Help Greg…Get A Leg
By Cheril Vernon
Messenger Copy Editor
MESSENGER OFFICE – The first time I met Greg Ritchie, who has served as reporter for The Messenger for two years, I told him “you will have to write 5 to 7 stories twice a week, at least, and do this repeatedly every week. Can you do that?” And what I meant was: You better, or it’s not going to work. I know reporters who work for smaller and bigger papers who only write one story per edition! Greg jumped in head first and took on the challenge. As a result, on most “newspaper days,” I have not only that many stories, but a few we hold for the next edition. Let’s just say he loves his job and he takes it very seriously – that is – when he’s not cutting up with a joke that only a few in the room will get.
As many of our readers know, Greg lost his left leg above the knee last summer, after he contracted a deadly infection. Taking the leg saved his life, but led to him having to adapt to a whole new lifestyle, with all of its life-lessons and challenges.
It’s been a long year for Greg, although you might not know it to see him, rolling around the county, almost like before, keeping up with all those meetings and events, telling the stories of the people in this county. For example, it’s not unusual to see him in the middle of the Lovelady Gym along with 100 elementary kids taking pictures of the entertainment during the Lovefest Coronation, or to see him in downtown Crockett on the square taking pictures of a parade – or sitting on the front row for city council and commissioners’ court meetings.
He keeps a brave face and is a “glass is always half-full” person. For those of us who have been with him this past year, we have seen the ups and downs, the good days and bad. Feeling guilty not being able to attend all the meetings and events, Greg has tried to keep his chin up and stay busy, in spite of the challenges. While he deals with some physical limitations, his mind has only grown sharper, and his coverage of topics from city councils to feature and opinion stories has only gotten better, earning him some well-deserved Texas Press Association awards. He is too modest to admit it, but I know how proud he was to receive that recognition.
And Greg, being Greg, would rather play the part of Superman, pretending everything is fine, still playing the role I think he must have played his whole life, where he is the one to pick up the check, donate money, give back to those around him.
After a tough year of healing and therapy, it’s time to work on getting Greg a prosthetic leg so he can get back to some kind of “normal.” Journalists may get a lot of attention sometimes, but the pay isn’t quite what people may imagine. I know how Greg and his wife have struggled to keep up with medical bills, special equipment for his home and now trying to save for a “robo-leg,” as Greg calls it.
Even after insurance, a quality-made prosthetic will run in the several thousands of dollars, probably between $12,000 to $20,000 in all. He’s far too proud to ask himself, so I will put out a request, for anyone inclined and able to help. We have set up some online payment systems, and an address, if anyone feels moved to give Greg a little boost.
I have seen how much your help, prayers and words of encouragement have lifted his spirit – even a note or card would mean the world to him. Greg has meant so much to this community and I know, all too well, how much work he puts in to writing this newspaper, twice a week – at times from hospital rooms.
If you would like to contribute something, please come by The Messenger office, at 113 N. Main Street in Grapeland. You may send him something directly to Greg Ritchie, P.O. Box 1125, Crockett, TX, 75835. Venmo: @messengergreg. PayPal: [email protected].
