Teri Vance: Account set up for Lily Reedy in Carson City

When I first met Brian Reedy, he was a single guy teaching at Carson High School. I remember having a conversation with him about the kind of woman he was looking for.

Things like kindness and compassion were at the top of his list.

So it seemed like fairytale come true when he and Lily, the media clerk in the high school’s library, found each other.

But life isn’t a fairytale, and hard things happen. As they have with Brian and Lily.

Brian began suffering with symptoms of early onset Parkinson’s disease in 2008 and was diagnosed in 2011. Finding it more difficult to concentrate and multitask, he retired last year after 15 years of teaching.

In a Facebook post last week, he wrote, “However, I do have the ability to be positive, loving, and full of new things to discover and enjoy. Primarily, I love my most amazing and admirable wife, my very, very best friend Lily!”

At the same time, he announced Lily’s recent diagnosis with breast cancer.

“In October, she had surgery to remove the tumor and some lymph nodes,” he said. “Now she needs to undergo chemotherapy for the next three months and then radiation for two months after that. She will also be on a pill regimen for the next 10 years.”

He set up an account to raise money for her treatment as well as coordinate meals.

“The GoFundMe account is a way for us to let others help us meet many of the financial needs we have, as well as donate meals to help us relax more and face this disease with positive attitudes and loving support,” Brian said. “This is a tough road that too many have to face. Please consider finding a way to help the cause or others in any way to help cure cancer and make things better for everyone.”

He appreciates the support they have so far received.

“Aside from being the most absolute love of my life and my best friend, all who know Lily know that she has a genuine, sincere, strong, and optimistic approach to life and people,” he said. “She is an impressive force of goodness in this world. The genuine outpouring of love and support is very humbling. It shows her that who she is, how she is, matters and people love and support her because she makes a positive difference.”

And through the hardships, they found something better than a fairytale — true love.

“We know at times like this people feel sorry for those locked in such struggles,” Brian said. “However, we really do not need sympathy. We feel so many blessings upon us and sincerely believe that each challenge we encounter in our lives is there to build us up, make us stronger, and truly bring us closer to an understanding of life and the many blessings around all of us.”

To donate or learn more, go to https://www.gofundme.com/mdaa49ws.