I don’t share a lot about my private life, well, bec ause it’s priv ate and nob ody needs t o know what’s going on.
I think this is a little different. This concerns my soon to be 83-year-old father, Eddie, whom I’m named after. All of his friends, as well as his siblings, have always called him “Bobo.”
I don’t know where the nickname came from. It really doesn’t matter. And no, I wasn’t called “Little Bobo” or “Little Eddie.”
It was “Ricky” until I entered college and dropped the “y” to rid myself of the little kid’s name.
A couple of weeks ago, after having some stomach issues, my dad went to the doctor for a colonoscopy. The results weren’t great.
The doctor found one large tumor and two smaller ones. He was sent to a specialist in Jacksonville, Fla. for further testing.
That’s when the family was hit with the worst news possible. Test results showed his liver encased with the “C” word - cancer. We were told his pain tolerance was thru the roof because this just didn’t happen. It’s been over the course of several years that he’s been in pain and told no one.
His life is now in the hands of our Lord and Savior. There are no guarantees radiation is going to save him.
It’s something I’ve been praying about. With his age and current state of health, can he withstand the treatment?
He’s going to try radiation and see how his body reacts and how he feels before rendering a decision.
Mom is coping the best she can as she battles a heart condition. They celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary this week without any idea if there will be more to come.
I have two younger brothers. There are five grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.
He’s touched all of our lives and set an example for all of us. Dad, Eddie, “Bobo” set the bar high — one anyone of his boys, grandchildren or great grandchildren will find is hard to reach.
All we can do is try. In saying all of this, I ask for prayers to keep his spirit high and for God to touch him. He’s getting plenty of prayers from his church family at Beulah Baptist out in the Forks of the Hurricane.
I only ask for the good folks here in Brantley County and our subscribers outside the area to join us in this fight to help a man that would give you the shirt off his back to help someone in need.
It’s a lofty perch he has built and I can only hope and pray I can come close to the being the man he is.
I love you dad. May God bless you.
• Rick Head is the Publisher and Editor of The Brantley Beacon and the Waycross Journal- Herald. He can be reached at beacon@btconline. net
