Dear Drew Barrymore,

To begin, I would like to thank you for being your true authentic self! The way
that you have brought yourself through so many of the trials that others go through every day is truly an
inspiration. Thanks to you, I will always take the time to dance in the rain!
Drew, I am writing this letter to you in the hopes that you can help a wonderful man that finds
himself in a desperate situation.
Richard Branscombe is just a small-town man living the small-town life. However, to those that
know him, he is much more than that. A veteran that has suffered the effects of exposure to Agent
Orange, a diligent worker, and an inspiration to many, he is the quintessential man that did not have to
be. Please allow me to explain.
After his wife tragically passed away due to rapid cancer, Richard moved to Northern Michigan
for the quiet beauty and serenity that so many people pursue. He started work at a local cable company
and met a wide variety of people. Eventually he encountered a woman that owned a quaint little flower
shop. This woman was a single mother of two that tirelessly provided this small town with beautiful
floristry. Their relationship moved quickly, and they soon moved in together. Neither wanted to be
married, but they promised their love to each other for the rest of their days. He became a father to her
children when he did not have to.
Being a veteran, he had a hard life. He exhibited great intrepidity, or strength of mind to
continue despite danger, as well as indubitable loyalty to our great country. As we all know, great
strength comes at a great price. His time in the military haunted him every day. Nevertheless, he did not
let that fact stop him from having the things that he wanted or needed. He provided for this woman and
her children without hesitation. I have never met a man that is as self-less and industrious as Richard.
When his bonus son got married, he accepted that woman as his daughter. That woman was me.
Richard had such a big and loving heart, and he made me feel like a part of the family from the moment I
stepped into the house. When I welcomed my first child, he instantly became grandpa. When my second
daughter was born, she had him wrapped around her pudgy little finger from the moment she took her
first breath. He was Papa, and nothing made him happier! He would take the girls fishing at a hidden
creek for trout, which was his favorite thing to do. He took special little trips to a nearby tiny village just
for ice cream. Richard loves asparagus, so my daughters planted a patch behind his house. He would wait
for the girls to come over so that they could go outside and pick a few for dinner.
Now for the desperation. Richard was working as an over the road truck driver and had a major
mishap. He was covering his load with a tarp while out west in the desert when a sudden wind came
rushing through. His tarp caught the wind and knocked Richard off the trailer about sixteen feet straight
to the ground. Richard ended up with massive back injuries and can no longer walk. This man that was
bigger than life was immediately viewed as a feeble old man in a wheelchair. Richard no longer had the
jovial disposition that we had all known and loved. His mood became more caliginous, or dark and
gloomy. Richard’s ability to provide for his family disappeared so quickly that no preparation could have
sufficed. He ended up losing not only his sense of being, but also the majority of his material possessions
to pay his medical bills. These possessions were not of significant importance, but he had to sell his
vehicle as well. He can no longer leave his home unless he can plan for a ride, and Richard is adamant
about not asking for help.
Drew, I am asking you for help. Please help this man, who did not have to be, get a handicapped
vehicle so that he can find some semblance of the man he was before the accident. No one deserves it
more.
This man, who was technically of no relation, stepped up to be the best father and grandfather
that my family could have ever asked for. Richard had zero obligations to be the man he is to my family.
We love him with all our hearts, and we will continue to do everything in our power to help him, even if
that means asking for help without his knowledge.
Please keep in mind Drew, that he is the man that did not have to be.

Thank you,
Sabrina Miller