Hello, and thank you for taking the time to read about our story.

Pictured is Ronnie - the most wonderful man. He is a father to myself and my brother, a husband, a grandparent (Gumpy), a brother, an uncle, an in-law, and a friend. He has touched many hearts, created laughs when there were tears, and been an extraordinary net below us all that has always caught us when we've fallen. He had such a love for nature, camping, and riding his motorcycle. He has loved our family unconditionally, forever matching his supporting and caring love with his actions.

However, his life, and ours, took a devastating turn as Dementia started to creep in. Over the last several years, we have watched his mind and body decline. The man we knew as our father, husband, and friend slowly faded away. The disease has been aggressive the last 2 years, causing his mind and overall health to worsen continuously, sometimes overnight.

We have all jumped in to his aid, doing whatever necessary to ensure this transition would be as easy for him as possible, from medical care to equipment, to rearranging our entire lives. He has been worth everything, every step of the way. The last 9 months have been the most difficult, as he began to need care and monitoring 24/7.

A few months ago, he was admitted to Parkwest's Geri-Psych ward for 2 weeks. When he came home, we all did the best we could to keep up with behavior changes, home and medication modifications, and all the appointments. As everything began to take its toll on us, we reached out for help, services, home care, etc., but we realized we would still not be able to provide him with the care and support he requires and deserves. With tears in our eyes, and the sound of our hearts breaking in our chests, we made the decision to place him in a Memory Care facility.

Last week, he was accepted into a Senior Living/Memory Care facility in Oak Ridge. It is more than we could have ever imagined and has given us tremendous peace of mind by knowing he will receive the best care. This is the only facility in his coverage area that will accept his insurance and has Memory Care availability. We have researched and prepared as much as possible for this step. However, a few financial surprises arose, which is why I am writing to you today. We do not have the funds for several aspects of his admission, and our time to get him in is limited. We must pay a $2,000 deposit in order for him to move in. Additionally, we must provide specific bedroom and bathroom furnishings, toiletries, extra medical supplies (diapers, special creams, etc.), among other items.

We have a goal of $4,500, which will go directly to all items mentioned above. If we do not reach this goal, we are extremely appreciative of any amount we get - everything helps! After insurance and his social security payment to the facility each month (they take his social security benefit), we need to pay $673 each month out of pocket. If we happen to have any funds left over after everything above is covered, they will go toward assisting our family in covering that monthly amount.

Thank you for reading, and please know that we are forever grateful for any financial support you could offer to us.