Please Help: A Family In Rockaway Queens Needs Us

Ok, everyone. It’s time to use our powers for good.

Let me introduce you to Mikey. He’s a 6 year old kid who lives in New York with his mom Chrissie, his sister Katie, his brother Timmy and his dad Matt. They moved there from Florida a few years ago and live with his grandmother. Why? Because four years ago Mikey was diagnosed with brain cancer and they wanted him to get treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering.

But this isn’t a story about cancer. This is a story about a family and a hurricane. You see Mikey’s family is from the Rockaway section of Queens and Sandy has taken everything from them.

The first floor of their house – Chrissie’s childhood home, where she and her children have spent every Christmas and Thanksgiving – is covered with sewage from the flooding. Yesterday the city has tagged it “restricted”. They were able to take a few things with them when they evacuated and this week they were allowed to gather what was left on the second floor – the only portion of the house not flooded.

Now they’re living upstate a bit with Matt’s family. They plan to stay there a while so Katie can resume school and so they can be within reach of Mikey’s medical team in the city. Matt is able to continue working one of his two jobs but the other is too far away to make commuting possible. Chrissie is focused on finding a new apartment and figuring out how to get everything her family needs.

And the kids…here are Chrissie’s own words about the kids:

Timmy, he’s lucky. He doesn’t get it. Mikey, he’s upset. He keeps asking to go home to Rockaway. He has no idea how much we lost. When he starts asking for certain toys and things it will be hard because I’m not sure how much he’ll understand but we’re going to tell him the best way we can. Katie, oh my Katie, she’s a mess. Poor Katie was in school on a Friday in Florida and then in Rockaway on Monday when Mikey got sick. We had to get rid of so much in that move and now, she’s displaced overnight and we’ve lost so much again. We’ll get through it… I have to believe that.

I have to believe it, too. I have to believe it because I know that we can all help them get through it.

This family is not hypothetical  “other people”. They’re good people and they need our help. I have started a fundraising page for them and I am asking you to donate. It doesn’t have to be a lot. Maybe the cost of a pair of jeans for a child. Or enough to replace a pair of ruined winter boots.  $10, $20, $100, I don’t care. Please just help me do something for a family who needs a hand up. Your donation will go directly to Chrissie’s PayPal account as soon as you donate. The site doesn’t take a percentage so all of your funds, minus a small fee PayPal takes, will go directly to the family.

Just click here to go to the the fundraising page.

I’ve already donated to kick this off. Please, please, please help out. I assure you this is all real, not a scam. This is just a family in America who is fighting cancer and a hurricane all at once. I know them through one of my oldest and dearest friends in the world and I can verify this story.

If you want more proof that they’re real, you can read about Mikey’s cancer journey at his Caring Bridge page. Also, Chrissie is a certified Disney trip planner. If you’re thinking of a Disney vacation and want someone to help you get the best deals and discounts, she’s you’re woman. Her website is right here.

Please, please, please help me help this family. Please. Please.