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GraceD
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 26, 2014 - 11:38am PT
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Hello Super Topo Community! I am a friend and a former wife of Ed Drummond, the great British climber and poet. Currently, Ed is in a San Francisco hospital for intense treatment of his advanced Parkinson's Disease. He has also been diagnosed with a gastrointestinal cancer and will require radiation therapy. Ed's funds are limited to a small pension and SSI. His daughter Fiume Simnacher Drummond is his primary caregiver while working in a non-profit along with managing Ed's care and finances. Fiume is doing a heroic job watching over her Dad, but, as we know, Medicare does not cover all of the expenses of transferring Ed from the hospital to a long term care skilled nursing facility. This fundraiser was created to meet that need as well as to provide funds to purchase supplies, extra caregiving as Ed requires 24/7 observation, and peace of mind for Fiume and the rest of Ed's children. For those who remember Ed personally and those who have heard of him, your kind donations, big and small, are respectfully requested and would be gratefully received from his care team. Also - a big hello to those who might remember me from Camp Four, circa 1974.
Send Pay Pal donations to Ed's daughter's email, fiumeirene@yahoo.com
Send checks to Fiume Drummond at -
Fiume Drummond
1212 Market Street, Suite 310
San Francisco, CA 94102
- and make the check out to Fiume Drummond
We hope to raise $10,000!
Cheers and peace.
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GraceD
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 26, 2014 - 11:55am PT
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jun 26, 2014 - 05:07pm PT
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Grace- That is tough news that Ed is struggling at present but thank you for bringing his situation to our attention. When I met him several years ago he was just beginning to show signs of the difficulty that is upon him now.
Ed is a truly singular individual combining the tenacity of a English bulldog with the sensitivity of a poet. His wonderful writing has been a true gift to the mountaineering world as he has tried to capture the soul and essence of the climbing experience gleaned during his many audacious adventures.
The heroes of mountaineering's greatest generation are facing in many ways their greatest challenges now in their autumn years and I encourage those of you on this forum to see fit to help ease the burden on this fine and exemplary man and his family and contribute to the fund set up to help care for him. He has given a great deal to our traditions and community and truly deserves the help so please do what you can as you can.
Once I get back to Seattle I will see what kind of creative fund raising scheme I can devise to help out.
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Jun 26, 2014 - 05:52pm PT
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
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Jun 26, 2014 - 06:32pm PT
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Sorry to hear about Edwin's dire situation . . . could be any of us some day.
Best thoughts and sincerest positive vibrations to the Drummond clan.
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GraceD
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 26, 2014 - 07:55pm PT
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Steve Grossman - Such a wonderful salute to Ed and the climbers of his time. Thank you on behalf of Ed's children. Any fundraising you can manage in the Pacific Northwest would be greatly appreciated. Ed and I have climbed in the Cascades and up further north in the Bugaboos (my pal from high school, Doug Nidever/Flanders was in the area at the same time) and these were good times. Let me know if I can be of any assistance to you in fundraising. Many blessings!
Brian in SLC - That's a fine anthology of Ed's work. I'm included in the story about climbing the TransAmerica Pyramid in San Francisco with Ed and Jeff Long. Whoa, that was quite the day. Thanks for bringing back that memory!
tinker b - I believe that at this point Ed's share of his book sales are minimal. The best way we thought of generating immediate funds is through this fundraiser. If you can contribute any amount, any thing at all, Fiume, Ed's primary caregiver, would receive it gladly and with deep gratitude. You are kind to think of this
Kalimon - Indeed, this could happen to any of us, no matter how powerfully and easily we have climbed/ran/skied in our lives. The irony of having Parkinson's is not lost to Ed and the family and it has been a difficult path since his diagnosis several years ago. Humble thanks for your comforting words.
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
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Jun 26, 2014 - 09:29pm PT
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"Mirror, Mirror" Bump.
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GraceD
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 27, 2014 - 07:08am PT
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Thanks, Kalimon!
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Jun 27, 2014 - 09:23am PT
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Thanks Randisi. Lest we lose perspective here on Ed.
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Jun 27, 2014 - 09:43am PT
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GraceD
I'm sorry to hear about Ed. I knew he wasn't well.
