Donation from Adeline and Emma so other kids don't have to lose a parent.

Every Get Your Rear in Gear race is built on stories.  Attend a race and you truly appreciate the stories surrounding you. You see the stories come alive in the teams wearing matching t-shirts walking in honor or in memory of a colon cancer patient. They show themselves in the “memory” and “honor” bibs family and friends wear. They are manifested in the camaraderie found when people who have been through the same hardships come together in support of one another.

At the Kansas City event in July one of these stories caught the attention of Get Your Rear in Gear event manager Christie Lockhart when two young girls presented their donation to the Get Your Rear in Gear team.  Team Jo Jo was walking in memory of Joanna Chance, wife, sister and mother of three young girls and one small boy. Her two oldest girls, Adeline (now 9) and Emma (7), presented their life savings, a princess vitamin jar filled with $63.11, to help ensure that other kids wouldn’t have to lose a parent like they had. Their mother, Joanna, had lost an 18 month battle with colon cancer in October 2010 at the age of 29.

Joanna’s husband, Terry, was kind enough to share the story behind Team Jo Jo.  Read it below in his own words. Thank you, Terry, for sharing your story.

Remembering Joanna Chance
September 7, 1981 – October 15, 2010

This story was generously shared by her husband, Terry Chance

The Chance Family

I moved from Des Moines, IA to Kansas City, MO in the late spring of 1999 to work with children at Northland Cathedral. While there I met this wonderful woman who liked to work with kids as well. I finally got up enough nerve to ask her out and we started dating in August of 1999. All things worked out and we were married April 28, 2011, her grandfather’s birthday.

Our first child, Adeline, was born on August 10, 2002. She was our bundle of joy. She was not a fan of her mom after 9 weeks or so. She wanted daddy and a bottle. Joanna was glad when I came home to entertain her. On March 18, 2004, our second bundle, Emma, came. This started a new trend because she only wanted her mom till she was about three. We had our third daughter, Isabelle, on May 3, 2006. Isabelle gave us a run for our money because she went through a phase of holding her breath till she went blue and passed out and it would take both of us to get her to come back to breathing. Then we had one more… this was a surprise to the whole family… on January 17, 2008, we had a baby boy, Owen.

We finally had our family and in September of 2008 took the entire family to Disney World. Talk about a trip that made memories that will last a lifetime. The following November, because of the economy, I lost my job, which in turn meant we lost our health insurance. Luckily in March 2009 I started a new job and began receiving health insurance as of April 1, 2009.

On April 7, Joanna was at home with the kids and began having abdominal pains and called her sister to take her to hospital. I left work and met her there. They started running tests to find out what was wrong they first thought she had diverticulitis, but they wanted to keep her overnight and do a colonoscopy in the morning. The next day I went back to work because I just started this job and all they were going to do is run tests. About midday Joanna called me crying because the result of the colonoscopy was a diagnosis of cancer.

Our first thought was she is too young for this and it happens in older people. Joanna kept positive and was determined that this will not keep her down. She had surgery on the 10th of April. They removed part of her colon and rectum plus her right ovary and right fallopian tube. She did well through out the surgery and spent a couple weeks in the hospital. Twelve rounds of chemo started mid-May of 2009 ending in December. The chemo took a lot longer then expected but she had problems with white blood counts, fevers and nausea. Most of these problems were caused from the chemo.

Team Jo Jo at Get Your Rear in Gear Kansas City

On December 22, results of blood work and a body scan came back a big thumbs-up, there was no sign of cancer in her body. Talk about an early Christmas present. She was excited because she was ready to put this all behind her (literally).

In April of 2010 she had a follow-up colonoscopy. The results were good, even to the point that she sent the picture to friends and family. We had a “Kicked Cancer in the Butt” party. She was on cloud nine. A couple of things that got her through it were the love she had for her kids, and a song by Kutless “What Faith Can Do”.

By May during a follow up visit, her doctors noticed her blood count was elevated. A CT scan revealed a baseball size tumor around her pelvis. They decided that they wanted to get more scans to see the mass and see if they could see if it has spread anywhere else in her body. Her doctors started to get a team together because of the location and not sure what the tumor had attached to.

