A Gift a Day: 2010-01-12 (Updated 2010-01-15)

Important updates are included in this post.  They appear within the post in bold, green print.

Day 12

Welcome back!

I used the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program at work to donate my accumulated annual leave (AKA “vacation time”) to one of my colleagues today.  I’ll get more over time, but he’ll be out of the office a lot in the upcoming weeks.

He also has a family to support, so he’ll need plenty of help (even if he’s too proud to ask for it).

Now, don’t get me wrong.  I’m not helping because I feel sorry for him.  I do feel sorry for him, but that’s not the point.  I want to help because he’s a great guy, and because he has done so much to help others.  If there’s a person who deserves to be helped through a rough situation, it’s him.

He was recently diagnosed with lymphoma (a type of cancer that starts in the lymph nodes).  I don’t know what type it is, and I really don’t care right now.  I just want it to be the gone type of lymphoma!

The type of lymphoma is b-cell, non-Hodgkins  lymphoma (B-NHL).  The doctors are still unsure of the specific type, but they are making progress.  According to a 2006 report published by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, about 75% of lymphoma patients go into full remission – considering that report is over three years old and that cancer research and treatment has improved dramatically recently, I have a feeling the survival rate is even higher now.

One of the best ways to battle any type of cancer is through the use of social media to raise awareness and donations.  Now, I don’t want to say he’s afraid of social media, but he just might be…

In light of my colleague’s refusal to use Facebook or twitter to start a rallying cry, I’ll do it for him.

After I speak with my colleague or his wife, I will add a link/links for donations (all donations will go to the organization(s) they choose) to this post.

A donation account has been created to help with his care and medical expenses.  I contacted the bank (Community Bank, operated by Bank of America) and they informed me that they do not have the means to receive donations from various sources and that donations must be made directly from a donor’s account.

If you want to help, here is the donation account information:

  • Donation fund for:  Wigberto Delgado
  • Savings Account #:  3692052968
  • Routing #:  051005504
  • BLZ (for German donors):  50110900

If you are concerned about this being a fraudulent request for money, feel free to send Community Bank customer service an email or call them (toll-free) to verify the account information.  They can be reached at 800-239-9427 (press 0 to speak with a customer service representative) Monday-Friday, 8 A.M. – 7 P.M. Central time.

Thank you for your support.

Please tell your friends and families about this post and please come back!

Live. Love. Laugh. Learn. Leave a legacy.

You can follow me on twitter @josephjsmith

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Feeling blessed and thankful for family and friends I’ll never forget and times I’ll never remember :)

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If you’d like to be included in my upcoming book, email your tips, tricks, or stories focused on financial, physical, mental, social, and/or spiritual improvement to lifestylecommand@gmail.com. These areas are intended to be broad (e.g. Physical can include anything dietary, exercise, or medically-related…you name it!). If you’re used as a case study, I’ll send you a free copy of the book!

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