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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> NFBNJ <nfbnj-bounces@nfbnet.org> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Linda Melendez via NFBNJ<br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, December 30, 2020 6:24 AM<br><b>To:</b> NFB of New Jersey Internet Mailing List <nfbnj@nfbnet.org><br><b>Subject:</b> [NFBNJ] Update on Joe Ruffalo<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black'>Request for distribution by Janie Degenshein, NFBNJ Affiliate Board Member</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black'>This is the first of many updates I wish to share with our NFBNJ family about my brother Joe Ruffalo. Joe is in need of quiet rest at this time but </span>knows<span style='font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black'> that he feels the love and warmth of your prayers and thoughts. I wish to personally thank those that have reached out to me via email, text, or phone calls to share your heartfelt wishes. Over the next few weeks, there will be other updates we wish to share with our entire NFBNJ family.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black'>Below, my nephew, Joe's son shares his thoughts with you. If for any reason the method of sending well wishes is unworkable for you, just send an email to Janie Degenshein at <a href="mailto:jdegen16@comcast.net" target="_blank">jdegen16@comcast.net</a> and I will personally share them with my brother.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black'>****</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black'>Thank you all for reaching out concerning my dad, Joe Ruffalo. As many of you may know he has been suffering from terrible pain for some months now. His most recent bout has kept him in the hospital since December 7th. During that time, it was diagnosed that he has cancer. We are still waiting for all the details, but early indications are that it is not a common type of cancer.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black'>Dad has always been a fighter and is in good spirits, although very tired. I know many of you want to reach out and wish him well. The family, my mom, brother Jim and I, as well as his brother’s and sister’s appreciate this outpouring. For the time being I am asking that you do not call him. It is not that he doesn’t want to hear from you, but he needs to rest and quite frankly I have woken him up far too many times myself.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black'>In lieu of phone calls, I have created a special website and email address where you can send him well wishes. Feel free to share a funny story or moment, an accomplishment or something positive about your life. Dad loves to hear that. My aunt Jane Degenshein and I will be reading these to him on a frequent basis. We may not be able to respond directly to everyone, but rest assured he will get your message.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black'>Website: </span><a href="http://wishjoewell.com/" target="_blank"><span style='font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>wishjoewell.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black'>email: <a href="mailto:wishjoewell@gmail.com" target="_blank">wishjoewell@gmail.com</a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black'>We ask that you keep both him and my mom in your thought sand prayers. Currently this is all we need and ask of you.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black'>Thank you all from the bottom of my heart, </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black'>Joey Ruffalo</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>