The 15 Second Cut to the Chase Version: Every penny contributed to Don Howard's previous GoFundMe has been spent on medical cost and expenses. Meanwhile, his medical costs and expenses continue to mount.
We have started a new GoFundMe for Don Howard and have launched it today, which is his birthday! Here is the GoFundMe link: gf.me/u/vsiunj
A $25,000 matching grant has been pledged by an anonymous friend for any contribution made on or before October 13th. Your donation will be matched dollar for dollar. So don't delay, and please donate if you'd like to give back and support a true legend!
If you're interested in reading the slightly longer version, read on below.
Life is a constant flow of energy. A cycle. A movement.
Speaking of movement, Don Howard has moved so many people - either people who directly came to SpiritQuest and met him; those who have come to SpiritQuest when he has not been physically present at the Sanctuary, but nonetheless strongly felt his presence, sense of mission and service, and life's work; and those who benefited from the work that people underwent at SpiritQuest to become better versions of themselves, and in that process, elevate everyone in their respective circles.
Don Howard senses that he is in the last cycle or movement of his life. He is turning 72 years young today! 🎂🎂🎂 If you'd like to pass along a birthday message to Don Howard on this first day of another 365-day journey around the sun, please send me a note and I will read it to him!
Notwithstanding that Don Howard is only 72 years of age, you'd be hard-pressed to suggest that he hasn't lived life to the fullest. All of those moments of Don Howard being so well-attuned to the present moment, those thousands of lifetimes in a day that he's experienced, have truly led to a life well-lived.
It's been difficult to digest many of the health issues Don Howard currently faces. He is in quite the battle with Amyloidosis, has kidney failure, and is experiencing many other painful physiological setbacks. It's almost impossible for him to walk even a few feet. He now has numbness in his hands and his feet. His joints are stiff and sore. His body gets ridiculously itchy. Sleeping is challenging. Most recently, he has had major, major difficulties breathing.
Needless to say, the medical costs and treatment expenses Don Howard continues to face are exorbitant. As Don Howard recently mentioned, those costs are "like a bucket without a bottom."
Don Howard started dialysis in July when he returned to Peru. While dialysis is not the optimal outcome that so many were hoping for, we can have gratitude that dialysis is keeping Don Howard alive. Unfortunately, what is now problematic is that after dialysis, Don Howard feels so physically drained that climbing up a flight of stairs to his second-floor bedroom feels like summiting Mount Everest. Acquiring an in-home dialysis unit and having someone administer dialysis to him in the comfort of his own home would be massively beneficial. As you might suspect, the costs of such care are extremely expensive.
To date, we've had sensational support for Don Howard's GoFundMe. 463 people donated over $101,000. We surpassed the initial $100,000 goal. That is no small accomplishment, and Don Howard and the people who have set up the GoFundMe are deeply, deeply appreciative for everyone's generosity. It's been an amazing and collective "Para El Bien De Todos!" achievement.
And yet, the news there is not all positive. Regrettably, those $100,000 in funds already have been entirely exhausted on medical costs and expenses.
There's something to be said for turning over a new leaf and starting fresh, and for that reason, we have launched this new campaign.
Don Howard has a beautiful family and doesn't have tons of savings. He's been - in the understatement of the millennium - overwhelmingly generous his entire life. It's not in Don Howard's DNA to ask for anything, particularly anything material. It almost runs against his constitution to even have us set up this GoFundMe. Don Howard has advised people that he has never wanted to ask for assistance or to "not go out of your way to push it."
That's not surprising, as it's simply not in his nature to ever be self-promotional or self-centered. Some of you have noted previously that Don Howard was too busy trying to save the world rather than get wrapped up in hoarding lots of money, and in speaking with him, he admitted that this was true. Don Howard heeds a calling much greater than himself. Nonetheless, it's an extremely rare instance when those that love him have to most earnestly but most respectfully overrule him and offer our financial support to the Maestro. He is beyond grateful for all of our efforts.
To kick things off, and as a way to incentivize an initial flurry of donations, we have an incredibly generous SpiritQuest graduate who has agreed to match, dollar for dollar, up to $25,000 in donations if they are made on or before October 13, 2019.
If you're inclined to contribute, please don't delay, as those early donations will be doubled. Remember that no amount is too small...or too big. It's all massively helpful. For anyone that would like to give back to Don Howard, here is a link to the new GoFundMe page: gf.me/u/vsiunj
In connection with this campaign, Don Howard wishes to be totally transparent and express that there is a substantial possibility that he could pass away before some of the new funds are used. To be very clear to everyone who is considering donating, in the event that there are any excess funds, those funds will go directly to Don Howard's family (his wife Reyna, his son Howard Jr., and his daughter Selva) in Peru.
Whether you have met him personally, attended SpiritQuest, or know someone that attended SpiritQuest and you've been a beneficiary of that person's work, Don Howard's path of service has added enormously to the elevation of consciousness and the global spread of love and light in countless and indelible ways. The ripples of his life's work - the downstream effects of everything that he's done and everything that he's been and everything that he continues to be - will be felt forever. It's like that analogy in the musical Hamilton about what defines a person's legacy: "Legacy. What is a legacy? It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see."
When Don Howard was recently asked about what he hopes his legacy will be, he contemplated the question. When he eventually answered, he said, "I hope people say...there's a guy who did his best."
Don Howard has been so utterly devoted to service, and his feats of audacious aspirations have been passed along to all of the members of the SpiritQuest familia and have been sewn into the tapestry of humanity and Mother Earth. His life’s work and vision is like a bolt of lighting that has electrified the entire world. 🌩⚡️🌎🔥 Undoubtedly Don Howard's done his best, and notwithstanding all of the physical ailments in his body, he still feels a pressing need for service. And he needs our support.
Warriors' hearts beat as one. Let's show Don Howard how we've learned our lessons in reciprocity and Ayni well.
All the love! 💚💚💚 -Parker