I first met him in about 1975 when I picked him up late one night hitchhiking in front of Camp 4. He was heading for San Francisco. Even though I had only been into climbing about 2 years I had devoured Mountain Magazine and felt as if I already knew him. We had a fine long chat. As I recall he was trying to make a living as a poet.
I ran into him again, many years later (2009) at the AAC climb-in at Gianelli Edges, sponsored by Royal Robbins. He was staying with Royal and Liz. I could see then that he had the beginnings of Parkinsons.
Yet he was an inspiration because of it. I was mesmerized watching him climb a 5.9 crack. He moved so slowly and deliberately it was almost imperceptible. I was sure he'd fall off at any moment. But no. He persevered to the top, lowered off, took a rest and climbed another route. I like to think I learned something about climbing and character watching him.
Doug Nidever hangs around this forum. You can find him as "Flanders".
Fred Glover.
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Jun 27, 2014 - 09:59am PT
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Of course not. That is Homer.
“Come, Friend, you too must die. Why moan about it so?
Even Patroclus died, a far, far better man than you.
And look, you see how handsome and powerful I am?
The son of a great man, the mother who gave me life--
A deathless goddess. But even for me, I tell you,
Death and the strong force of fate are waiting.
There will come a dawn or sunset or high noon
When a man will take my life in battle too--
flinging a spear perhaps
Or whipping a deadly arrow off his bow.
Homer, The Illiad
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tinker b
climber
the commonwealth
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Jun 27, 2014 - 06:42pm PT
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hey is there a direct address i could send a check too? the site takes 8% and i really hate giving money to sites like that. in addition i do not like to give my info over the internet.
thanks,
j
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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Lassitude 33
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Jun 27, 2014 - 06:57pm PT
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Like others here, I "grew up" -- in the climbing world -- inspired by Ed's prose. As mentioned by tinker b, I would Like to help, but rather give thorough another means. PayPal gifting costs neither party and is easy for me because I already have an account with it. Is this a possibility?
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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Jun 27, 2014 - 07:51pm PT
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+1 on PayPal if you can set it up.
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GraceD
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 27, 2014 - 08:15pm PT
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Ahhhh, thanks for that information about PayPal and the Give Forward page itself. I will put up another topic with a new crowd funding platform that will not charge an additional fee and accept PayPal.
What we will do is take down this site and come back to Super Topo with a better fundraising tool.
You guys are great. So much gratitude coming your way from Team Drummond.
Peace, Grace Davis
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tinker b
climber
the commonwealth
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Jun 28, 2014 - 05:48am PT
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you do not need start a new thread, just edit your first post with the new info. if you get a paypal account post that info. an address with a name to write checks to will also be appreciated. there are a few luddites out there who would rather give that way, and a few people will send cards.
thanks,
j
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GraceD
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 28, 2014 - 08:00am PT
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tinker b - I am fairly new to posting on this fine forum aka taco (taco?! okay, taco.) though I read it voraciously as I still keep up with the climbing community. I was 18 when I met Ed and climbed for five years with him thus climbing had a mighty imprint on me as did Ed. Once a climber, always an armchair climber which is why the taco works. Thanks for your guidance to the taco.
Peter Haan - I must have met you at one time or another. I believe you might have known LInda Petty, Ed's partner before me? Or, Lia, the mother to Ed's Fiume and Areanna? This summer we will be away from Santa Cruz as our house is being remodeled but I would love to have coffee with you maybe at The Ugly Mug which is funky enough to resemble Camp Four. Perhaps a scrubbed down Camp Four, but funky nonetheless. I will send a message to you in the next several days. Peace.
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GraceD
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 28, 2014 - 12:33pm PT
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locker - thanks for posting the video correctly! Whew, the taco is schooling me big time! Cheers and blessings!
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GraceD
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 28, 2014 - 07:46pm PT
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From the British Mountaineering Council, a profile of Ed. An excerpt:
"I learned to ask for help on North America Wall on El Capitan. I was attempting to make the first solo of this route and after fourteen days, and three pitches from the summit, I got trapped in a terrible storm. My portaledge slowly filled with meltwater. Then eventually, I farted, and it was cold air that came out of me. Deep inside the furnace had been turned off, and I was going to die. Then a rescuer appeared and they brought me back to the top. It felt like I’d been brought back from the brink."
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