One of our community members is bravely facing a grave illness. rb608 is beginning chemo for recently discovered cancer, an illness he announced in Cheers and Jeers on Halloween:
Serious Cheers and Jeers today.
I told my real life loved ones last night, so now I can tell you here. When I had my gall bladder removed a few weeks ago, the surgeon looked around while he was in there, and what he found isn’t good news. Pancreatic cancer, metastasized to my liver and abdominal wall. Needless to say, there have been some tears here at home as we try to figure out what “normal” is going to be from here on out. I’ve had a med port installed, and we’re hoping I can get the chemo regimen nailed down and started this week. How much time do I have? Don’t really know; but this is a notorious bad one; and despite my attempt to put a cheery, optimistic face on it, I don’t think I’ll be walking my daughter down the aisle. So that’s that. I love you all here, and I didn’t want to just disappear without my friends here knowing what’s what.
Despite that, I still have a good Cheer. The SO and I have decided to get married. I love this woman more than I can say, and she’s been wonderful for me through so much in our too short time together. So, we’re going to get a license and have a small ceremony here at the house in the next couple months as soon as we nail down the chemo schedule.
So, I’m home on short-term disability for now, and I’ll be cheering & jeering as long as I can. Peace. Love.
His daughter wrote to me and asked for a community quilt for her father — and that is what we are gathering here tonight to get underway.
What is a community quilt? It is a quilt bearing messages of love and support from you, the members of the community, which I will transcribe in archival ink onto muslin. Then my sister and I will design and sew a quilt incorporating your words. Rb608 will be able to wrap himself in your love — literally! His quilt will be a blanket that will warm the heart as much as the body. He will find it to be very useful when he is getting chemo, when he is resting at home, and whenever he wants to feel the presence of his online friends. The magic of this quilt of caring begins tonight, with your words which rb608 will be reading here, in the comments.
Please note, if you leave a quilt message in PayPal rather than in the comments below, please Kos mail me as well to let me know. The way PayPal is now configured, it is easy to miss attached notes.
It takes time and material to make a community quilt and it is a living for me and my sister. If you would like to contribute toward its cost, here is a PayPal link for rb608's quilt — or message me for an address if you prefer a check. $20/message is suggested but no worries if you cannot afford to donate. We still want your message! This is a crowdfunded thing and some always give more to cover messages for those who are short on funds.
Our progress: we need at least 44 messages to make a pattern. We are currently short 6 messages and $53 for the quilt. I will keep these numbers updated.
Messages received so far from:
1. Pam from Calif
2. bfitzinAR
3. Scyellowdogdem
4. Louisiana 1976
5. maggiejean
6. cfk in the Thumb of Michigan
7. RunawayRose
8. LizinPA
9. Auntie Anne
10. nomandates
11. JoanMar
12. Ekaterin
13. BlackSheep1
14. Common Sense Mainer & Bill in Portland Maine
15. dialysisterLCO
16. Jck
17. JCBlues
18. thurayya
19. officebss
20. sfpcnik
21. Avilyn
22. escapee
23. map
24. The Marti
25. BeadLady
26. Maudlin
27. greenbird
28. bill dog
29. swampyankee
30. Elnal60
31. Bill in Portland Maine and Common Sense Mainer
32. Spirit of Life
33. ObserverinVancouver
34. jtg
35. FarWestGirl
36. democrat in exile
37. Cheeky Celt
38. SheWhoMustBeObeyed
We still have several quilts in the queue that have been waiting for quilts for serious illness (such as this one) to go first. The quilt for the Mother Emanuel Church is on the design wall, we are still collecting messages for gchaucher2 and Denise Oliver Velez’s quilt, which is a tribute quilt, will come after that.
Check here for a list of our completed quilts.see here for her lovely thank you diary
See also these three posts about the community quilt project:
KosAbility: A Virtual Quilt for Sara and Ann, from Community Quilt recipients
We Have Something to Say to YOU, Sara R and winglion!
Community Quilt FlashMob Brightens up NN13
Community Quilt Testimonial Videos
remembrance
ramara
paradise50
shanikka
cskendrick
peregrine kate
PAYPAL LINK FOR RB608'S QUILT - THANK YOU!
Namaste.