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Bertram31.com General Bulletin Board
A time for friends, it wasn't a good weekend.
Posted By: Dug
Date: Monday, 2 May 2005, at 11:45 a.m.
This was not a good weekend. Actually, it was alright up to about 2 yesterday afternoon. It had rained all day saturday and most of sunday, but had finally cleared off, and I was working in the marshalling area (warming up area) of the New England Rowing Championships. About 2 I decided to call home and just check in with Liz, my lovely fiancee. She was a mess. Bawling. She does not cry.
Her best friend lives in Seattle. Her name is Becca. Becca's longtime boyfriend, also one of Liz's closest friends left about 3 weeks ago to summit Mt. Everest. He is climbing with his brother, and they are together very experienced climbers.
They are climbing to raise awareness of degenerative brain diseases, most specifically Huntingtons disease. They have lost their mother, sister, grandmother, aunt and uncle to this awful disease for which there is no cure or known treatment. It is similar to Parkinsons or MS.
They had been at base camp for about two weeks, and were tackling the mt. with excitement and passion. They were doing small day climbs to acclimate their bodies to the extreme altitude and everything seemed to go well.
Yesterday Mike fell into a crevasse and was killed.
We have shared thoughts and prayers for the families and friends of many people on this site. Much good has come of it and it is a good thing.
Please think of the O'brien family of Oswego NY today a bit. Their healthy son, a friend of mine and Liz, has met an awful fate.
If anything this reinforces the reality that friends are to be treasured and respected. Never taken for granted. We all pursue our passions. Some are more dangerous than others. Whether it be offshore fishing, car or bike racing, or Mt. climbing. We never expect this to be the outcome, no matter how real or possible.
It was not a good weekend...
Dug
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