Todd's Garden
Donation protected
Hello Friends,
I'm here to raise funds to build a garden for my dear friend Todd Sims.
We have been friends since our days as classmates at our beloved Brooklyn Technical High School, where we graduated in 1985. Go Tech! We have gone through many of life's ups & downs as we struggled our way through high school, college, then as coworkers at Monadnock Construction (That was our first jobs straight out of college), then trying to build a business together before he was diagnosed in late 1997 with Multiple Sclerosis.
I remember the day clearly... He had been experiencing inexplicable falls at work (He was a foreman for the NY School Construction Authority). He said he just didn't feel right. After several trips to specialists and many tests, the diagnosis finally came... When he said the words, I didn't even know what Multiple Sclerosis was. I naively asked, "How do we fix it?" His response simply was, "We don't." He was just 30 years old at the time.
Life went on as usual for a while... He fathered a little boy and continued working until walking became too much of a challenge. He attended the Tech reunions, spent time with friends, traveled, etc... At 35, he got his first walker... By the time he was 40, he had his first scooter. With the help of several wonderful Tech classmates, he attended our 25th HS reunion in a wheelchair. By the time our 30th reunion rolled around, he could no longer attend, but our dear friends made sure to pay him a visit whenever they could. He has advanced stages of MS now, as he is no longer able to speak or use any of his limbs, but even with all of that, he still has a great spirit. He still laughs at my silly jokes and loves visitors.
He has been living in a 3rd floor walkup in his mom's house for the past 17 years, and in that time, he hasn't been able to enjoy the outdoors, other than trips to doctor appointments and special events for his son. His mom and I are currently working on properly setting up the interiors of the 1st floor of the house to be his new home, and that's why I'm here. I've set this GoFundMe Page to raise funds to build ramps/lifts and set up the backyard so he can finally enjoy the sun on his face and have space to properly spend time with visitors.
Today, my friend turns 52, which is a small miracle in itself. Please help me make Todd's Garden a reality. It would mean the world to me to give him a little piece of the outdoors. Thank you for listening and I would be sincerely grateful for any contributions. And yes, I will be inviting all contributors to join us in his garden once it is all set up.
Todd's friend,
Miriam
I'm here to raise funds to build a garden for my dear friend Todd Sims.
We have been friends since our days as classmates at our beloved Brooklyn Technical High School, where we graduated in 1985. Go Tech! We have gone through many of life's ups & downs as we struggled our way through high school, college, then as coworkers at Monadnock Construction (That was our first jobs straight out of college), then trying to build a business together before he was diagnosed in late 1997 with Multiple Sclerosis.
I remember the day clearly... He had been experiencing inexplicable falls at work (He was a foreman for the NY School Construction Authority). He said he just didn't feel right. After several trips to specialists and many tests, the diagnosis finally came... When he said the words, I didn't even know what Multiple Sclerosis was. I naively asked, "How do we fix it?" His response simply was, "We don't." He was just 30 years old at the time.
Life went on as usual for a while... He fathered a little boy and continued working until walking became too much of a challenge. He attended the Tech reunions, spent time with friends, traveled, etc... At 35, he got his first walker... By the time he was 40, he had his first scooter. With the help of several wonderful Tech classmates, he attended our 25th HS reunion in a wheelchair. By the time our 30th reunion rolled around, he could no longer attend, but our dear friends made sure to pay him a visit whenever they could. He has advanced stages of MS now, as he is no longer able to speak or use any of his limbs, but even with all of that, he still has a great spirit. He still laughs at my silly jokes and loves visitors.
He has been living in a 3rd floor walkup in his mom's house for the past 17 years, and in that time, he hasn't been able to enjoy the outdoors, other than trips to doctor appointments and special events for his son. His mom and I are currently working on properly setting up the interiors of the 1st floor of the house to be his new home, and that's why I'm here. I've set this GoFundMe Page to raise funds to build ramps/lifts and set up the backyard so he can finally enjoy the sun on his face and have space to properly spend time with visitors.
Today, my friend turns 52, which is a small miracle in itself. Please help me make Todd's Garden a reality. It would mean the world to me to give him a little piece of the outdoors. Thank you for listening and I would be sincerely grateful for any contributions. And yes, I will be inviting all contributors to join us in his garden once it is all set up.
Todd's friend,
Miriam
Co-organizers (3)
Miriam Perez
Organizer
Brooklyn, NY
Pop Intharaksa
Co-organizer
Katie Wolffe
Co-organizer