Dying Romeoville man’s family’s dilemma: Grant final wish, or pay for funeral

Dying Romeoville man’s family’s dilemma: Grant final wish, or pay for funeral


By Denise Baran-Unland
Sun-Times Media
Last Modified: Nov 7, 2011 07:51PM

The 250 people who attended a recent fund-raiser for a dying Romeoville man gave what they could, but the man’s family said they weren’t able to raise what they had hoped.

Now, Brandon Regan’s parents are torn between using the proceeds to fulfill their dying son’s final wish — to see Garth Brooks in concert and possibly sing “Thunder Rolls” on stage with him — or pay for Brandon’s eventual funeral expenses.

“We figured we should use our heads and make sure his final arrangements were paid,” said his father, Robert Regan of Romeoville. “But we haven’t broke the news to him yet. We don’t want to crush his hopes.”

Brandon, 25, has a disorder called degeneration of the cerebellum and ataxia — basically his brain stem is shrinking, his family said. He has trouble talking, cannot walk, requires a bedside commode, wears a feeding tube, needs occasional oxygen and sleeps for much of the day.

He has long been a fan of Brooks, and even received a personal phone call from the country music legend.

But Robert Regan estimated the family needs another $3,500 to $4,000 to make a Vegas trip possible for Brandon, his biological parents and his step-parents.

In the meantime, the family is playing with numbers while keeping an eye on ticket availability and Brandon’s overall health. But they said intensifying fundraising efforts through the winter and making plans to attend a spring concert is out of the question.

“We asked hospice if we should have an early Christmas to make sure, but hospice felt it was safe to do a regular Christmas,” Robert said. “But hospice doesn’t think we can push as far as his May 30 birthday.”

In the meantime, several local bars are continuing to collect money for Brandon’s family, who are still selling “Just Smile” wristbands and T-shirts while feeling overwhelming gratitude toward those people and companies who have supported them.

“Money is tight for everyone. So many people are living paycheck to paycheck. That’s just society anymore,” Robert said. “People had to pay $20 to get into the (Oct. 16) benefit and $40 if they brought their significant other. Even if they only bought $10 of raffle tickets, that’s $50 they could have used somewhere else.”

In the end, it’s that support that will matter most to the Regans, especially Brandon, who stayed awake the entire day of the fundraiser, which is unusual for him.

“He kept saying, ‘My friends love me,’” Robert said. “He did have a couple of seizures while he was there and a couple of choking incidents. He was so fatigued, it took him a solid two days of lying in bed to recover. But he had a phenomenal time.”

Make donations to “Team Beefer Just Smile,” Romeoville, IL, at any Chase Bank. For more information visit www.teambeeferjustsmile.com.

Please read complete article at link below:

Coming soon: KawamotoDragon.com

http://www.suntimes.com/8670444-417/dying-romeoville-mans-familys-dilemma-grant-final-wish-or-pay-for-funeral.html

Editor's note: Your Probate Shark feels for this family.  The thieves, including the judge and lawyers, at the Probate Court of Cook County lined their pockets with 99 year old Alice Gore's estate of a million dollars. Alice's family had to borrow money to bury her. These probate blood suckers would gladly latch onto Brandon's few remaining pennies if they could. Lucius Verenus, Schoolmaster, ProbateSharks.com