facebook page for the benefit on April 14

Here's a link to a Facebook page about the tasting & silent auction to benefit Michael; please share with your friends. Our goal is to have 100 people there - and many wonderful gifts and services have already been donated, including 19th century china mini-teapot, Pewabic pottery tile, artwork, and more...


And in case the imbedded link isn't working:
http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/event.php?eid=73325119679

Information-Discretionary Trust for Michael S. McMechan

Andrew set up a Trust for Michael.
Check should be made out to:
"Discretionary Trust for Michael S. McMechan"

Send to: Discretionary Trust for Michael S. McMechan
c/o L Saunders
4230 N. Oakland Ave #178
Shorewood, WI 53211
Questions? Andrew's cell phone is (949) 306-2858
Thank you!

volunteers needed for april 14 fundraiser at newberry library

Marian wrote a wonderful comment so I moved it into full view as a blog post - thanks so much for the update. We are praying for good news...but want readers to know that Michael will need additional in-home nursing care soon.

And so we are working on the April 14 fundraiser at the Newberry Library. It will run from 5:30-7:30 including a silent auction. The $20 admission includes a tasting of farmstead cheeses and Irish-style ales from Wisconsin. But we hope that bidding on the auction items will generate more significant contributions.

If you have crafts, artwork, books or other items you'd like to donate for the silent auction, please post a comment or email me at grillingwithbeer@gmail.com.

If you can give your time in helping to boost awareness of the event (emailing friends, blog notes, facebook etc.) that would be great. Also, we need helpers on April 14 to assist with set up and running the silent auction.

Thanks! and check back for updates this weekend....Blogger is scheduled for maintenance tomorrow and possibly Friday.

A note from Marian about Michael's health

Hello everyone:

Michael smiles so easily despite the situation. He is calm and patient.

We are waiting for the results of the MRI taken on Friday 3/20/09, Andrew and I keep calling. The surgeon ordered one at no charge (THANKS Dr. Michael of Beaumont!) since he owns a machine at his office. We have put in several calls, anxious to hear the news of how the tumor has changed since the surgery, radiation and chemo.

The surgeon was only able to remove 70% of the tumor because it's the really bad infiltrating kind, with tentacles. We don't know how long Michael has had it; surgeon thinks it's very aggressive. The first symptoms began after Thanksgiving. By early December, he was not functioning: not eating, not dressing, not communicating, not leaving the apartment. We thank God that we were able to learn that he was in trouble. We also thank the angel on the ground Kelly Doherty, who helped us figure out what was happening to him in Chicago...and has been helping with Michael's cats and apartment issues (along with husband Jamie) ever since!

Michael's brother Andrew drove to Chicago and brought Michael back here to Michigan since he was not able and cannot take care of himself. It is wonderful to hear from so many people who care about Michael. He's had some friends come to visit, people have sent cards and called.

The speech center of the brain is the where the tumor is located; Michael understands what is said to him but is very short on words, and tries to express a complex thought but cannot. He also has great difficulty trying to write anything. He has difficulty with balance and there are times when he must hold on to a wall and we put a chair behind him; he simply can't go on.

Unless he has a Doctor's appointment, his days are spent here at our home, where he reads the newspaper, walks around the house looking at things, watches TV or sleeps. We have a great room for him in our fully finished basement with a large full bathroom. He is able to get down the stairs while holding on to the railing. One interesting thing: before the tumor was partially removed, he was more likely to speak Irish rather than English, and not even realize he was doing it! That is better now. He is eating every bite of his meals.

Michael currently has about $100,000.00 in medical bills and no health insurance. It looks like he will receive some social security, and he also applied for medicaid but we haven't heard anything about that yet.

Michael has built his life around his ideals. He has lived simply and healthily, he walked everywhere. He is a vegetarian and practiced yoga. With all that healthy living, it seems so unfair that he should have this horrible cancer. He indulged only one thing: his desire for knowledge. He has this tremendous love for the Irish language and lore, and has been generous about spreading the knowledge for many, many years. Well folks, I could go on and on and on...this is the first time I have blogged in my life! Thank you for your interest and caring about Michael. Anything you can do to help is greatly appreciated!
Marian McM (Michael's sister in law, Andrew's wife.)

April 14th at the Newberry Library - the first tasting fundraiser

Thanks to the Newberry Library, where Michael taught Gaelic language classes for many years, the first fundraiser will be held on April 14th. We'll add more details as they are confirmed....

There will be a suggested donation asked of all attendees, between $20 and $45, according to ability to pay.

Do you know any volunteers who could help organize a silent auction? It would be great to have some books and arts and crafts available to bid on to raise more money for Michael.

I'll be bringing artisan cheeses to taste, as well as a selection of tasty beverages, but will need help with volunteer bartenders to pour. Let me know if there are any other foodstuffs you could donate!

cheers, Lucy