06/30/2025
Please take a moment to pray for my brother.
That’s him, standing second from the right, my big bro, Stan, and his wonderful bride of two decades, Susan (aka Best Sister-in-Law Ever).
This picture was taken yesterday, in our back yard in Pilot HIll. Stan and Susan arrived here Saturday for a brief overnight.
But this is no ordinary summer road trip for Stan and Susan. They drove from Spokane, heading to Stanford Medical Center in Palo Alto, CA in hopes that…Stan will be accepted into Stanford’s organ transplant program.
Never one to do things by half-measures, Stan doesn’t only need a heart, but also a lung.
His heart problems started over 30 years ago. He’s got a whole alphabet full of fancy names for what ails his ticker that I’ll entertain you with tomorrow.
Plus he’s got a pacemaker and a defibrillator. Bottom line is that his heart is dying.
It’s no longer really funny when I accuse him of having half a heart. It’s simply the painful, heart-breaking truth. And the hearts breaking are those who know and love him.
Just to add more stress, recent tests discovered asbestos scarring on his lungs. Because heart AND lung transplants are not done in Spokane, he’s now been referred to Stanford.
All this week, Stan is being evaluated to see if he’ll be accepted into Stanford’s program. While he undergoes scores of tests, Susan will be by his side every step of the way.
At night, they’re rooming in San Francisco with lifelong friend and former Spokanite Arnie Thompson (thank you for your hospitality!).
I ask that you please keep Stan and Susan in your prayers this week.
If you’re not into praying, then smoke signals, a rain dance, howling at the moon with your dog, a midnight horseback ride, chanting, or just thinking good thoughts will happily be accepted, with great and sincere gratitude.
For a guy with such a crummy one, Stan’s heart has always been big. Please help us keep the good thoughts going that he’ll be accepted into the program.
The world needs him around a couple more decades.