The morning of June 21, she doubled over in pain and couldn’t walk, so we called for an ambulance. We also live about 30 miles from the hospital. They got here right in and reviewed her file. To our amazement they declared she had a bad case of gas. We did not accept that as the problem and requested that they contact her doctors. Her oncologist had her admitted, but they failed to contact her surgeon as well. By midday the next day her stomach was so swollen she looked as though she was pregnant. That evening the surgeon made it in to see her. He informed us that he would do the surgery on June 24 or 25.

Back of Team Jo Jo's shirts

On the morning of June 24 they ordered another CT scan and determined that it has grown in size and wanted to remove it now. The tumor was actually her left ovary that swelled to the size of a cantaloupe.  It had ruptured and was leaking fluid.  This is what caused the pain on the 21st, and the subsequent swelling in her abdomen.  The doctors drained 3 liters of fluid from her at the start of surgery.  They did a hysterectomy and oophorectomy.  Cancer was found on her left ureter, so they removed part of that and had to cut and stretch her bladder to reconnect the ureter to the bladder. The surgeon also inserted a temporary stint in left ureter to keep it open.  They found cancer on the colon and small intestine and removed sections of those.  They found gallstones in her gallbladder and removed the gallbladder.  The entire surgery took 5½ hours.  She received two units of blood post-surgery. When she got back to the room she looked a pale as a ghost.

This was the beginning of a very long summer. She spent most of the rest of the summer in and out of the hospital. She never really ever gained an appetite since the surgery she would just pick at food. It seemed she could make it home for a few days and needed to go back because she would have pains or become sick. Had several different types of infections. Buy the end of July they started giving her TPN.

Her doctors continued changing her meds to help with pain and infections. They had her on so many different medications that at times she would hallucinate and have major body twitches. Most of the time the kids were able to come for a visit, but when this would happen we asked Joanna’s sisters to not bring them because they didn’t need to see their mom this way.

During all this her pain level kept increasing, and continually had pain in her legs. Finally after additional scans they decided to try chemo and radiation. Through out both stays in the hospital I would be with her the entire time and left only on a few occasions but would return after a couple of hours. The day they started chemo I was gone for a couple of hours during which she had a reaction to one drug made her heart spike to about 260 bpm and her blood pressure to drop.  She went into anaphylactic shock.  As she was going into shock she could hear the nurses use words indicating how critical she was.  When she finally awoke, there was no one in the room, so she thought she was dead (no joke).

Team Jo Jo

After this incident they adjusted her chemo and scheduled her for radiation on her legs to see if this would help with the pain. She did that treatment with no effect on the pain. At this point I tried talking with her doctors to understand why she did not seem to improve. He would tell everything was looking good, because he did not want her to give up. He also knew that she was a strong woman who had faith in God to heal her.

August for us was an amazing month. Joanna and I had helped the children ministry at two different churches. Some friends decided to do a benefit for us and with that they raised over $15,000 dollars to help us. At the gym where Adeline is on the gymnastics team, some friends and coaches did a week long bake sale to help us out with tuition and fees for gymnastics.

At the beginning of August we were able to finally pin down her doctor and ask with all that is going on and her pain is increasing what we are looking at. They told us that after the first round of chemo and one round of radiation there had been little change and stated that if all went well she would live for about a year and if they go bad, 3-4 months.

This news was hard for both of us to grasp.  We struggled with how to tell the family and made a decision that we did not want the kids to find out until we felt the time was right. Imaging receiving this news and the only thing on your mind is your kids… It started a prominent statement “I am not giving up”…

Joanna finally came home with the help of home health. They would come every other day or as needed, but while it seemed good to have her home, we would always end up back at the hospital.  Joanna went through the second round of chemo, after which the doctors determined it had done nothing and there was not much more they could do except adjust pain meds to make her comfortable. In early October they broke the news that Joanna had 3-6 weeks to live.

As you can imagine this was hard news, we finally went home with hospice to help us through the last days. On Thursday, October 14, a little after 9 a.m., I called the two oldest kids to our bedroom to tell them that there mom was not going to be around much longer (the two younger kids had been staying with their aunt since June). This was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do.

Members of Team Jo Jo, including her husband Terry, prepare to cross the finish line at the Get Your Rear in Gear Kansas City event

Around 2 a.m. on October 15, 2010, Joanna finally, after 18 months of fighting cancer, received her healing. That next morning I had to tell the youngest two about their mom.

Because of the benefit we had the money we needed for the funeral and other expenses.

