I normally don't ask for help, but.....


One of the members of my audio group just sent me the most distressing email I've ever received.
Gary is an Audiogon member. He and I met through correspondence over one of my postings nearly two years ago. I have come to know him quite well since then. He visited many times at my home for our Tuesday night music sessions. I had not seen him lately and found that his absence was due to his wife miscarrying their baby. I thought things could not be worse for Gary, until I received this second letter today.

My Name is Gary Hogman,

My wife Cindy is 32 years old and has just been diagnosed 3 days ago with
stage 4 cervical cancer and her chances for survival are very slim. She was
pregnant with our second child and had miscarried at 5 months and now we
know why.

This is a request for you to forward this email to everyone you know asking
for prayer. If you are religious or not. The more people that pray for her
to be healed the better. Company email distributions, friends, family,
people you don't even know. Please do it, your prayer will save her life.

Please pray and ask everyone you know to pray to their Lord, no matter what
religion for the HEALING of Cindy, removal of all cancer in her body so she
may enjoy all that life has to offer, and to continue to be the wonderful
mother to our 5 year old son Michael. The power of Prayer is unsurpassed.
I want the whole world to have her in their prayers the next
few weeks. God will hear our cry.

Please do not be offended by my plea. This is only a request for your help.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading this and helping with our
quest for healing, no words can express how much power we have when we do a
little extra to come together.

Regards, Cindy's in love husband.
128x128Ag insider logo xs@2xalbertporter
If all Audiogon members who read this post were to take 10 minutes (or more) away from the computer and prayed for this family I sincerely believe that we would as a group accomplish more good than we cumulatively do for each other as "audiofools". I'm sure that many of those (us) who frequent this site lose sight of important things in our quest for audio nirvana. Take the time to try to hear angels singing...
I have sent up mine. I have a daughter not quite this age and I can't imagine the heartache. Words are only words but my thoughts and prayers go out to Gary and Cindy.
I'll give all of the positive regard to the Cosmos that I can muster, but if I may I'd like to comment (if I may Albert) on the nefarious nature of this particular disease. Of course I cannot comment on this particular case but in the vast majority of cases of cervical CA, it is entirely PREVENTABLE, via annual exams and the established (yet imperfect) Pap smear.

If you are a woman, GO for your exams. If there is someone that you know and care about, be it your wife, girlfriend or otherwise ENCOURAGE THEM to go. DRAG them KICKING AND SCREAMING if you must, but PLEASE DO try to facilitate this. GREATER AWARENESS is the key - unnecessary suffering is the price in too many cases (and ONE is TOO MANY) Pardon my vehemence, but having been involved in one case as a resident was more than enough for me to sound like a broken record to all of my female patients on this issue.

I don't wish to detract from the original intent of this thread - my most abject of apologies if this is perceived. Albert, you have shown yourself once again to be a consumate gentleman and an enviable soul. Health and happiness to all.