A Thank You for all the amazing things that have transpired since Tuesday afternoon at 2:30pm CST
Last edited Fri Feb 6, 2026, 04:26 PM - Edit history (1)
On Tuesday afernoon at the aforementioned time, OmahaSteve posted this
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220992806
to support a request I had posted 24 hours earlier for GoFundMe help to get through my SSDI appeal timeline.
If you want to witness a truly remarkable time window where you can witness the literal timeline of what turned into a miracle of Tsunamic proportions.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-john-mckusick-overcome-health-and-financial-struggles
Just scroll down a little bit and you can unwind all the donations that have transpired since OS made the first one.
I call this a miracle because within 40 hours, the entire request was met. I don't know if this makes sense, but what I was witnessing overwhelmed my ability to truly take in as I couldn't believe my eyes. It's taken me these extra couple of days to truly begin to grasp just what you all have done for me and I'm still just overwhelmed at your love, support and generosity.
Almost 5000 of you have read his post, more than 75 of you have kicked, recommended and commented, keeping this post visible almost around the clock, and more than 90 of you made a donation ranging from $5 to $1000.
I have felt "The Hand Of God" several times when my energy was a part of something much bigger, citing Rory and the kitties behind my trailer and how things transpired in those cases as being touched by God.
I have also felt that blessing several times from individuals like Wordstroken, Debm55, CloudsPassing, LoisB, OS, Usonian and many others who in their words to me, gave me Hope, Self Worth, fantastic advice, and paths forward that are more spiritually rewarding.
I remember as I was wheeled into the operating room last February 21st at about 530am CST praying a prayer of thanks and gratitude as was so sagely recommended. I believe it made a huge difference in not just the outcome of the surgery, but gave me a recipe that I can use whenever I'm so moved.
All that just to say the following; The Community here at DU has moved me so many countless times with your posts, responses, forgiveness, acceptance, affirmations and yes, generosity of means and spirit.
One of the most difficult things for individuals who struggle with esteem issues is to believe it when someone else says something nice to them.
I always have wondered why it was so difficult for someone to see something so plainly obvious to the rest of us. Well I've been guilty of the very same blindness to my "deserving" kindness from others.
During the first 24 hours of my initial post, my every worst inner messages were playing loudly.
You know, "People are tired of helping you", they've only done it out of pity, my personal favorite
being the "You deserve this because you didn't save like you should have" etc...
https://imgur.com/a/9JVs37p
Shadow wearing her heart on her sleeve.
Many of us have a difficult life as a part of our inherent destiny, not because God made it so, but because our life brought us here, long before we had any control of it.
I know one of my main purposes in my personal life is to become a better and healthier Empath. To be there for others, to relate in an trustable way, to hold anothers hand because we've shared this part of our journeys and to learn every day to love more, love better, all while teaching and learning for myself that usually, the person that needs to hear my advice most often is me.
You've awakened me out of a deep persistent depression that I've been in since Thanksgiving. Not with money mind you, although that certainly has taken care of my physical needs til July, but with your loving words, your loving pm's, your collective assurance that I've heard so many times this week.
I cry every time I think it. "We've got your back", "We won't let you down", "You are family, We got you", because you do and you did!
I will be shutting down the GoFundMe at the end of the weekend, as I really do recommend going there and seeing what you as a family have accomplished and done.
I will close with this:
I know all of you have heard a drum played by one. One of the most beautiful experiences of my entire life is listening to 100 people drumming simultaneously in a large circle in the middle of a National Forest.
When that many people converge with a singular energy, music is made with the music that is made. The waves that many drums create is similar to nthe waves of OHM when hundreds do it. The waves of sound as people breathe and speak is like an ocean, the musical waves from so many drums are like a northern lights performance in sound waves. That is what you did in these last 95 hours and 54 minutes.
You created an energy as a group that performed a miracle and for that, I'm so profoundly grateful.
Thank you OS, and to the thousands of you that listened to Steve's call to action.
Love, John 
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