I know i havent been very active on the board lately, trying to catch up after a very rough 201t, but i wanted to say 'Thank You' to all of you here who helped me make it through last year.
For those of you who are unaware, i was diagnosed with crohns disease about 15 years ago, and though I battled it at first with crohns specific drugs that proved fatal, and later with diet, excercise, and will, by the beginning of last year it was clear i was losing the fight.
A scope and ct scan identified a large tumor threatening to obsteuct my bowel, with the doubled concern of malignancy, and so a surgery was scheduled to remove the small portion of affected intestine, reconnect the ends, and send me on my way.
However, once they opened me up, it became evident how much a CT scan cannot see.
What was supposed to be 2 weeks down time deceloped into 6 different invasive surgical proceedures, spanning from the 3rd of june till the second week in December.
12 new significant surgical scars later, my insurance was paying out $1.75M, and they werent about to do it alone.
I had responsibly planned for the initial event, but as things stacked up, i found myself almost as ill with worry as i was with open surgical wounds.
I was coming up $20k short.
Thats when my sister came up with the idea for a "gofundme" campaign to help with the deficit.
Even I was shocked at the level of support we recieved. Not only did it help, but was able to cover the entirety of my deficit.
Though a significant amount cam from close friends and family, better than half of the campaign was funded by people ive only ever met at work, if at all, many only names on a user forum.
Those people were many of you.
Be it because you felt i positively effected your life, this community, out of support for Bowers Tactical (who continue to be the best second family a guy could ask for), or just because younhappen to be damned decent people, you came together in a time of desperate need, and gave me the room to heal.
Thank you to everyone here for that amazing out pouring of support.
Even those who could could not contribute financially helped by spreading the word, or simply helping be part of this community, keeping it alive so that it can be a benefit to us all.
I have been a man of great fortune, because i have had friends whos faces i may never know, and hands ill never shake that gave what they could in my moment of gravest need.
Its a debt I can never repay, but i will spend my life trying.
Thank you especially to the Administrators here who allowed and helped our campaign, Andy Reinhardt of 303ARms for being a champion of my cause and stalwart friend through my trials, and my family at Bowers Tactical, where i learned how many close friends i really have, and that I happen to work for about the best boss on the whole damned planet.
Its been a helluva ride, but im back in the saddle, and i owe so much of that to you all.
Thank you again

Sincerely,
Rob Bonacci