TO BENEFIT JOE DON JOHNSON Some of you are aware that Mike and I just returned from a three-week

trip down South. I stayed in Missouri with my brother, while Mike went on to Arkansas to visit his brother Joe. Joe was just recently diagnosed with terminal cancer and Mikes trip was threefold; to drive Joe to his radiation treatments, to drive Joe to Oklahoma to participate in a family reunion and to just spend some time with his younger brother, Joe was 54 in February of 2013. The following photo was taken in September of 2013 at the hospital after Joes hair was cut for the chemo treatments. Photo by Joes sister, Pati Rhea.

Joe invited Mike into the doctors office with him and his prognosis is not good at all. He has cancer in four places in his head (not the brain, but behind his eye and he is currently wearing an eye patch to help the bulging); cancer in his liver, cancer in his lungs, cancer in his lymph nodes and bone cancer in his right shoulder. Although he has undergone both radiation and continues with chemotherapy treatments, his prognosis is not good.

Joe is a musician and normally plays with a band called the G STRINGS. The G STRINGS and five other bands; ALIX MAFIA, BANNISTER BROS, RAT SASS, PEARSON BOTHERS AND JAMIE JONES will be performing on Sunday, November 10th, 2013 beginning at 2:00 p.m. at TOMMY DEANS in Altus, Arkansas (close to Ft. Smith) to benefit Joe Johnson. Food will be served at $6.00 per plate and there will be a raffle. All musicians are welcome to attend and the more the merrier. Joe went last weekend for a practice session for this benefit as he will be allowed to sit in with each group that plays, but he wasnt able to play long as the skin peels on his hands from the chemo treatments, and after a while began bleeding. Hopefully he will be able to play in at least one session with each band on the 10th. Joe lives in a very rural area of Arkansas and the treatments he takes require a 106-mile round trip, which is extremely costly. So many of us have received flyers in our e-mail boxes telling the sad tale of woe for someone that needs help and all too often these requests are fraudulent and there either is no such person, or the person is not ill. This is the real deal and anything you can do to help this man would be very much appreciated. Although the benefit is being handled by Michael Wright (479) 518-0058, there have not been any provisions set up for mail donations. I called Mike this afternoon and he said what they are going to do is collect the funds at the benefit and simply give directly to Joe so there is no third-party involvement, and when I asked where we could mail donations, he suggested mailing directly to Joe. If you have a few bucks you can spare and would like to donate to a good, honest, cause, please send a donation directly to Joe at the following address: Joe Don Johnson 5857 Cox Valley Road Magazine AR 72943-8893 If you dont have a couple bucks to spare, but have a piece of paper, envelope and stamp, please take a few minutes to send Joe a note wishing him well and saying a prayer for his full and speedy recovery. Please feel free to forward this request to anyone on your mailing list. Joe has lost a source of income by not being able to play, is being burdened by extraordinary travel expenses for medical treatment and needs all the help he can get from all sources. GOD BLESS and THANK YOU! Mike and Pat Johnson