We decided to participate in the Get Your Rear in Gear in Kansas City because before all the bad news Joanna wanted to do this walk just because she liked the name. We are a family of jokers and pranksters. So it caught our eye after one of her sisters saw something about it. Now this is one thing we can do to keep her memory alive.

Mark Chambers (center) with Andrew Stein (far left) at a charity golf event before Mark's death.

Organized by Andrew Stein, Chambers’ business associate and golfing buddy, the event was created to honor and remember a local business man and friend.  “Mark was an avid golfer, he loved to have fun.  As a huge Jimmy Buffett fan, Mark just wanted to have a good time,” Stein said while talking about his friend.  “He was one of the brightest, most intelligent guys. He worked hard, but also played hard.”

The two men met through the local Chamber of Commerce where they both served on the Board of Directors.  Once they discovered their mutual love of golf, wine and travel, they enjoyed both a friendship and a business relationship. “I was lucky to have Mark as both a golfing buddy and a client,” Stein stated.

Chambers battled colon cancer off and on for nearly 5 years.  A month before he passed away in January of 2011 at the age of 58, he was still traveling and playing golf.

Stein wants others to know that Chambers was not screened for colon cancer prior to his diagnosis. If he had had a colonoscopy at the recommended age of 50, the cancer may have been caught earlier or prevented entirely. “While Mark wasn’t screened in time, the good news is there are others who got screened because of his struggles.”

The tournament organizers felt a golf event was the perfect way to honor a life-long golfer with six handicap who enjoyed playing in charity and fundraising golf events. Money raised at the golf event has been donated to Get Your Rear in Gear to help advance awareness, education and screenings for colon cancer.

View additional photos from the tournament here.

Tournament organizers (l-r) Ken Fosheim, Judy Havener (Mark's significant other); Peggy Stein, Andrew Stein, Jon Egge. The HWC on their shirts is in honor of what Mark wrote on each of his golf balls, meaning "Handle With Care."

]]> http://www.getyourrearingearblog.com/events/golf-tournament-honors-beloved-buisnessman/feed/ 0 http://www.getyourrearingearblog.com/events/family-turns-loss-into-a-celebration/ http://www.getyourrearingearblog.com/events/family-turns-loss-into-a-celebration/#comments Fri, 27 May 2011 15:28:41 +0000 Erin Peterson http://www.getyourrearingearblog.com/?p=3632 By Matt Knutson and Erin Peterson

His family described Mitch Turner as a tough man, with a strong mental attitude.  Mitch lost a six-year battle with colon cancer in August of 2010.

Mitch Turner

“My dad was such a strong, independent person,” Steve Turner said.  “It was hard for him to let anyone do something for him.”

But Steve and his siblings, Jeff, Jonathon, Connie and Lisa, and their mother, Octavia, were able to do something for him, something to remember and celebrate his life and make a difference for others struggling with colon cancer. The inaugural Mitch Turner Drive Away Cancer Golf Classic was held April 9, 2011, Mitch’s birthday, at Beaver Hills Golf Club in Martinsville, VA.

The result? Resounding success! In spite of a cold rain, the day included 14 teams, 56 golfers, and raised $3,700 for the Colon Cancer Coalition.

“I was really surprised to see that colon cancer was the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths,” Steve said.  “It’s so preventable; people just need to get out and get your screening done.”

During his six-year battle with colon cancer, Mitch encountered some physical challenges, but golf was one thing he was able to enjoy throughout. Steve and his brother Jonathan began planning the golf classic before Mitch passed away, with the hope that he would be able golf in it.

“That was one of the few things he could still get out and do,” Steve said.  “He was saying constantly, ‘I’m going to fight this as long as I can.’”

The idea of raising money and giving back fit right in with the way Mitch lived, and lives on even after his death. Mitch Turner donated his body to science with a hope that it could benefit people in the future.

In a letter he wrote to his family before his death, Mitch said, “I can imagine this scenario where a medical student or researcher is working with it [his body], and a light goes on in his or her head, and they discover a better or new way to do something that will benefit other people in the future.”

His letter specifically mentioned his hope for a better form or solution to chemotherapy, which caused him to have both hips replaced. “I realize the chances of this happening are minimal, but at least there’s a chance,” Mitch’s letter concluded.

