Richard Peck and the Teardrop Trailer Project
Photos by John Taylorson
A story about a father and son and limited time recently arrived in my inbox from a friend and I wanted to share it with the hope that more people can help and possibly make the story go viral. I have no idea what I personally would do if I found out I had cancerous tumors all over my body, but I am sure once I reached a goal I would accept a little help to get there and get there a little faster. Life is far too short and none of us really knows how much time we have left on this earth. I never met the person in this story, but I have a strong relationship with my own father and so the story touched me personally.
A mentor of mine, Mike Comer, recently set up a fundraiser on GiveForward.com for his friend Richard Peck who is up against the fight of his life against cancer. I have learned from experience that when Mike sets something like this up, he always follows through. But I really believe that some people that don't know Richard may want to lend a hand once they hear this story.
The story of Richard Peck
"Richard has been found to have tumors on his lungs, back, brain, and esophagus," Comer said. "Things are not good, he is starting chemo and has assured me the Irish in him is in full fight mode."
Richard has a son named Nick, and they enjoy camping and seeking out adventures together.
Passing on his passion to his son
"He has one goal he would like to reach given the time," Comer said. "Over the past few years Richard has designed a very impressive teardrop style trailer that converts to a standing area and sleeping quarters similar to many from the early '40s and '50s."
According to Comer the design is pretty outstanding as well.
"Those of us into these types of trailers would give a right arm for this design," he said. "Completely designed from the ground up, he has built most of it and only needs a few supplies and about 2 months of limited time to finish the prototype."
However, when you are facing heavy medical bills fighting cancer, funding for a project like this can be extremely tough.
"He would like to take Nick camping in it if he can, and hopefully leave the finished trailer and the ability to rebuild and sell it as a legacy for Nick," Comer said. "This is what he would like to accomplish, and I think we can help him do this. So, I won't be shy here. This is where we need to do everything we can to help them with as many funds as possible. Please spread the word."
Why you might want to help
There is an amazing feeling that comes with being part of a project like this one. It's why we see entire cities shutting down like in San Francisco last year for Bat Kid. It's a chance for people to say we can all stand up to cancer as a group. We may not always beat it, but we don't have to let it take everything away from us. Everyone who has had a friend or family member fighting cancer knows how physically and mentally exhausting it is for everyone involved. Please consider spreading the word about this story across your own social media networks. Anyone can learn more about this cause by clicking here.