Dear Foundation 58,

I am writing this letter with regard to recent financial support you so kindly provided my family in 2009.

I am a police officer for Sturgis Police Department in Sturgis, SD, and home of the famous annual Sturgis Motorcycle Classic.  One day in late March 2009 at the end of a shift, I was standing in the patrol room with a few coworkers.   I called my K9 partner, “Suka” over to me and gave her a command to put her two front paws on to my chest.  Instead, “Suka” failed to jump her paws on to my chest, and I took a pawing in the groin.  The guys and I got a laugh out of it and I went home.

Dear Justin,
My son, Bobby Shea, became ill in January 2008 and was diagnosed with cancer. I stayed with him until his death on January 15, 2009 at age 39.

Of course, he was depressed knowing his illness could be terminal and yet he fought to rise each day with a smile and determination to go forward. Most of my thoughts daily are of his strength and courage gained through the kindness of the Firefighters Brotherhood, his friends, and loving family.

I remember clearly the day Bobby received a phone call from Foundation 58 to ask if they could visit. The two men visited for quite sometime in the back yard. Soon after they left Bobby was crying. He was overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness and generosity of FOUNDATION 58. He gave me the check to deposit and asked why they would do that for him. I told him those people at Foundation 58 are children of God and that is how God works. He could not believe people who did not know him would do something that significant. We cried together. I could go on and on talking about Bobby, because that is my favorite pastime.

I would like to thank Foundation 58 for the donation of money to us in July 2008. Their generous gift was such a special help. First because it was from a brotherhood of firefighters, and secondly because I was paying parking, eating two meals a day at the hospital and driving every day 50 miles one way to the hospital for almost 3 weeks. The stress of all that and wondering how we’d get the money to pay for it was causing me to have anxiety attacks on top of all Pete was going through. He was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma that had gone to his brain and liver. He died on Aug.9, 2008.

My father, Keith Dierolf, was a firefighter with the Scranton Fire Department. After nearly 29 years of service he retired as a Lieutenant in 2002. He used this time to enjoy his family, especially his new granddaughter. He spent time with friends and working with organizations such as The Black Sheep. The Black Sheep is an organization that raises money to help sick children. He would be so happy to come home and tell me that they had presented a check to a deserving child. I wish you could have seen the light in his eyes when he knew The Black Sheep had helped another young boy or girl.

In early 2006, at only 54 years of age, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 esophageal cancer. It had already spread to his liver and lungs. He began chemo immediately. One of the drugs that was recommended was Avastin. Unfortunately, this drug was not covered under his health insurance for this type of illness.