Even in the early days following his diagnosis Mitch Turner was committed to encouraging others to get screened and take control of their health. He had a “Letter to the Editor” published in his local paper that told his story. He was looking to inspire others to get screened as a way to avoid the surgery and treatment he was undergoing. You can see his letter below.

The money from the inaugural Mitch Turner Golf Classic will be used to help the Colon Cancer Coalition further the CDC’s top two priorities for colon cancer: screening and education, priorities with which Mitch Turner would certainly agree.

A Letter to the Editor, written by Mitch Turner shortly after his diagnosis with colon cancer.

From all accounts, it doesn’t sound like the disease has slowed him down.

An active member of his community, both as a councilman and youth soccer coach, Fowler hopes that the area’s upcoming Get Your Rear in Gear Winston-Salem5k will help spread awareness of colorectal cancer and educate people on the importance of screening.

Event Director and gastrointestinal oncology coordinator at Wake University Baptist Medical Center, Lyn Wooten shares, “Colon cancer isn’t a disease of people who are 50 or 60 anymore. Our patients are 35 to 40. They’re younger and younger, so we need to get the word out to everybody.”

On March 26th, participants in the Winston-Salem Get Your Rear In Gear 5k Run/Walk will do just that.

Read the story.

Learn how you can establish an event to support GYRIG in your own community.

Update, June 13, 2011. We were saddened to learn that  Roger Fowler lost his battle with colon cancer on June 9, 2011.  He was only 39 years old. Our thoughts are with Roger’s family during this difficult time. Read more about his life in the Winston-Salem Journal.

Robyn Hassell, New Braunfels, TX

Surviving family:

Danny and Becky Hassell (Mom and Dad), Christie Hassell (sister),  Daniel and Jonathan Hassell (brothers), Joshua Hassell (nephew), Eva (sister-in-law).

By Becky Hassell

Robyn was a beautiful, vibrant 25 year old girl.

She developed a blood clot in her left shoulder on Sept. 19th, 2008.

After a month in the hospital in Austin, Tx. we moved her to MDA. There they did a colonoscopy and found she had a tumor in her colon. She lived 8 weeks after that diagnosis. We lost her on Dec. 20th, 2008.

Robyn was a precious daughter. She had a smile that literally lit up a room. She was full of life and very outgoing. We had no idea she was so sick. She looked so healthy. We miss her terribly. She was a joy to have as our daughter. She was thoughtful, kind, independent and sweet.

Robyn loved the Lord and was never afraid to share her beliefs with others. Especially while being treated at MD Anderson. She cared very deeply for others and shared her faith often. It didn’t matter who they were..Doctors , nurses, technicians, therapists. I know she left an impression on many who cared for her.

I know that Robyn would want the world to know how much she loved life. She would have been the very last person on this earth that I thought this would happen to. She was so full of life! I hope by sharing her story it might save another young person. It might cause a doctor to do a colonoscopy when otherwise he would not even think of doing one. How I wish we had known.

Visit Robyn’s Caring Bridge Site

Bruce CizekTinley Park, IL

Michele Miritlello (daughter)
Anthony, Andrew & Addyson Miritello (grandchildren)
Michael Cizek (son)
Eric and Charlie (grandchildren)
Jaime cizek (daughter)
Josh Maye (son)

by Michele Miritlello

My dad was 54 years old when he passed. He was retired from the Tinley Park Fire Depatrment where he had been for over 25 years. He loved riding his motorcycle and spending time with his grand kids.

He is special to me because he was always there for me and attended the birth of our first child.

My mom was always organized and always got up at the crack of dawn to start her day on the road. She cooked most of the meals, had everyones clothes ready, and never missed any sports games of ours while we were in school and college.

She was very determined to do what she had to do for herself and for others. On a lighter side she was also funny. She did corky little things like say w-o-w-i-e when something was outstanding or screaming when something excited her and making faces when someone sang off key.

During her last months she was diagnosed with pneumonia and was hospitalized for a few days. During this time she was organizing the Christmas program for the church. The day after she was released from the hospital she directed the Christmas program as the pianist. It was probably one of her best performances. She performed that day as if she did not have cancer at all. Matter of fact you wouldn’t have even know she had cancer the way she was performing. Unfortunately, after that performance she was completely drained until her passing. That shows her determination of how she was going to make that program happen.

My mom loved playing the piano, driving/riding all over, going to walmart in every city of Virginia, fishing, exercising (walking, swimming, aerobics classes).

