Andy’s Story

Andy’s Angels initially started as a social site by a friend named Rabiah Burk as a kind gesture of support. All my friends and family assumed a quick surgery to remove the colon cancer and I would be on my way to living life to the fullest, as I always had. 

Sadly, after spending 243 consecutive days in the hospital, which included medical and rehab facilities, and also due to numerous complications and other unexpected tumors, I was released to my home on November 27, 2022 with a terminal diagnosis. I was told on Thanksgiving day that the cancer had matastized to Stage 4 Liver Cancer. The Doctors indicated that I had “approximately 3-5 weeks ” because I was too weak to survive any surgeries, let alone chemo and radiation, and released me to Hospice care. They advised me that they would make me as comfortable as possible and hoped I could make it to Christmas.

When I came home, I was overwhelmed and excited to see a beautiful, fully decorated, freshly cut, Christmas Tree in the corner of my condo. It kept me positive and truly uplifted my spirit and soul throughout the Holidays. I was told how that all came to be a sweet story.  Rabiah was at my other dear friend’s house, Craig Waldenmeier,  at the exact moment his tree arrived from the Lutheran church tree lot. They asked if they could purchase a tree for a friend in hospice. The tree guys not only insisted on donating the tree, but immediately followed them to my place, cut it, placed it and yet another friend, Susan Glaize, was arriving with decorations and lights. It was magical.

And that is when Kathryn (Kat) McCollum spearheaded the idea that Andy’s Angels should become tree-bearing holiday angels “to continue on in Andy’s name through the donation, and decorating, of Christmas Trees to folks in Hospice and/or struggling families in need of Holiday cheer.” I never thought I’d still be alive to write about this. It truly takes a (Christmas) village. Maybe that is why they call it the tree of life?

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