Looking for some assistance in a mission of kindness

C

cfwheeler58

New member
Greetings from NJ, my friends

I would not even think of doing this but for the quality of the folks here
and my own reputation on this site.

So...I was selling off model ships at the beginning of this year, trying to
clean up my stash and raise some money.

I met a great guy online. He is David who lives in Oklahoma. He is an avid
hobbyist; a woodworker and a model builder. He is also a disabled veteran.
His lungs are SHOT. He has a controlled breathing environment and rarely
leaves the house. He is on a fixed income and money is tight.

Over the past several months I have sent him a variety of model kits to build.
Some Tamiya motorcycles, an airplane engine kit, some Star Wars stuff. Each
time I picked up the shipping. He has been building what I sent and sending
pics. Very gracious. Very appreciative.

I do not believe he knows of or pays any attention to this website or forum.
He is not a gamer, nor a "figure guy". He said "I don't have the paints for that".

I have in my possession a very nice multi-media airplane model kit which I
intend to send him. It is the Model Airways Nieuport and it will keep him busy
for quite a while. It's NIB and a beauty.

http://www.modelexpo-online.com/product/MA1002

Under the "documents" tab, you can pull up a pdf of the instructions. Impressive.

I own this kit ( and the Albatros which I am keeping ) and paid full price for it
once upon a time. He is excited at the prospect but has no money to either pay
for it or pay the shipping ( heavy box ). I am committed to send it to him and
to eat the shipping if need be.

I would be very appreciative ( as would he ) for any donations I could scare up
to offset the shipping and maybe even some of the kit cost. I am pretty confident
that my history and rep on this site speaks to my personal integrity. I am just
trying to help someone and would like my friends to join in.

If you can spare a little of your own hobby funds, that would be great.
Send me a PM and I will send you my PP account info. Some of you already have
it as I have bought and sold a fair amount of items here.

I will acknowledge all contributors in this space ( unless you do not want me to )
Optimistic am I....I will cut off contributions at a $150 accumulation, if that happens.
If you want your contribution to be used ABOVE the $150, let me know.

The shipping should be $30 to $35. I will confirm once I find a box that works.
The kit box is an oblong PITA......

As well, I would be interested to hear from anyone willing to donate a NIB model
kit to David. You would send it direct to Oklahoma ( enclose a note ). David would
be interested in armor, planes, automobile, sci-fi, motorcycles and ships.

Please don't take this as an opportunity to simply dump crap. This is not the ME
after all. Nice NIB kits would be awesome. Send me a PM with kit info so I can
co-ordinate and pass you his info. I will not publish it here out of respect for the
man's privacy.

I have a 1/6 Tamiya Yamaha kit that I am planning to send him for Xmas.
It's a beauty and I won't get to it. He has enjoyed the 1/12 versions I have sent
him. This will blow him away. These 1/6 kits are exquisite. Highly recommended.

After a long period of unemployment and the decimation of much of my savings,
I am returning to work as a business analyst in NYC. Door to door promises to be
12 to 13 hours a day. One day a week I can work from home. The bad news is that I
will have less time for hobby; the good is that I can finally go in that room without
guilt. Some of you may know what I mean :)

I am a lucky guy. I am relatively healthy, loved by my family, now employed and
I have a hobby which fulfills a part of me nicely. I have some great friends in the
natural sphere and some more virtually. I help where I can. I'd be grateful for those
who can join me in this small endeavor ( endeavour for my Brit friends ).

Kind Regards,
Chris Wheeler
 
Dragonsreach

Dragonsreach

Super Moderator
Considering the amount of generosity you've shown me, count me in.
I get paid Monday, so you will know when to look.

Might even be able to drop a couple of things his way as well, can you PM me his address.
 
Zab

Zab

Almost Perftec! Aw, crap.
My dad has an EXTENSIVE (I mean his whole crawl space of his split level basement is packed with boxes) collection of scale model planes in 1/72 mainly, but some bigger scales too. He fears some day soon they will all become my problem. So glad my mini addiction isn't that bad...yet. I'm sure he would be willing to part with kits too. Is there a scale David prefers to work in or even a period of aviation?
 
C

cfwheeler58

New member
Moetle,

At he moment, $13 US added to funds in hand would cover shipping.
Much appreciated. Look for a PM.

Zab,

I don't know his tastes, exactly. You can reach out direct and ask him :)
Look for the PM
 
C

cfwheeler58

New member
Just Received a nice donation from Bailey03.
Many thanks David.

