Ron Berry Needs Our Help!

Hello, this is Gary Cary and I'm fundraising for Ron Berry, who has dire need of help! I met Ron in 1996 when I joined Sleep Number. Over our 27 year friendship we have worked together at 3 companies. He has been a fantastic partner and a wonderful and loyal friend. For those who know him and/or worked with Ron, I'm sure you feel the same way. Ron is one of those rare guys who almost always has a smile on his face, is of good cheer, is a great team member and is a true servant leader, ready to help others.

Unfortunately, Ron was diagnosed with a rare and disabling disease called Charcot Foot. It creates nerve damage in the feet, and can be triggered by spending too much time on your feet. Being a retailer, he has struggled with this for a few years. Ron's doctor believed they were making improvements until recently, when they discovered significant, life threatening infection. Having no choice, they made the emergency decision to amputate his foot and did so within a day of discovering the infection. The operation was a success, and allosed the infection to drain out. He is doing well and has been recovering for several weeks. He is now close to being able to be fitted with a new mechanical foot. These devices are amazing and the doctor says once done Ron, will be able to return to much of his normal life. But, he still has months of recovery and therapy in front of him.

Making things even worse, Ron was laid off from his job at the first of the year. Before he was able to even start looking for a new job, he was struck with the loss of his foot. Yet, as always he has a upbeat, positive outlook and is eager to return to his normal routine and a big part of that is getting back to work.

While he will have his hands full with recovery, he has financial needs that can benefit from help. He has the pressure of medical bills to date, and the lack of income lost from not being able to work this year. The new foot will allow him to do most of what he used to, but one that will allow him to be vibrant is expected to cost $20,000 to $25,000 (some are much more).

Ron needs our help now and I'm asking for your support as we work to raise $48,000 for Ron and his family. This will take some of the heavy pressure off him from existing medical bills, allow him to afford the new foot he needs for a normal life and help with living expenses until he gets back to work.

Please donate what you can, every donation will be helpful.

Also, please forward this to others, especially those who know and worked with Ron, even if you can't contribute right now.

I knew Ron would have mixed feelings when I approached him with this fundraising idea, as he has always been self-reliant. He and Jamie agreed to let me to do this, but he wanted to make sure everyone would know how much they appreciate any support. As a long time Mattress Industry veteran, he has been supportive of so many of us in the past, let's all do what we can to support Ron and his family at this very challenging time.

All funds will go directly to Ron's.