Gene's Health

• Earlier message from Gene •

Many folks are already aware of the life-challenging medical crisis I was faced with in August, 2011. I survived it through the direct and miraculous intervention of the Holy Spirit, followed by many “earthly miracles” performed by incredible doctors and hospital staff, my lovely wife Helen, my buddy Gary, and by so many of you, our dear friends and extended family in the Course in Miracles community around the world.

Helen and I were left facing simply staggering medical bills — but I was still alive, after all, and we just knew that the HS had not kept me here only to have us now become homeless!

Just before the Holidays, Gary had the wonderful idea to start a medical donations fund for me, so that folks who felt so guided could contribute, in order to assist us in paying off these otherwise insurmountable expenses.

The results have been astounding!

First off, the hospital (Boca Raton Regional Hospital, God bless them) and my surgeon (the incomparable Dr. Avin) and most of our other medical providers, understanding our financial situation, agreed to reduce, and in some cases even eliminate entirely, our outstanding bills with them.

And then… our dear friends in the Course community began their contributions to help us out. Helen and I were completely overwhelmed! Many times we had tears streaming down our faces, reading those words of love and encouragement, and seeing those life-sustaining expressions of support coming in.

Here is what happened:

We had started with a total amount that we owed in the hundreds of thousands of dollars — an insurmountable total for us, one that we had no possible way of dealing with.

But now… with the medical providers significantly reducing their bills, and then with the generosity of the contributions from all of our friends helping us out in our time of need…

we can see the “light at the end of the tunnel!”

We still owe money; but the amount is no longer completely out of reach… and we are confident that before long, we will be able to pay off our remaining bills in their entirety.

We simply could never have made it through this challenge without the amazing support from so many dear friends — and we will continue to attempt to find some way to express our thanks to all of you!

The medical donations fund remains active; if anyone feels so guided as to contribute, it will help us continue to close the gap of the bills and expenses still remaining for us to deal with.

To donate using credit cards and via PayPal,

please click here:

DONATE

And of course, donations by check or cash are always gratefully accepted! They can be sent to this address:

Gene Bogart

P.O. Box 6204

Boca Raton, FL 33427

(Please make any checks payable to Gene Bogart.)

Before long, I will write in greater detail describing what happened to me, how the Holy Spirit connected with me and literally sustained me, keeping me alive until the medical professionals could work their life-saving magic on me.

And I will find some way to convey to all of you the immense gratitude and unending love I feel for each and every one of you, and for the generous expressions of Love and Oneness that you have been so kind as to show to me and to Helen, during this very challenging time.

I am humbled and privileged to have you

as my beloved friends!

(Gary’s message is copied below)

An Important Request from Gary Renard

Hi Friends,

As some of you know (and some of you may not) my buddy, podcast producer and co-host on both my podcasts and on my Cruises, Gene Bogart, suffered a life-threatening health crisis at the beginning of August. At the time Cindy and I were at Disneyland, of all places, and the duality of having a wonderful time there and suddenly hearing the news of Gene was not lost on us. That's the nature of this world, the seeming good and the seeming bad. Of course none of it's true, but when you're right in the middle of it in the crosseyes; well, as my teachers once told me, it can be a little hard to hang on to that Holy Ghost grin.

Gene's attitude (and that of his wonderful wife, Helen) about the whole thing has been inspiring to Cindy and I. Helen found Gene unconscious on the bathroom floor when she got home that summer day. After the ambulance rushed him to the hospital the doctors found that there had been so much internal bleeding that he should have died. They couldn't figure out what was causing the bleeding. They did tests. They replaced extensive amounts of blood but still couldn't find the cause. Finally, the decision was made that they had to operate. When they did they found a tumor the size of a grapefruit in Gene's stomach. They decided to remove the tumor, along with half of Gene's stomach. This was a major surgery that in itself almost ended Gene's life. But the Spirit is strong. I just talked again with Gene and after four months he's getting that strength back in his amazing voice. The doctors say they think Gene can make a full recovery within six months to a year from the time of the operation. Listening to him I don't doubt that. In fact, we're hoping to get back to doing our podcasts ASAP. (We've done 42 of them in the last 5 years. We've always made the podcasts available for free, and you can listen to the archives at Gene's website, www.forgiveness.tv.)

So what is my important request? It's simple. He didn't have any health insurance and has been saddled with astronomical medical bills, originally in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Any donation you can give to him, no matter how big or small, would be greatly helpful. I'll donate too, and by the time we add it up I think it will make a difference in Gene and Helen's recovery and their life. The info to donate is below. Thanks in advance, have a glorious Christmas, and God Bless.

