Memorial Fund for Tom "Bergie" Brigance
On August 5, 2021, Tom "Bergie" Brigance and his best friend and new(ish) bride, Nancy McDonald, headed out for a much-needed weekend of fun and music at the Jersey shore. It never happened.
"Love in the afternoon . . . "
As they were getting ready to head out, Bergie did not feel quite right so made one final trip to the bathroom. When he came out, he knew something was very wrong and told his wife to call 9-1-1. Long story short, it turned out he had had an undetected embolism in his aorta, and the embolism had ruptured! Paramedics came quickly and spent quite some time performing resuscitative measures before they transported him by ambulance to Jersey Shore Medical Center, where he was put on life support. To compound matters, he had suffered a few strokes during resuscitation, which left him ultimately unable to breath on his own, blind, and paralzyed from the neck down. A condition doctors said would not change no matter how long he was kept alive.
I have known Bergie for many, many years. His brother married my twin (in the 80s). As such, he and I were thrust together at many events and family outings. He was a fun friend, taunting me and laughing all the while. He was also an extremely skilled handyman, dedicated fellow Dead Head, and brother in spirit. I loved him. I love him still.
"Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile . . ."
On Monday, August 16, 11 days after that fateful afternoon, Bergie's fight for life ended as he was removed from life support at the behest of his loved ones. I don't know about you, but I do not wish this decision on ANYONE. My heart breaks for everyone touched by this tragedy. Family (limited by "Covid" restrictions) flocked to his side, and Bergie passed on to righteousness later that evening, at the way-too-young age of 59. He is finally at peace. As for the rest of us who knew and loved him, we are counting on Time, Love, and fond Memories to heal our hearts and bring us peace as well.
"Love will see you through . . ."
So it is with great sadness but much HONOR that I am creating this campaign to assist his widow, Nancy (to her chagrin—she is way too polite and kind), in raising money for Bergie's funeral expenses and any residual medical costs. Thank you for taking the time to read it. The only thing I can think of worse than shock-filled grief is that coupled with looming funeral expenses. Not fun. Not necessary. Please consider donating whatever amount you can toward memorializing Bergie and honoring is short-lived life. It would also mean a lot if you could maybe add an anecdote about your favorite memory or incident with him along with your selfless gift. (I know Nancy would love that.) In advance, thank you for your love and support at his shocking and difficult time, and God bless you regardless of your decision. Stay safe!
WE LOVE YOU, BROTHER!
"Just keep truckin' onnnnn . . ."
HOW YOU CAN HELP TODAY:
1. Please GIVE what you can. No donation is too small. All donations are tax-deductible, and all money goes to the family.
2. SHARE this story by sharing the URL (link) on social media, such as Facebook, using the buttons at the top of this page.
3. E-MAIL or TEXT the link to this story to your friends, family, and colleagues: gofundme.com/f/we-love-you-bergie/
Did You Know?
Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (RAAAs) continue to be a significant cause of death in the United States. Mortality rates after repair of an RAAA have not significantly changed in the literature in the past 20 years, still ranging between 30% and 70% in the most recent reports.