Today, my mom’s very good friend Jan Collins died unexpectedly. I say “my mom’s” very good friend, but Jan was a very good friend to me as well. A fellow red-head that was absolutely full of life, she was (and is) an inspiration to me.

During the years I could not move from the couch because of seizures and had no money, she and her husband, Eddie, sent me medicine that the pharmaceutical reps gave to Eddie as samples, and saved me a ton of money on anti-seizure and psych meds. In fact, aside from the KitchenAid mixer that Adam and I had secretly lusted after for years, Jan and Eddie had even sent me 2 full months worth of Cymbalta, saving me and Adam $120 in prescription copay money.

Jan made an indelible mark on my life, and I want to try and help others the same way she helped me. To that end, I’m going to try to start a philanthropy.

I’m calling it the Medicine Cabinet. It’s for people who can’t afford medicine and need help, especially before they are able to get on social security. I’m hoping to involve doctors who have extra pills leftover from drug reps, because pills have a shelf life, instead of those pills going bad, they can be there for the less fortunate. We could get drug companies involved too… and see about what laws there are about getting meds from people when they get their medicines changed because medicine gets wasted every day, and other people need it.

Jan helped me immensely in that way. I want to honor her memory forever.