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Unfortunately, Jerry passed
away on November 2nd due to complications one day after quintuple
bypass open heart
surgery. But he remarked that he had a
good life. His AA teachings helped him to achieve that good
life.
The name of the web site,
IHaveHopeToday.com, was chosen because before Jerry went into surgery, he found comfort
in reading that day's entry in an AA book, which was based on the
concept of 'hope.' He said to his family, "This is good. It says
'I
have hope.’" Along with the web site, his family,
Judy, Davette, and Lynne, chose to donate AA books to the libraries of
jails (in Price, Washington, Douglas, Lincoln, Sawyer, Ashland,
Milwaukee, Fond du Lac, Dodge, & Winnebago Counties, plus the Flambeau Correctional Center), because Jerry would sometimes work with social workers and
inmates to get the inmate on an AA program. He knew that many people
chose to sober up while they were in jail drying out. He read his AA
books each day and often reminded himself to take "one day
at a time." Jerry would often say that an alcoholic cannot just
quit drinking; that person also needs to change his or her mind set,
and AA & the AA books can help a person do just that.
"If even one person is helped
by visiting this web site or reading the books we have donated, we
will be pleased, and I know my dad would be, too," Lynne added.
Approximately 7.4% of Americans
are alcoholics, and about ½ of all Americans (such as family and
friends of the alcoholic) are affected by the disease. For more
information on alcoholism and how to recover from it, along with
success stories, please review this web site.
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