03/03/2021
No matter what road our lives have taken, we all grew up in Marshall, Missouri. No matter how many years it has been since we’ve lived here, when one of us goes through hard times, we take care of each other.
People that have never lived in a small town don’t understand what makes them so special. No matter where I’ve lived, people seem horrified when I tell them the size of the town I grew up in, but they don’t know what it felt like to have the early spring sun on their skin during Dogpatch Olympics. They don’t know that the best bite of food ever eaten was a frozen Snickers bar from the snack bar at the pool. The excitement of cruising the strip on a Saturday night, music blasting, windows down, meeting your friends in the Hustler’s parking lot. Going to Paradise Donuts at midnight to get fresh donuts. Never being worried if you ran out of gas or had a flat because eventually somebody would come along and help you. They don’t know about chilly Friday night games at the college, where the air smelled of popcorn and was absolutely electric. They have never sat on a pickup truck bed in a field after a game, warmed by a bonfire and a Sonic cup full of Strawberry Hill.
But what they really don’t know is that we are bound together for life.
All of you know Daneesha Butler Baker. She was in my class, the best class that Marshall High School ever graduated, the Class of 1993. If you’ve forgotten, our class sweatshirt boldly proclaimed “We Got It Goin’ On!”. We were pretty humble. In high school Daneesha was kind of quiet, but would crack jokes under her breath. She was studious and kind. And fast as hell in track. Oh, and she had a twin, Faleesha. She’s also fast as hell.
It has been a few years, but Daneesha is still all of those things. She is also a pretty private person. But on July 29th, 2020, she was diagnosed with cancer. Shortly after, she decided to share her journey on facebook to try to help encourage other people that were going through what she was. I’m sure that was hard for her, but she felt called to do so, in spite of her personal struggles.
She was no longer able to work due to cancer treatments and surgery.
She began getting disability in September and it was under $800 a month.
She got Covid.
Her disability ended the first week of January.
She got a letter on January 20th from her employer and found out she was terminated as the doctor’s can’t clear her to work.
It is time for us to show up for her. It is time for us to take care of
one of our own.
There are several ways you can help. All of the money will go directly to her.
PayPal – Daneesha Baker [email protected]
Apple Pay - 9102892066
CashApp $DaneeshaBaker
Donate directly to her through facebook
If you would like to send her gift cards or an encouraging note, private message me and I'll happily pass along her address.
Thank you all for you time and generous spirits! Leigh Wilson
We need to come together to help support one of our own.
