Asking for help on behalf of my cousin with cancer

[LutheranHusker]

Friends,

I've posted this in the cafe as well, but know there's a decent number of folks who don't get there. I realize Penn State is all the news today, but please read on...

Over the weekend, my aunt posted the following on Facebook about my cousin, Danny Perichino:

Dear Friends and Family,

We were overwhelmed with the news from the doctor yesterday. Danny is in Stage 3, possibly 4, of Classical Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Stage 3 means he has affected lymph nodes in his chest and belly; 6 to be exact. Today he has a bone marrow biopsy to see if it has metastasized there as well. We won’t know for a week, but if it has, the stage will be a 4. He starts 6 months of chemo next week and then will need a long and hard course of radiation.

Danny lives just outside of Orlando, shares an apartment with 2 of his best friends from York, works at Full Sail University, and has been loving life as every 24 year old young man should. Danny has always had a heart to help others. Growing up he’d always befriend the underdog. Even now, he gives his time to a few of the homeless people he passes on his way to work each day. He knows their names and takes a few minutes to stop and ask how their day is going. He skateboards almost 4 miles a day to get to and from work because he doesn’t have a car. He’s been saving for one, but now that’s all gone toward medical expenses. Yesterday when we were at the oncology office we saw dozens of people receiving their chemo, and later Danny said that each time he goes for his treatment he will somehow brighten their day. I can just imagine what he’ll do. Maybe bring his guitar, or something crazy to make them laugh. He has an amazing heart for others.

His medical expenses are high already and will only get worse. Closest family has already given all that is possible and we now want to reach out to anyone who may have a heart to help. I’ve been researching fundraising ideas, but they all take a lot of time and we just don’t have time on our side. We have some wonderful friends who have already donated and we feel so blessed and thankful.

So I humbly ask any of you who can help financially, to message me privately here on Facebook. We need to raise tens of thousands of dollars to get him through. Please believe me, this isn’t easy for me to do, but a desperate mother cries out to save her child – humility and dignity are quickly forgotten and desperation takes over.

Thanks for keeping Danny in your prayers and may God bless you abundantly.

Right now, we as his family are working on putting together a non-profit foundation for donations to flow through and to help make sure things are accounted for the way they ought to be and such. I'll be in touch as things progress, but if you feel called to help with structuring the non-profit, please let me know. Once that's taken care of, I'll let folks know where donations can be made. In the meantime, I covet your thoughts and prayers for Danny...also, if you have any fundraising ideas, well--the more minds we have working together, the more potential we have to do big things.

If you use PayPal and are comfortable doing it, you can click "pay" or "donate" at that site and send a donation to lutheranhusker@yahoo.com, or if you would rather send a check, PM me and I can get you that information. At this point if folks want to donate before we have the non-profit set up, it probably makes the most sense for folks to make payments to me, and I can make sure they get to where they need to go. I COMPLETELY understand if folks aren't comfortable with that arrangement--I'll be sure to update here once we have set things up officially with the non-profit and such.

I am willing to stake my personal reputation at HuskerMax on the fact that this is all above board and is a very real need, and that any donations eventually made will go directly to helping my cousin Danny with his medical expenses. Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Shalom.

[Scrollsker]

Mods...I think this should be moved to the top and kept there for a bit.

Thoughts and prayers go to you and your family. One of my good friends' wife passed away from Brain Cancer 2 weeks ago.....she was 36. My heart goes out to Danny and your family. I will help where I can.

[LutheranHusker]

Thanks to all who have helped! My aunt just let me know that they've finally got the fund set up at the bank--here's what she wrote:

The bank account is ready to receive donations. Checks should be payable to the Daniel Perichino Fund and mailed to Kennebunk Savings Bank, c/o Daniel Perichino Fund, 2 Hannaford Drive, York, ME 03909.

Thank you and God bless.