since we were in diapers and watched us grow into the adults we are today.  Neil and Frankie have celebrated many of life's milestones with us such as First Communions, college graduations, and most recently Zoe's marriage. Neil is one of the most reliable, dependable people I know.  The inevitable sound of Neil's snowblower on a winter day was a welcome relief to Zoe and I when we would be sent out to shovel because Neil would always lend us, and half the neighborhood, a hand. Frankie shares our love of furry four legged friends and we can always count on her to know which cats in the neighborhood belong to whom and always ensure they are well fed. To put it simply, Neil and Frankie have been always been there and have truly become a part of our family.

Unfortunately, Frankie had a stroke in the fall of 2014 that has left her in need of around-the-clock care.  Neil has spent his retirement being her devoted caretaker ever since, without question. He has been able to keep Frankie in the comfort of their own home and had minimal assistance in meeting her needs day in and day out.  

Recently, Neil established that he is need of a double knee replacement which will of course impact his ability to care for Frankie.  The only option for Neil is to have Frankie placed in a nursing home during his recovery. The cost for this is estimated to be about $30,000.  

Zoe and I are launching a fundraising campaign to assist Neil with this burdensome cost and ensure he is able to fully recover and return to being the devoted caretaker he is without the added worry of funding Frankie’s care.  We will kick off our campaign by running the Wicked Half Marathon in Neil and Frankie’s honor. We will run 13.1 miles on Saturday, September 22nd through the beautiful, historic city of Salem. This will also be Zoe’s very first half marathon!   

Please consider donating to our cause - it would mean the world to us and our family to be able to support Neil and Frankie.