Donation protected
As some of you may know, Coach Jim was diagnosed with squamous (a form of skin cancer) this year as a result of being the super dedicated coach that he is and spending the countless hours with us on the water under the blazing sun. Always the perfectionist, he strives to be the best coach for us and expects us to be the best that we can be. Loved and adored by ALL, Coach Jim has always been the anchor in our lives when it comes to our passion for competition. We would not be the athletes we are today if not for his determination, focus, and sacrifice. He has undoubtedly touched the lives of hundreds of athletes during his tenure at LCKC and at ICF dragon boat... and still counting.
After Coach Jim's bout with squamous, he has been more mindful about his time outdoors, but he still remains on the water with us most days, ever the dedicated coach. Some days we see the fatigue written all over his face, but he'll never tell you how tired he is, never raise his voice in frustration (you know he always speaks so gently), never utter a single complaint, and will always ask about his athletes' welfare first before (if ever) addressing his own. Those who know Coach Jim knows that everything I say is true: he is a hero to many of us, a true role model and gentleman, we love him dearly and are blessed to have him.
Most recently, Coach Jim has had another serious illness in the family: he just discovered earlier this year that Cathy, his wife of 35 years, has a tumor in her spinal cord that is currently blocking 80% of her spinal cord fluids. The O'Dells were told that without surgery, she is most certainly going to experience paralysis from hips down. Even with surgery, there is a 50% chance of paralysis. Cathy's surgery is being scheduled for some time in October. I cannot imagine the stress and heartache that this news has had on his family.
Coach Jim needs to be with Cathy for the duration of her procedures and recovery - we're all praying for a full recovery. I hope our paddling community is willing to show support by making sure he doesn't have to worry about medical bills or even missing work at LCKC (if necessary) to be able to focus on spending time with his family.
This is a surprise - Coach Jim doesn't know about this yet, so please keep this to yourselves and do not message him about what you've learned here until we share this page with him after Cathy's upcoming surgery (I think it’s best not to distract him with any unnecessary news while his mind is on other more important and urgent matters). When we're ready to tell him, I will update this page to let you know so that you can blast your well wishes on his Facebook page / email / text message.
***As of now, please be mindful about sharing your donation on Facebook or other social media***.
Let's show him just how close this paddling community really is!
Thank you in advance for your support!
After Coach Jim's bout with squamous, he has been more mindful about his time outdoors, but he still remains on the water with us most days, ever the dedicated coach. Some days we see the fatigue written all over his face, but he'll never tell you how tired he is, never raise his voice in frustration (you know he always speaks so gently), never utter a single complaint, and will always ask about his athletes' welfare first before (if ever) addressing his own. Those who know Coach Jim knows that everything I say is true: he is a hero to many of us, a true role model and gentleman, we love him dearly and are blessed to have him.
Most recently, Coach Jim has had another serious illness in the family: he just discovered earlier this year that Cathy, his wife of 35 years, has a tumor in her spinal cord that is currently blocking 80% of her spinal cord fluids. The O'Dells were told that without surgery, she is most certainly going to experience paralysis from hips down. Even with surgery, there is a 50% chance of paralysis. Cathy's surgery is being scheduled for some time in October. I cannot imagine the stress and heartache that this news has had on his family.
Coach Jim needs to be with Cathy for the duration of her procedures and recovery - we're all praying for a full recovery. I hope our paddling community is willing to show support by making sure he doesn't have to worry about medical bills or even missing work at LCKC (if necessary) to be able to focus on spending time with his family.
This is a surprise - Coach Jim doesn't know about this yet, so please keep this to yourselves and do not message him about what you've learned here until we share this page with him after Cathy's upcoming surgery (I think it’s best not to distract him with any unnecessary news while his mind is on other more important and urgent matters). When we're ready to tell him, I will update this page to let you know so that you can blast your well wishes on his Facebook page / email / text message.
***As of now, please be mindful about sharing your donation on Facebook or other social media***.
Let's show him just how close this paddling community really is!
Thank you in advance for your support!
Co-organizers (2)
Tina Young
Organizer
Atlanta, GA
James O'Dell
Beneficiary
Laurie Moore
Co-organizer