Also one from Moetle and from Zab.

And one from Matt Varnish

And a very generous assist from one of our well knowns
who has asked to remain anonymous.
 
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C

cfwheeler58

New member
Package has been delivered.
I don't have an actual reaction from David yet.
I'll paste it here when it comes in.

Many thanks to all who contributed.
 
C

cfwheeler58

New member
A sad ending to this tale

Much time has passed since my last update on this.

I was cleaning up my personal emails the other day and decided to reach out to
David again. My last email from David was in August of 2014. He had finished
one wing of the wooden plane and was toiling away on the engine. By all accounts,
he was having a blast...and really appreciated the kindness of all who helped.
He said then that his lung capacity was down to 30% and had just boosted his
medications again, but he was plugging along as we old folks do.....

Last night, I googled his name and last address but nothing popped quickly.
Hesitantly, I added the term "obit" and sadly he popped right up.

David passed in December of 2014. I do not know the details.
I could not be sure it was him at first, but one of the pictures shows him posing
with his beloved intarsia ( a form of inlaid wood carving ). His personal email
address included the word which had spurred us to talking about it.

I will be reaching out to his wife to offer my belated condolences.

Here he is:

http://obits.dignitymemorial.com/di...id-Huntsman&lc=7375&pid=173512985&mid=6241593

I would like to thank my friends here, once again, who jumped in with
assistance when I originally posted this. Your kindness was and is appreciated.

Regards,
Chris
 
airhead

airhead

Coffin Dodger / Keymaster
CF, I'm sorry I missed this when it first came around. Sad for your loss. Good friends are a rare thing and losing one is never easy.
Godspeed to your friend.
Rest easy soldier.
 
C

cfwheeler58

New member
For anyone interested in this, I have the email response from David's widow below.
Sad for the loss, of course, but satisfied that our shared acts of kindness made a real
difference to someone who, essentially, knew he was dying.

========================================================
Chris,

Thank you for your thoughtful comments in regards to David. I knew you as a buddy in model building in NJ. You are right: David was a wonderful man, husband and friend to all. He had an outgoing personality and a love for life. The last few years he kept as busy as his body would allow and he did work on many models and very much appreciated his contact with you. In the last few years of his life he was more house bound and the models you both shared kept him busy.

It pleases me that you cared enough to find and discover why you no longer heard from David. I do apologize for not realizing who you were and responding to the emails you sent. I was touched that you viewed the video of his memorial at the funeral home. As you seen, his family, and friends did mean a lot to him.

You are right; I do feel David is close to me spiritually but I miss him beyond words. We were 45 days short of being married 41 years and life without David has been very hard emotionally. I never thought much about what a “soul mate” term meant until David was gone. Now I know we were soul mates. He was my strength and the love of my life. We loved one another unconditionally.

My prayer is that everyone who engaged with David will remember him from time to time. A day doesn’t go by that I don’t think of him, miss him and thank God for the opportunity to have been his wife and friend. My memories are bitter sweet; but I know he is in heaven with Jesus and I will be with him again.

Thank you again for your sincere message to me. May God bless you and yours always for taking the time to think of me and my loss. I appreciated it very much.

Most sincerely,

David’s widow,
Rita
 
BloodASmedium

BloodASmedium

[img]http://pnp
I'm very extremely sorry for your loss!!!!! I know for a fact he's very pleased with your mission to include all of us on the cmon family to partake in the bereavement, the happy memories and all else we were all made part! I believe that we all meet again with our loved ones. Knowing somebody in heaven means you yourself have a Lil piece of heaven everywhere you dwell!
 
BloodFather of Kharnath

BloodFather of Kharnath

New member
I am sorry for your loss. I am also sorry that I did not see this post sooner. As a disabled vet myself, I truly believe that the success I experienced with the armed forces is due to the courage and will of our predecessors. There is no one on this earth I would rather help than a fellow veteran. You did a great thing by making his last days pleasant ones...
 
C

cfwheeler58

New member
Thanks for kind words and support.
Was not I alone.
Others here jumped in when asked.
Sadly, we we were all late in his life.
 
JohnnyRockets

JohnnyRockets

New member
Hi Chris,

Weird thing. I just found this forum again and this is the first post that I read on it and my first post to the forum.

I was all set to donate, but then I realized that the thread was old. I really like reaching out to other modelers. You're a heck of a guy! Count me in, if this kind of thing ever rises up in the future. I'm always good for a donation to a good cause.

I'm very sorry for your loss.

JR (Michigan, USA)
 
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