We have been put on a long, challenging and uncertain road to recovery to save our little girl's life. The outpouring of prayers, positive thoughts and flat out love in the past week has been nothing short of inspirational. Nicole and I are fortunate to have such a wonderful extended family. Many of you have asked how you can help us as we navigate this long road, and most of the time, we’ve responded with “I don’t know yet.” The bad news is that there’s still a ton of questions we’re asking and finding answers to, but we’ve been able to put our heads together and come up with a few things:
1) While we haven’t run the numbers yet, it’s become clear to us that we will be struggling financially. Our medical insurance should take care of most of what will undoubtedly be astronomical amounts, but even co-pays for appointments and medications will add up quickly. Add to that the cost of transportation – gas, tolls, parking, etc. as we go back and forth to Buffalo. And then the real sticker for us is the realization of lost wages as Nicole has had to give up her teaching job and both of us are having to back out of professional performance opportunities. Local folks, the SUNY Fredonia Federal Credit Union has set up an account specific to this situation. They’ll take cash or checks made out to either Andrew Seigel or Nicole McPherson. We’ve also put together a webpage to make it easy to donate money. The URL is: http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/help-superheros-eleanor-and-benjamin-fight-cancer-chiari/96775 If that’s appealing, fantastic. And of course, the post still works too, and it’s nice to hear from all of you. Home for us is 36 Middlesex Drive, Fredonia, New York 14063
2) Donate blood! Eleanor’s had at least five transfusions of blood in the past week, and there may be more to come. Her improving health would not be possible were it not for the generosity of blood donors.
3) If the idea of a gift of money to us isn’t your cup of tea, consider a donation to one of the many research and support organizations that help people around the country as they deal with similar challenges: St. Baldrick's Foundation: http://www.stbaldricks.org/
4) You could donate to local children’s hospitals. We’re at Buffalo Women and Children’s Hospital, and the care that we have received both for Eleanor and for Benjamin in the past two years has been amazing. Local hospitals will also likely take donations of blankets, quilts, perhaps toys, etc.
5) Local friends – Susan Royal is putting together some help with meals for when the girls come home in a few weeks. There may be other things that we think of around the home in the weeks to come.
6) Your continued thoughts and prayers mean the world to us. We are lucky to have such fantastic care, a supportive community of friends and family, and even a job that affords us the ability to care for our children.
