My wonderful readers,
I do not talk much about my personal life on these pages, namely because you might get bored! But there are times, and this is one, where I am going to make an exception and "open up," as they say.
I have been married to Kathleen, my wonderful wife, for 46 years this December. To say she has the patience of Job would be an understatement, but she and I have worked hard through our marriage to always be there for one another, and to make marriage work; as you know, marriages do not just consist of wine and roses! We have, together, raised three children (one of which we lost to cancer when he was 16), and been there for our children's children-Meghan has two, and Mike has three; I can often be heard saying that grandchildren are the reward for having children.
Five years ago, however, we were handed our greatest challenge yet: Kathleen was diagnosed with connective tissue disease related interstitial lung disease, pulmonary fibrosis in the context of lupus, and systemic sclerosis with anti-synthetase syndrome. In English, that means her lungs are failing, and the medications that are available will not stop the decline. Her only alternative at this point is a lung transplant, which is a very expensive operation, both in a personal sense (she will need 24/7 attention after she comes home for the hospital) and in a financial sense; the cost of the operation will exceed $1 million. Yes, we have insurance, and it is good insurance, but as you know, insurance does not cover all expenses. We have therefore created a fundraiser page for Kathleen's transplant, the link is https://helphopelive.org/campaign/22301.
I would consider it a great personal favor if you would follow the link, contribute if you feel so motivated, and please share the page on your Facebook, Instagram, and other social media outlets.
Thank you for reading, as always, your comments are welcome!
R. M. "Bob" Hartman
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