My name is Alecia (McJunkin) Gilcrease and on behalf of my family we have created this GoFundMe for a very special person in our lives, Ricky McJunkin. I know him as my uncle, a man that I have watched my entire life dedicate himself to his family and represent the true meaning of living for the Lord. He is also known as a son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, and a friend to many. If you know him, you will not hesitate to help because you already know what a gentle yet strong, humble, and loving individual he is. Before my uncle got sick, he was the person you would pray would pass your way if your car broke down on the side of the road. Now is our time to be that person for him. No, his car has not broken down on the side of the road, but his body is broken, and we are asking for those who are able to help ease the financial burden of his medical bills to please do so. Many have asked how they can help and now is your opportunity. For those who do not know his story, Ricky was diagnosed with life-altering stage 4 esophageal cancer a little over a year ago. His son Jared had just tragically passed in a car accident in March of 2024. To say Ricky and Renee (his wife) have been through it is an understatement, yet their faith and love for the Lord has not wavered, not even the slightest though their world has literally been turned upside down. Ricky does not know about this GoFundMe and he would never want to be a burden on anyone else. All funds will go straight into a bank account that he will have access to and will be used to pay medical bills that insurance will not cover to continue his cancer treatment that will be due in January 2026. Cancer is a relentless disease, and its treatments are not only physically and emotionally draining but financially overwhelming as well. The total amount needed to ease this burden from him, and his family is $7,400.00. If you don’t know Ricky and you want to help, I can assure you that you are literally donating to one of the most extraordinary humans I have lived to witness. As a child I watched a man who rarely ever sat down, who worked endlessly for his family but still made time to ride us around on his four-wheeler, take us to the lake, and play basketball with us in the yard. I never once remember him waking up in the late afternoon getting ready for the nightshift aggravated because all of us children were running around his house being too loud. I have had the privilege to write numerous grants throughout my career as an educator and even some for my community, but this is the highest honor of any writing I have ever submitted for public viewing. To tell you about my uncle and share his story in hopes of helping him is the very least I can do for such an amazing individual. To know him is to love him. We simply want to raise the funds and present them to him in hopes of not only lighting his load but also showing him how much we all love and support him, rallying behind him as he continues to fight for his life with such an aggressive treatment plan. We have not been given a timeline for Ricky’s health but even if we had, we believe in the ultimate Healer and we will continue to pray every day for complete and total healing. Please share this fundraiser with all your friends and loved ones, but most importantly we plead for your prayers over Ricky during this very challenging time as he is very tired and weak, stripped of a life of normalcy and what was once familiar, simple routines and tasks are no longer easy, but hard if not impossible, for him at this time. He yearns to live though and is determined to fight, so once again we kindly ask you to please consider helping us fight this battle with him. On behalf of my entire family, we thank you for any donation you can give, no amount is too small, as it will make a tremendous difference to Ricky and his family, allowing them to see they are not in this alone but have an army behind them, filled with hope, comfort, support, and most importantly love.

*Janet (McJunkin) Taylor will be listed as the beneficiary due to technicalities with GoFundMe in order to help them manage the account. All proceeds will go directly to her father, Ricky McJunkin.