Please check it out and share it with as many people as you can. I'm still working on it and have other pictures Rich insisted I take but I can't yet bring myself to look at them yet. I'm definately not a pro at web design and that shows but it gets his message out there Thanks http://richsplea.synthasite.com

Julie,
Thank you for putting this before the public. Reading it today was as moving as when I first read it here on the forums. You have done a tremendous kindness by publishing this story. May G-d grant you the strenght to maintain this campaign to save lives.
I was going to look up Rich's plea to print out for a young girl I know who smokes. Instead, I can now give her the address of your website.

I forwarded this to my drummer who is a chain smoker along with "He Wanted You To Know"

http://www.sptimes.com/News/61599/Floridian/He_wanted_you_to_know.shtml

and

Outdoor Texan (warning contains very graphic photos)

http://www.outdoortexan.com/mycancer.htm

Thank you for sharing your story and link with us. I am sure that is was painful to write.

Julie- That was an inspiring story. I'm not a smoker but my husband was and I suspect my 17 year old son may be. I keep trying to stress that this may have been a contibuting factor in my husband's cancer but the young don't want to hear cautionary tales. Hell, my 38 year old sister still hasn't quit! I just pray for Rich's widow's peace. She has been through hell also.

Sue

Dear JulieKay,

Words cannot express the sadness in my heart for you for the loss of your husband Rich as well as all that you had to endure watching him suffer so much from this dreaded disease. You are truly a remarkable woman and I wish you continued success in staying away from the cigarettes. I want to add that the poem was beautiful. Rich was lucky to have you as his wife and caregiver.

There isn't a day that doesn't go by when I am in my office that I don't try to encourage one of my patients to stop smoking. I know many of them want to, but I also know how addictive nicotine and all those other chemicals that the tobacco companies put in cigarettes are. I have used the website written by The Outdoor Texan that Gary has linked in his post with tobacco chewers and now you have given me a site for those addicted to cigarettes. I thank you for that. Please continue to visit the forum as your input here will certainly help others in similar situations.

Thank you also, Gary, for the link to Bryan's story.

Jerry

JulieKay,

My wife and I have owned a restaurant for 18 years and we have always had a large percentage of employees that smoke and every chance I get I try to encourage them to stop. When I got my cancer that was caused predominately by tobacco use I used that as well. On January 10, 2008 after reading all your emotional and powerful posts I printed all of them together in date order on 3 pages and posted it in 3 places in our restaurant. I MADE EVERY smoking employee read it then and it's still up and I make every new employee read it. I know that directly because of your posts that 3 employees have quit and I know it has made an impact on everyone that read it. Just wanted you to know that.

Thank you all so much for your words. I'm so glad to know it has helped. That is what Rich wanted, and it means a lot to me.

I wish I had more strength to visit my brother more often than I did. I feel so much guilt in all the excuses I made to him and especially to myself. It was important that I was there and I wasn't. Somehow I know that he wouldn't hold it against me because I was his little sister but I know I should have. Thank you for sharing. To step into someone's world that mirrored mine was a sense of "relief" to me and as I continue to heal I will continue to strengthen from the words I have read. Thank you.

Noemi