Help a fellow PJ

Melissa Lyttle sent the following note to the NPPA list. If you can spare a few bucks, please do so. If you can donate the profit from a freelance gig, even better. I did, so consider it a challenge.

"Photojournalist Stephen Coddington and his wife Marian are in their 30s, living in Riverview (Tampa Bay area) and are the parents of two children, ages four and seven. The Coddingtons are a young couple, deeply in love and raising a family together.

On April 1, 2008 Marian suffered a brain aneurysm. After 6 months in hospitals and care centers, she was transferred to one of the best facilities in the nation, The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. From there, she had to go to an acute care hospital for several surgeries.

Stephen stayed by her side in Chicago, working with her caregivers to help her return to a normal life. The health insurance company dug in its heels, refused to return Marian to the Rehabilitation Institute and stopped all payments to the acute care hospital. Ultimately, Steve brought Marian home, and assumed the role of single parent and sole caregiver, therapist and advocate for his wife.

Marian's mind is active and she understands fully what is going on around her, but her body has essentially locked her in. She can't walk or care for herself, and she is working hard at learning to speak again.

Steve has used up his family leave time and has neither the helpers nor the money to provide the care she would need for him to return to work. Although the newspaper has continued to extend his leave, he's been fearful that at some time, the paper would have to cut him loose.

savestevesfamily.blogspot.com

If you can give, something, anything... it'll help. There's a donate button (Paypal link) on the Web site.

Also there's a benefit concert for the Coddington's at Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa on Sunday, August 23 (starts at 4 p.m.). If you're in the area, it's $10 to get in, and it's a day of great music for a good cause.
So come..."

Best,
Melissa Lyttle