A Desperate Plea for Help......And How 10 Minutes of Your Time Can Make a Radical Difference to a Family In Need
Written Sunday evening, 19 November, 2006 Average Read Time: 4 minutes
Gentlemen, Ladies of the Internet Marketing Community, I find myself in a strange place, humbled and coming to you hat-in-hand with a heart-felt plea for help. No, this is not a Joint Venture Request, nor is it a professionally crafted sales letter. I have nothing to offer in the form of extravagant commissions, hyped up launches or other irritations that I'm sure are filtered by your loyal staff, but I pray you'll receive this and hear me out. Your time is valuable, so this note is hype-free and to the point. My family and I are in desperate need. While none of us relish the thought of begging, circumstances have forced this upon us, and there are 4 real ways in which you can help, if you're so inclined. I'm counting on the inherent good in humankind, for assistance with a request I have otherwise no right to make. By way of introduction, my name is Michael Haupt. The name will not be familiar to you, unless you scrutinize your customer list very closely. I've been an active Internet Marketer for 4 years, but have avoided marketing to marketers - hence the anonymity. However, in the past I've sought and applied the community's expert advice and guidance, and as a result have enjoyed relative success in a number of esoteric markets. Thank you for your invaluable assistance - it is greatly appreciated. The reason for my cry for help today? My father, Tony, was critically injured in a high-speed car accident on the Thai island of Koh Samui on May 5 this year (the date in the photo below, taken 5 days after the accident, is in European format: dd/mm/yy). His minor injuries were fractured ribs, ruptured lungs (he was on life support for almost 2 weeks) and a shattered right ankle and tibia - it is unlikely he will ever walk again without a severe limp. The more distressing injury was a fractured skull, just above his nasal passage. (The car he was driving - a real passion of his - was manufactured before the days of airbags, and his seatbelt afforded little protection against the steering wheel, which blasted a good 9 inches face-wards). After a harrowing 5 months in Thailand caring for him and taking him in and out of 4 different hospitals, he recovered sufficiently - and was medically cleared for flying - for me to take him to South Africa, where he has family who can care for him during the expected lengthy recovery period, necessary for him to regain his memory and for his brain to fully recover from the trauma of the impact and subsequent neuro-surgery. We all heaved a sigh of relief - the worst was behind us and we could get on with our lives.
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However, on Sunday 29 October, while celebrating my 40th birthday, fate dealt us a cruel blow. He had to be rushed back to hospital after a violent fit, to be treated for meningitis (a viral infection of the brain). Normally, this is simply treated with antibiotics. Being an alternative health freak, he would never have agreed to the intravenous drip, but he had little choice, and was in any case completely unable to resist. The drugs were injected. Instead of seeing the expected improvement 8 days later, things were about to get a lot worse. Turns out that the skull fracture was not completely sealed in Thailand - even though the surgeons were totally professional - and a further air leak caused the cranial infection, as well as air pockets in the skull - never a good thing. The neuro-surgery performed in Bangkok, Thailand - in which his skull was sawed open, his brain moved aside and body fat from his leg used to seal the fracture from inside - had to be redone. As you can imagine, a 62-year old brain doesn't take kindly to massive trauma in a high speed head-on collision, followed by two invasive surgical procedures to arguably the most sensitive part of the human body. But let's take a break from the drama just for a moment. There was plenty of good that come out of the accident:
I mention this so that you know we, as a family, are not enslaved by a victim mentally. All of us - from differing religious backgrounds - believe that every event in life, good or bad, is simply part of a giant jigsaw puzzle making up our life purpose - every event has a definite purpose. For most of us, this has been a huge wake-up call which, while unpleasant, was perhaps sorely needed. However, funds (and facilities) have completely run dry. It's embarrassing to admit, but that's reality. Tony lived a somewhat reclusive lifestyle, and had no medical or even car insurance. Crazy as it sounds, that's the situation. As a family, we all had to bury our hatchets and come to his aid, at a time our father really needed us. But his latest hospitalization has really left us between a rock and a hard place. Time was of the essence, and we went ahead with the expensive neuro-surgery on faith, knowing full-well that none of us could afford the hospital bill. Credit cards have already been maxed-out, and excess assets (including my dear sister's house) sold to cover the Thailand expenses. These latest unexpected events came like a thief in the night, when we least expected them. And hence the plea for help. We need US$65,000 to settle current hospital bills and a number of legal and property matters in Thailand - a seemingly impossible figure to achieve in a short space of time. But with the help of many, this can be done. A small donation from just 10,000 people will do the trick. Please assist us by spreading the word. Here's how... If you are willing to help, here are 4 suggestions, all of which will be humbly and gratefully acknowledged. Of course, if you are able to help with more than one option, we would be doubly grateful:
This has been a longer-than-expected note, respectfully submitted by someone uncomfortable asking for help. I thank you sincerely for reading. More tangible thanks cannot be extended right now, but please know that the Universe will recognize your contribution in her divinely inspired time and manner.
Thank you so much. With deepest gratitude,
PS. I realize you have no idea who I am - I could be any Internet con man. To set your mind at rest, I have invested more than 3 years in helping others online (but not in an Internet Marketing sense). Before considering assisting, please perform your own due diligence by doing a Google search on my name - I know there are no negative comments or skeletons in the closet. I've also listed a number of pages below which will give you an idea of how much I've freely given over the years. I'm not suggesting you read all of it - simply providing a starting point in case you want to ask someone to check up on me, which I encourage. (As an explanation, I use the pseudonym of Markus Hart in many of my writings):
PPS. Without your help, it is nigh on impossible to raise the required US$65,000 to settle my father's recent hospital expenses. Please extend your help using these suggestions. We'd all be most grateful if you could contribute to my father's relatively happy Christmas. |
