myself & Burt Walker

On Saturday,  September 10, 2016, at the grand stand on the Piggott court square, the drawing for the Henry American Farmer Tribute Edition .22LR took place.  The name drawn and winner was Burt Walker of Mounds, Arkansas.  He bought his ticket at Legacy Equipment (John Deere) in Piggott.

This completes the fundraising for my trip to Mexico for HSCT.  Everyone’s help has been greatly appreciated.  If not for the help of the community and outlying areas, I would not be able to go and stop the progression on my MS.

I am now asking that everyone keep me in your prayers and thoughts during my stay for treatment and when I return for a speedy recovery.  I leave October 8th for treatment to start on the 10th.

Thank you everyone!

Saturday, September 10th, we will be setting up to sell chances for the last time before we draw the winner’s name at 4 PM at the gazebo on the square during the 60th Anniversary of A Face in the Crowd. The person will have to pass a background check before they can take possession of the rifle. We will have it on display that day.

This will be the last time myself and the Team Mo members will be asking for donations of any kind.   But………….

I want to thank everyone for their help in making this treatment to stop the progression of my MS happen. Without the help of my family, friends, and community; I would still be hoping to go to Mexico.  I go for HSCT treatment in October.

Thank you everyone!  Merita

I would like to thank my family, friends, and the merchants of Piggott for the donations and to everyone that attended the auction on August 20^th held in my honor for making it a huge success. I would especially like to thank Donnie & Nell Cooper for helping me put this all together.  Also big thanks for all the ring men and the auctioneers that took time out of their day to help Donnie pull this off.  A big huge thank you goes to Mom and Dad for all their hard work to do what I couldn’t and to the members of Team Mo for standing by me.  My date is set for HSCT October 10^th. The biggest thank you goes to the man above for answering my prayers and stopping the rain for the duration of the day.

Thank you,

Merita Graddy Hanna

The Donner Family Reunion was held Sunday, August 7th in Manila, Arkansas.  This is my mother’s side of the family.  We were unable to attend because Dad had surgery on the 2nd and Mom didn’t want to leave him alone and I can’t drive.  I was going to set up and try to sell raffle tickets but the clan got together and surprised me with a huge donation.

They passed the hat and what was collected, my cousin Carolyn Bailey matched.  Another cousin, Geri Holmes had done a quilt for my auction.  Since I wasn’t there they voted to auction it off there and keep it in the family. There were a couple guys that still wanted some chances on the rifle.

I was so shocked when my cousin Betty Bollinger contacted me to tell me what they had done. I am proud to have Donner blood running through my veins even if they had to resort to cannibalism in the 1800’s to stay alive!

Thank you Donner’s, it was greatly appreciated.  I now have my treatment and airfare paid for.  Dad doesn’t want me to go down there by myself but we are having a hard time coming up with a birth certificate to get him a pssport.  I’ve decided he doesn’t exist on paper!  His grandfather was a doctor and delivered him.  Dad said he must have taken one look at him and didn’t want to claim him!

PUBLIC AUCTION

Click on the above to see if it shows the list.  This is the first I’ve tried to do a document!

It has been awhile since I have made any updates on here so I will let you know what’s been going on. It has been hectic trying to raise money because my deadline to send in my payment to the clinic is fast approaching.

Dad and I have been setting up at the Piggott Farmers Market the last two Saturdays and plan on doing it again this Saturday (7/9). Thankfully it hasn’t been that hot and they are calling for a 50% chance of rain again so there may not be that many out.

We sat up at the pavilion on the 4^th and had a very good day.  I didn’t pay the rental fee for a small area of grass on the picnic grounds because I thought it was too much ($100) and it was calling for a 60% chance of rain and I didn’t think I would sell enough chances to pay for it.  I know the picnic is held for the upkeep of the cemetery but it is held on city property and I shall stop my rant right here.  I was hoping to set up at the rest of the picnics but have been turned down by the cemetery associations there also!

Vance & Autumn Turner manning the rifle raffle table on the 4th of July!

I want to thank my parents, Debbie Rhew, Vance & Autumn Turner, Ronnie Holmes, Johnny Johnson, Marty Renard, Linda Ort and her sister Susan for helping man the table on the 4^th to sell chances on the rifle.  With all their help, we turned out to have a fantastic day!  THANKS GUYS!!! 

Now about the refinancing of the house, what a nightmare this has been. I started the process in March and we are still working at it because I went from a conventional loan to a FHA loan (I made that change at the end of May).  I am now having to resend everything that I had already sent them plus some.  I hope that we can get this finalized by the end of July since my payment of $54K is due to Clinica Ruiz the first of August!  I need this to help make the total because I don’t want to have to reschedule the HSCT.

What money I have raised thru HelpHOPELive can’t be drawn out until I get a doctor to fill out a form stating I have MS and not just raising money for the thrill of it. They have faxed the form to my PCP and my neurologist but neither has filled it out.  We are still trying though. My neuro just called and because of the wording on the form, he will not fill it out.  Go figure!!  As of today (7/7), Danielle at Clinica Ruiz came thru and filled out the Medical Verification form so I can draw on my funds.

This is what’s been going on in my neck of the woods and I hope that everyone out there is having a good summer. I will end this on a chuckle….

My campaign is ‘Mo’s Revenge on MS’ and I didn’t think about it but a lady stopped by the table and when she first read the sign – she couldn’t figure out why Missouri was taking revenge on Mississippi!

HSCT to stop the MonSter!