Help Keep Gary Home

This is my friend, Gary Bucci. Gary is 65 years old, and I have been fortunate to call him my friend for nearly 25 years. Gary has a devoted wife, Mary and a daughter, Lauren, who is his pride and joy. Gary was a hardworking general contractor who spent his career helping people to improve their homes. In fact, Gary has always been known to help those around him, most especially his mother, Katherine, who suffered from Polio and was wheelchair-bound her entire adult life. Katherine lived with Gary and Mary for many years. Together, they cared for Katherine, ensuring all her needs were met until her passing in 2018. An athlete for much of his life, Gary enjoyed playing softball, golf, and he especially loved to fish. He was an avid fisherman with a deep appreciation for the water. He shared that passion for fishing with many friends and family members and was often more excited when they caught a fish than when he did! Gary has lived a full and productive life, but recently life has changed for my friend. Today, Gary can no longer fish. He can no longer work renovating houses. Gary can no longer walk, and he no longer has the use of his hands. Gary has Multiple System Atrophy.

Like Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) is a degenerative disease of the nervous system affecting movement and worsening over time. However, MSA is rarer than Parkinson’s and much more aggressive. After Gary’s 2018 diagnosis, his health has rapidly declined. Like his beloved mother, Gary is now confined to a wheelchair. In addition, he has little to no use of his hands, he has difficulty swallowing, and his speech is severely impaired, significantly inhibiting his ability to communicate with others, even Mary, his primary caregiver. He now requires full-time care, including assistance with bathing, dressing, eating, and transfer between his wheelchair and bed. Multiple System Atrophy has no cure and just continues to worsen. Most patients succumb to this horrific disease within 6-10 years of diagnosis.

The Bucci family needs your help. Their goal is to keep Gary in the comfort of his own home for as long as possible. Mary works full time to meet the financial needs of their household and therefore cannot be at home during the day to care for Gary. In addition to needing an aide to assist with Gary’s daily care, they also have many medical expenses that are not covered by insurance. Without funds to cover these additional needs, the family cannot provide Gary with the best possible care. Please consider a donation of any amount and HELP US TO KEEP GARY HOME!