One of my mom’s special talents was her gift of teaching music. I have never in my life seen such an impact on students. She taught and touched so many students, especially those that did not excel in other subjects who were your typical trouble makers. My mom was able to reach out to these students and all other students and engage them in music.

My mom played hand bells for the Presbyterian Church, she worked on the polls every year during election time, she was the pianist for her own church and a deaconess. She was Teacher of the Year for Virginia. She worked yard sales and directed Holiday programs for the church.

She was special to me becasue she did everything for me in order to make me successful. She gave me strength in order to become independent, she taught me how to be a Christian, how to love, and how to always smile even if it was a bad day. My mom was and will always be my strength.

When my mom was first married her mother passed and she took in her younger brother and younger sister and had them graduate from the high school in their town. She raised her grandson during the time she and my dad decided to retire and travel. Most importantly to me is that she always smiled. It wasn’t just a regular smile, it was the largest smile ever all of the time.

Drenette WoodsonWaynesboro, VA

My mom’s philosophy on life was, work hard and you’ll get what you deserve. My mom was the hardest worker I knew. She always kept busy and always did things to better herself. At the age of 65 she learned how to swim. She took PowerPoint classes and was one of the best PowerPoint presenters I knew. She learned Excel, which is impressive considering I am a professor and I haven’t even learned it completely. She used to wake up at 4am to go exercise until about 8 or 9am EVERY DAY. My mom barely rested until her last month of life in which she still got out to take a ride in the car.

She has been missed by many but a piece of her is in everyone she ever touched.

Amy Covey

Live. The single word sign hung visibly in Amy Covey’s home where she and anyone who visited would easily see. Such a simple four letter word, but for Amy it embodied her whole being – not just in her fight with colon cancer, but in the purpose of life itself. Make the most of every minute, every relationship, every opportunity for enjoyment, every chance to help someone, every… – well, you get the picture. “Live” to Amy didn’t just mean survive – it meant to embrace life in all its joy, glory, and pain, regardless of her personal circumstances. Amy’s zeal to “live” preceded her colon cancer diagnosis, but it became even more pronounced afterwards.

Amy grew up in Houston, Texas, graduating Clear Lake High School in 1994. A volleyball scholarship took her to Tulane University with graduation in 1998. For the next nine years, she lived and worked in New York City, along the way earning a Masters degree in Education from St Johns University. Amy was always searching for work that she enjoyed and could support her living in the City – an elusive combination!

In April 2006, after emergency colon surgery, she was diagnosed as Stage 3c colon cancer. For Amy, her family, and friends, the world stopped spinning. After six months of Sloan-Kettering guided chemo regimen – 5FU, Leucovorin, and Oxaliplatin – Amy had one month before her first post treatment PET scan showed metatases in remote lymph nodes in her neck and abdomen. The dreaded Stage 4.

As long as any of us can remember, Amy loved photography. She had a great “eye” and worked hard to create wonderful images. Her dream was to make photography her life’s work. During her initial treatment for colon cancer, she made the decision to leave New York and pursue a degree in photography at the Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara. The early reoccurrence and need to return quickly to treatment did not deter her plan, and in February 2007, she began classes at Brooks as well as bi-weekly chemo that included Irinotecan and Avastin. We never heard a complaint about having to keep up with her classwork amid the chemo effects – she was exactly where she wanted to be doing what she had always wanted to do.

Amy responded exceptionally well to the new treatment and by early 2008 appeared to be clear of any active metastases. 2008 was a wonderful year of hope, apparent remission, and flat out fun for Amy. Armed with her lifelong friends and new ones in Santa Barbara, Amy “lived” like there was no tomorrow. Her photography skills blossomed and she became a true artist. Brooks recognized her as their “Outstanding First Year Student”. A year’s worth of planning culminated in a trip to Burning Man 2008 (a trip she thought everyone should make). Unfortunately, CEA levels begin to creep up in the Fall.

In January 2009, scans showed that her colon cancer had returned with a vengeance with widespread metastases. Surgery in early February began a rapid decline from which Amy never recovered – colon cancer metastases in her lower spine and its associated debilitating pain overcame her spirit and health and precluded her from resuming chemo or entering into a clinical trial. Even with the debilitating pain, Amy made a trip to Houston to seek treatment through an MD Anderson clinical trial. Unfortunately, her health had deteriorated too much for that treatment. After being advised to seek hospice help, Amy elected to make one more painful and tearful trip from Houston to Colorado Springs where she lived her last three weeks at the home of her parents.

