One night after work I was reading all my Y2K email warnings when I spotted an email from my best friend Tammy Fletcher. Of course I had some dry humor response to her. Shortly after my reply I received an email from a stranger Tony Foley aka Spike informing I sent my reply to “all”. We chatted and decided to meet at the Tarrant Area Food Bank Kick the Can event. After the event we went on our first date to see the movie Double Jeopardy. We talked about jobs, health, life, our friends Tammy & Gaither, their amazing kiddos, and this thing called hockey. Our next date was a Brahmas Hockey Game. What an adventure! We dated about a month or so and went our separate ways but always keeping in touch through Facebook or via the Fletchers/Murphey family.

My birthday was awesome! Working from home getting birthday wishes, love, gifts from Family friends and co workers. One instant message was from Tony Foley wishing me “Happy Birthday” and asked why I was on oxygen. I explained how I was diagnosed with a terminal disease and wasn’t expected to live till my next birthday. He asked if I got out much, I explained I would go on what I called field trips to the doctor transplant center, testing and therapy. Since I needed several heavy large oxygen tanks and walked slow only my mom, sister, nephews and soul sister, Helen were able to transport me. I considered my self “high maintenance”. Tony offered to bring me coffee or food. I explained I needed doctor approval to go out because of my lack of immune system. So he offered to door dash anything to bring a little happiness to my isolated life. That started our texting and short telephone conversations since it was difficult to speak, because of my crystallized lungs.

The original plan was to go to the NorthPark Mall to see the Dallas Symphony. I was judging a high school powerlifting meet that same day. The meet ran long so the plan was kind of up in the air. I got home to find that my dog Dallas, a sweet black Labrador, was really sick. I decided to take her to the Parc 24/7 vet and I asked Tammy to meet me there. When Tony first asked if I would like to go listen to the Dallas Symphony outside of NorthPark, I was excited because it was outside and the symphony! Then I started my planning How many tanks would I need to ask him to load in his car? How long would we be gone? What was the weather going for be? Could they deliver oxygen in time? I called Helen and asked what do I wear to NorthPark to an outside symphony? After going through all the details with Tony, he was still willing to take me! When he called and asked me to meet him at Parc for his dog Dallas, I prayed for Dallas and Tony. Then I asked God to get me there if that was His will since I had not operated a vehicle in two years, plus I needed to load atleast 10 tanks of oxygen by myself. Not sure how long the tanks would last off I went to meet Tony and Dallas. We found out she had a huge mass that could erupt. Not only would it be a painful death but, it could happen at any time. We were able to spend a few hours with her before we put her to rest and out of pain. She was so sweet and loving even in pain. BJ’s restaurant was the only place open at 11 pm. After dinner I had just enough oxygen to get home. We didn’t make it to Dallas but we were there for Dallas. A year later we went finally went to see the Dallas symphony at North Park and it was amazing.