Love, Gary
(Here's the info:)

If anyone wants to donate by cash or check, they can make checks payable and mail to:
Gene Bogart
P.O. Box 6204
Boca Raton, FL 33427

And here's the link to the Paypal page to donate, either by credit card or with your own Paypal account:

DONATE

Mahalo!

Message from Gene Bogart • Jan. 2014 • Regarding Health and Recovery Fund

Most everyone reading this will already know about my near-death medical crisis in August, 2011. (Previous messages about this are still available for reading, located below on this page.)

It was just two years ago when my dear friend Gary Renard suggested the idea of starting a medical recovery fund to assist Helen and I in dealing with the extremely large medical and health-related bills we found ourselves facing after my extensive abdominal surgery, and the recovery process and treatments which followed. Through the incredible generosity and loving support of so many dear friends, we have managed to survive, and to continue paying down the balances that we still owe.

But now, we find ourselves again in very challenging circumstances… and so, once again, we are asking you for your help.

While we have paid down our outstanding medical balances significantly, we still owe substantial amounts from the original surgery. Since that time, I have of course had many newer visits to various doctors monitoring my condition and progress. I've also had multiple CT scans of my abdominal area, checking for any new tumor activity or development. (Thank God, so far, everything has come back "clean", which is, of course, a tremendous blessing!)

But all new doctors' bills we've received, as well as charges for lab work, blood tests, etc, have had to go onto our credit cards, where we are now carrying quite large balances, on which we are paying frighteningly high interest charges each month. (Whatever savings Helen and I had prior to my surgery have been exhausted, both from paying off bills, as well as that being a condition for eligibility to receive charitable assistance from the hospital as uninsured, low-income, low-asset patients.)

And now, I have a new medical issue to contend with. Over the past year, I've been experiencing a progressive loss of vision. The eye doctor has diagnosed me as having cataracts in both eyes. The vision in my right eye is almost completely gone now, being essentially nothing but a dark blur. My left eye still has clarity (thankfully), so although vision in it has become dimmer, I can still see detail well enough to read and work on the computer… and continue to do my "work in the world" of producing our podcasts, recording and posting materials for the On Course study group, etc.

But cataracts are progressive, and my left eye could begin to experience blurring at any time, which would then leave me effectively sightless in both eyes. When the eye doctor first diagnosed my situation, her words were, "Well, good news — it's cataracts!" She explained that it was good news because cataracts are easily and quite effectively treated by surgery. The bad news for me is: the cost for the procedure is between $3,000 and $4,000 per eye.

There are also several other issues which are bearing down on us financially right now (which I'll be happy to explain in detail to anybody who'd be interested in hearing about them.) But the principle thing is, we truly need an "earthly miracle"…"right this very minute", as the song goes. All kidding aside: my goal — our goal, really, as it is Helen's goal as well — is that we can continue to survive, maintaining a roof over our heads and this place to produce the podcasts, and do all of the Course in Miracles-related work which is the purpose toward which we have been guided; and be able to restore my vision, and alleviate much (or even perhaps all) of the medically-related debts which continue to hang over us.

Gary will be speaking further about my situation; he and I have also spoken about several new ACIM and "forgiveness-related" projects we plan to present in this coming year. Hopefully, this activity (as well as ongoing memberships in the On Course study group) will begin to produce regular increased income for Helen and I, so that we can remain financially solvent — and, perhaps eventually, even abundant!

But we really need a MAJOR financial shot-in-the-arm right now… and for anyone who has enjoyed or benefitted from the work I do, and if you are able to, and feel guided to help us… we humbly ask that you please consider doing so.

As we experienced two years ago, we realize some people will only be able to donate a few dollars; and we thank you and bless you, we really do! Every dollar adds to another, and the results can be miraculous.

And some folks may be able, and will feel guided, to contribute substantially. We trust that the Holy Spirit will be guiding these folks accordingly, as a number of larger donations will be critical to attaining the goals we need to reach. (And I have complete faith and trust that those folks will intuitively know who they are, as well as feeling the vital importance of what they are being asked to please consider…)

Whatever levels of contributions you may feel guided to give, I want everyone to know how dearly we hold you in our hearts and in our prayers. You are, and will continue to be, our true family: our friends and partners in everything we do and will continue to do. So much of the work and projects I have been presenting for many years (particularly our podcasts with Gary) have been provided free of charge. This idea was following guidance from the HS, and this will continue to guide our presentations. In helping us out at this time of great need, you will be an ongoing part of that process as well, helping to further our joined awakening, and helping to spread the message of forgiveness among ourselves and to the world.

Thank you, dear friends… We love you, and thank you so very much for all you do!

Gene and Helen