Friday, August 26, 2011

Filanthropy Friday

On Saturday a childhood friend of mine, Nick Kaschik, died unexpectedly.

I hadn't seen him since we were 16, maybe 17-years-old, but he was part of my swimming days (and there were many of them) so I have lots of good memories.

Nick's family is still uncertain about the cause of his death, but right now they're saying it was a heart attack.  He was my age (only two weeks older than me) and in seemingly good health.

Nick had a fascinating life.  He was a phenomenal swimmer (swam for USC) and a practical joker, but one event really stands out for me - it's when he got very sick when we were 13-years-old.  It was a very rare form of meningitis and he was in a coma for weeks.  When he woke up, he couldn't remember anything - he had virtually no memory.  There were many news articles (here and here) that say it a medical miracle that he even survived. The fact that he was able to walk again and then to swim at such a high level surpassed all expectations.

I'll just remember his big smile, infectious laugh and how I used to tease my friend Nana (the one with the twins I visit frequently in Houston) about her crush on him (they "went together" in junior high).
 
This week I donated $25 to his memorial fund.  Rest in peace old friend.

2 comments:

  1. So sorry to hear about this loss to the world and to his family.

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  2. Way to go. You made me cry first thing in the morning. I hope you are real proud of yourself.

    In all seriousness though, I read the articles about Nick and matched your donation to his memorial fund. I really did cry when I read about his childhood illness...having memories stolen is the cruelest of all things. He sounded amazing and I am so sad for his family and friends. The world lost a really good person.

    I made the donation in your honor because if Nick was important to you and your childhood then, for that reason alone, I want to honor him. I mean you didn't rob convenience stores or sell crack as a child so your peers must have been positive influences who helped you see that, no matter how enticing, a life of crime was not the best future for you. I hope they envisioned Matt Naylor, baby Cash, your awesome friend Liz, and Flooring Warehouse for your future instead.

    Hugs,

    Liz

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