Community rallies for friend
Published 2:53 pm Wednesday, February 11, 2009
By By MaryClaire Foster
Friends, family and strangers came together on Saturday to support Toby Quimby and his family with a bike ride, fish fry and yard sale.
Quimby’s wife, Maggie, said the success of the events and support shown by so many people was more than her family could have imagined.
Toby Quimby was sick for four years before receiving a diagnosis of Lyme disease in October of last year.
According to his wife, Quimby had seen countless doctors over the years, who misdiagnosed him with lupus and mixed connective tissue disorder among other diseases, and his body was already in late stage Lyme disease by the time he was diagnosed.
Because of the severity of his disease, Quimby is currently receiving treatment at Health Centers of America in Kansas City, Mo. with a twice a day, seven days a week schedule of intravenous antibiotics.
Doug Chandler is a close friend of Quimby and organized the bike ride to benefit his friend.
Chandler said Quimby’s treatments, which are expected to last at least three months, cost the family a couple of thousand dollars each week.
Maggie Quimby said even though what their family is going through has been hard, she wants people to know they are confident in the Lord’s part in all of this.
Those wishing to help out the Quimby family may make a donation to the Friends of Toby Quimby fund at First National Bank and Trust.