A website has been set up to keep concerned area residents, family and friends up to date on Brittan Schmidt's journey receiving potentially groundbreaking treatments for his rare and advanced type of brain cancer.
Two pages of the site, www.brittanschmidtsbattlewithcancer.com, are filled with well-wishes, prayers and other comments by people who have heard Brittan's story.
Brittan, 33, is a Bridgeport resident, a husband and father of three. Doctors found a brain tumor three years ago, and following a number of surgeries and treatments, he was recently given a prognosis of 18 months to live by doctors at the University of Washington.
The family took up donations to help get Brittan to a specialist in Texas, Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski. The cost of his treatment needed to be paid beforehand.
"Thanks to all the donations by friends and family Brittan has travelled to TX and begun treatment with Dr. Burzynski, his treatment will continue after returning home," reads a statement on the website. "Donations will allow him to continue his treatment after returning home."
A benefit concert and silent auction will be held Aug. 25 at the Riverwalk Pavilion in Chelan, where food and crafts vendors will also donate a portion of their sales to Brittan's treatment.
Annie Amerika update
Since the Herald last went to press, Annie Amerika - the moniker of Gale Wilkison of Bridgeport - has made speedy progress back to the west coast. She woke Wednesday of last week in Colorado. Her morning log noted that she had driven 7,763.1 miles through 28 states over 47 days.
She gave away a flag that day to a family in Alamosa, Colo.
"Today I traveled over Wolf Creek Pass, elevation 10,856 feet just as John and I did on our honeymoon," Annie wrote on her Facebook page. "John was fascinated with mountain summits, when we lived in the Lake Tahoe area every time he rode over highway 267, Brockway summit, elevation 7,179' he would give out a loud hoot. When we rode over Wolf Creek Pass on our honeymoon he did the same thing, and now that I look at it, it only seems fitting that he died at the top of the North Cascade highway, Washington Pass, elevation 5,477'."
On July 26, Annie made her way around Utah. She stopped in a town named Moab to give a flag to a couple named Clinton and Carlen; Clinton being an Army veteran. Her next update came from the tiny town of Aurora, Utah, calling it a "hidden oasis." Her attempt to give out three flags went unfulfilled because the residents weren't home.
Annie left Delta, Utah on Friday and drove into Nevada.
"I got a smile on my face when I saw the sign that said Pacific Time Zone," she wrote.
She gave a flag to a woman whose parents emigrated to the U.S. from Yugoslavia in the 1920s and raised her to be a "proud American."
On Saturday, Annie's 50th day of her journey, she gave away two flag to residents Pam and Carol in Bridgeport, Calif. Each woman had a close family member who was a veteran. The third flag of the day went to Ron and Rita of Walker, Calif.
"It makes me cry because it's so beautiful," Rita tearfully told Annie as their new flag was raised.
"Good Morning Topaz Lake Nevada!" Annie wrote Sunday on her Facebook page. "I have traveled 9,102 miles to see your morning sun."
Tires Plus in Reno, Nev. hooked her up with a tire rotation, brake inspection and oil change. From there she found two homes in need of new flags in Cold Springs, Nev. Annie then stopped at The Flag Store in Sparks, Nev., "where I purchased all 81 of my flags."
Late Monday, Annie checked in from Loyalton, Calif., where she had already given a flag to a woman named Barbara (see photo above).
This day in history
1776: Members of the Continental Congress began adding their signatures to the Declaration of Independence.
1861: The United States Congress passed the first income tax. The revenues were intended for the war effort against the South. The tax was never enacted.
1909: The first Lincoln penny was issued.
1934: With the death of the German president, Chancellor Adolf Hitler became absolute dictator of Germany under the title of Fuhrer, or "Leader."
1939: U.S. President Roosevelt signed the Hatch Act. The act prohibited civil service employees from taking an active part in political campaigns.
1983: U.S. House designated the third Monday of January would be a federal holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
1990: The Persian Gulf War broke out when Iraq invaded Kuwait.
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