I just refinanced my mortgage and in addition to lowering my payments by a couple hundred bucks a month, I get to skip paying my mortgage for the month of February… I was noodling ideas about what I could do with that “extra” money (Macchu Pichu, a pub tour of Ireland, trim the trees that desperately need it, get my hair done, purchase a new toilet) then I found out that one of our DimeStoriers, Eirik Gumeny, needs our help.
A couple days ago Eirik was airlifted to Stanford Medical:
Born on July 27, 1980, Eirik was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at age 3. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system, causing the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening infections. CF also obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food, resulting in low body weight and a higher susceptibility to illness. (CFF.org) Because of this, the doctors at Stanford University have begun evaluations for a life-saving double lung transplant…. continue reading Eirik’s story and find out how you can help–>
As I’m sure you can imagine, this kind of medical treatment, even with insurance, is expensive… and Eirik’s health has made paycheck-earning work impossible. He is, however, a talented and hard-working writer and a valued member of our DimeStories community. Twice his stories have been selected as Best Ofs in Albuquerque: “Boy Meets Girl” (June 2011) and “Close Enough” (March 2013), both of which you can listen to in the archive. And you can read about Eirik’s writerly work over on his website (where you’ll see what I mean by “hard working).
I’d like to ask my fellow DimeStoriers, and anyone else who stumbles across this website, to help one of our own… I personally donated some money– some of that mini “windfall” that came with re-financing, and I’d love it if you could find a little “extra” somewhere too… every little bit helps. Donations are tax deductible, and you can donate in Eirik’s name here.
You can also buy some of Eirik’s books: you get a great read and he gets the royalties.