I read with interest the article on the front page of the Addison Independent about the Heffernan family and their daughter, Kaitlin Heffernan, who needs money for a double lung transplant, having suffered with cystic fibrosis all her life. How sad, a young lady, working, putting money into the system and wondering how her life is going to turn out.
I mentioned this to my mother, a 90-year-old woman who worked until she was in her 70s and brought up 10 kids. She quoted this: “The state of Vermont will help anybody that doesn’t want to help themselves. If they are a drunk or on drugs the state of Vermont will give them anything.”
This article on the front page isn’t about begging for money. It is about wanting to live a productive life. I, myself, have volunteered for 20 years as a vendor in Bristol for the Three Day Stampede for Cystic Fibrosis. The Dave and Bonita Bedard family and volunteers work very hard raising money for this cause. Also, WOKO radio station does a tremendous amount of advertising and hard work for the Three Day Stampede.
The family has set up a special account called “Lungs for Kaitlin” at the National Bank of Middlebury where people can donate. Kaitlin’s mother, Valerie, has also set up a fundraiser on the crowd-funding website gofundme.com. As of the end of last week, the campaign had raised $8,088 of its $25,000 goal.
Please contribute to this lifesaving cause.
Whitey Mayo
Lincoln