Amy, Hannah, Maggie, and Isla

“CoveyLove” – Amy’s Facebook alias, her “handle”, her persona, and perhaps her legacy. Amy “lived” and “loved” unconditionally. No one was dearer to her than her three nieces – Hannah, Maggie, and Isla. She was their “Crazy Aunt Amy” who always let them play with her iPhone and the apps that she downloaded specifically for them, who played with them like a big sister, and who cherished them as her number one photo subjects.

Our family has a hole that Amy once filled. Her energy, sense of humor and love of all that she met is a goal each of us will now attempt to achieve.

Four generations of our family!

My name is Diann Smith.  My family and I honored the five year passing of my sister Julie Link Daniels on July 26th by gathering four generations of relatives and walking the Monon Trail in Indianapolis, IN.  We were all decked out in purple shirts, her favorite color.  It was a beautiful summer day – very warm and sunny!  First, we gathered at the cemetery to place fresh flowers on her grave and join together in prayer.  We then had all the children take turns reading messages that each family had written to Julie and these messages were attached to purple balloons.  After reading the message, each child released the balloon to the heavens and boy, did we ever feel her presence.

The balloon my sister’s children released to the skies at first looked as if it wasn’t going to make it, for they had tied an extra long message for her onto the balloon and it was pulling the balloon down a bit.  It would rise and fall, rise and fall and finally, my sister’s son said,   “Don’t worry, because my Mom will still see it!”

Each child released the balloon

The angels up above must have enjoyed that, because that balloon finally took off!

After that, we drove over to the Monon Trail and walked about an hour in her memory.  We were quite the sight – all 38 of us walking in purple and honoring such a beautiful person.  We were thrilled when people stopped us and asked about our shirts and what cause we were supporting.

The family photo represents four generations of our family.  The oldest participant is 87 years old and the youngest is 15 months.  Our group included Julie’s husband & children, her parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, brother-in-law and sister-in-laws!

We thank the Colon Cancer Coalition for their help in creating our t-shirts and for their support and inspiration.  It was an event we’ll never forget.

The Coalition thanks Diann and all of Julie’s family for honoring her in this special way and for their very generous gift to the Coalition.

David and Erica

Dad was diagnosed in May of 2004 at age 50. He had had pain for about a year, but was afraid of doctors, in spite of our constant insisting that he get it looked at. Once he did, they found a golf ball sized tumor that required immediate chemo, radiation and a colostomy.

Dad was a champ, and the funniest man I know. He would put post-it notes with poems and notes on his butt for his nurses when it was time for radiation–his favorite read “does this post-it make my butt look big?” When it was time for his surgery, he and my mom had a “Kiss Your Ass Goodbye” party and he got a lot of use out of the phrase “Papa’s got a brand new bag.” His amazing attitude and humor, kept him going throughout his disease.

Sadly, the cancer continued to grow and spread throughout his liver and lungs and finally his spine. We kept him for longer than his diagnoses–he made it three and a half years! Sadly, on December 2007, he peacefully and beautifully passed away. I saw on his face his seeing Heaven, and he smiled as he took his last breath. He was 53.

David Reid

I carry my Dad with me everywhere I go in my heart. He helps me to live my life–my new philosophy is to do the things I want to do now and see the world before it is too late. I remember being in Oregon on the phone with him (he lived in Mississippi) and telling him about how beautiful it was there. He told me that he was so happy that I was getting to see something that he never would be able to see. I will never forget that. I know he would be proud of me and the things that I am doing and how I choose to live my life.

One more neat story that I’ll share with you–when dad was 19, he and three friends carved “Remember Duane Allman” into a dirt bank on the side of a highway in MS after Duane Allman was killed. It was there for years and even featured in Rolling Stone Magazine and many of their book compilations.

In October 2007, Gregg Allman was going to perform in my hometown, so the newspaper ran an article about them and interviewed Gregg, who told them that his mother had the photo framed in her house because it meant so much to her that someone made a tribute to her son.

David Reid

The guys all got to go to the concert and meet Gregg where they presented him with a signed and framed photo of the carving. This was just a little over a month before Dad died. Isn’t that amazing? It was like God and the world was letting Dad have that moment before it was time for him to go. I am so proud of him.