A call for help. Just a simple email will do.

I am not the type of person to ask for help. Maybe I should be, but my pride always gets in the way. Also I hate bugging people with "help me with this cause that you don't care about!” However, this is different.

A really brief overview that may not do much justice to the story but I'll try. In preschool I had a best friend.  Who can say they had a best friend in preschool?  I mean a person at the tender age of four that would play with you, hug you, love you just because they were a kind soul.

A person who would become your first kiss at 6 years old, even though it was gross. A person who when you are being horribly picked on in the 7th grade (because, like most children, you were outright awkward) stood up for you risking his popular reputation to call out the asshole for being so. A person who never forgot your birthday and no matter how many years has passed, always check to see if you were okay. A person that when you were 23 years old and you father passed away drove all over your hometown, just to find you, to remind you that they love you, to take you out for a beer. All just because they are a good person.

A person, that when they opened his wallet after he was killed by a hit-and-run driver, found that it had your father's prayer card in it.  That person to me was my childhood best friend Jerry Masterpol.

If you could just read below about the Masterpol Tragedy and if you could find it in your heart to write an email to castnewyork@gmail.com I could not thank you enough.

Written by Jerry & Jeff's Aunt Debbie:

I wanted to ask a favor of anyone who might have known my sister or her family or even if you did not know her and just want to help support them.

The producers of the hit show “Extreme Home Makeover” are looking for nominations of a deserving Central New York family to be on the show.  Nominations may be submitted by the family or by a member of their community.

To nominate someone you can either send an e-mail to castnewyork@gmail.com or go to the Extreme Home Makeover website.  Entries must be submitted no later than February 1, 2010.

Each nomination must include the names and ***ages*** of every member of the household along with a description of the  *** major challenges within the home *** (see below)

Ages now: Jerry Masterpol, Sr. – 58, Linda Masterpol – 57, Jeffrey Masterpol – 28, Lindsey Masterpol – 25, Joey Masterpol – 22 and Mandy Holst - 27 (Jeff’s fiancee)

Anyone submitting a nomination should be sure to explain why the nominated family deserves, heroic and/or a great role model for their community.  All nominations must include a contact phone number (your phone number).

Masterpol Tragedy (January 2006)

Jerry Masterpol and his younger brother, Jeffrey, were trying to help the victim of a hit-and-run accident outside a Mattydale, NY bar on Jan. 21, 2006, when the driver returned for a second time and ran them down.  Jerry died from his injuries the next day.  Jeffrey was paralyzed and is a quadriplegic today.  Their heroic act of saving someone cost them their lives.  The family’s lives have not been the same since. 

Their house to this day is still not handicap accessible.  This summer (Four years later) they finally were allocated some money which helped to have a handicap deck and ramp put on the side of their house so Jeffrey can finally sit outside and enjoy the sun.  Before they only had a narrow ramp with a very small porch.  Last year, some neighbors helped my brother-in-law remove the tub so that Jeffrey could get a handicap shower installed.  There are so many more things that Jeffrey really needs.

He is now 28 years old.  He wants to be more independent.  He cannot fit through all the doorways.  He basically stays in his small bedroom sorting out baseball and basketball cards (a new hobby of his).  It is great therapy for his hands, but does get boring.  He does watch a lot of T.V. too!

As for my sister, Jeff’s mom Linda, she is going all the time, between taking care of Jeffrey, you wouldn’t believe all the paperwork and phone calls she has to make and all the headaches you have to go through to get something done that seems so easy.  She has also become a big advocate for organ donation.  You see my nephew Jerry’s wishes were to donate his organs.  She did this and in doing this has met some wonderful people who received his organs.  This is something my sister said: “Nothing will take the pain away, but just knowing what a great thing my son has done is a comfort to me.”  She said: “It’s a comfort to know another family is not suffering like us.”  My sister is so strong and she has so much faith.  I really do not know how she does it.

She will go and talk at colleges, schools, hospitals, walk in parades, etc. just to get the word out about how important organ donation really is.  Right now there is a real shortage for organ donation, so we need to let others know.  John, the heart recipient and his wife are wonderful people and have become an extended part of my sister’s family now. 

Gosh, I know I wrote a book.  But for those of you that are still with me, I just wanted to tell you how I feel my sister’s family is contributing to the community and that I believe that my nephews are true heroes.  More than anything, I would love to see them get a house that would be handicap friendly for Jeffrey with his own space and a sink and cupboards that he could reach.  I want him to feel independent and to try to do more things for himself, but still have his family so close when he needs them.

His biggest wish would be an enclosed in ground pool.  This is the one thing that he loves to do.  It makes him feel free and normal.  He can actually kind of be upright.  He only gets to be at therapy in water once a week for ½ hour.  However, in the last year he has been unable to attend due to sore on his feet caused by his prolonged time in his chair.

Thank you so much for writing something if you decide to, if not, thanks for reading this anyway.  If you do write something, please read the beginning so you know what to include.

Thanks again,

Deb Braun

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Please, find it in your heart to write just a short email.  You can read news articles about the Masterpol family here if you so choose:

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/pain_of_losing_son_wont_end_bu.html

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-141556553.html

http://blog.syracuse.com/opinion/2009/07/crisis_with_a_cure.html

http://www.deadlyroads.com/archives2006jan.shtml

xoxo, 

Andrea