I haven't been on this board very long to get to know many of you. I, along with everybody else was well aware of the contributions to this board by Richie, but I had no connection with him other than the board banter and our love for the Oakland A's.

Reading his obit, I nearly fell out of my chair. He was also a Bears fan, as am I, I had no idea, the father of a young son, as am I, and most shockingly he struggled with Ulcerative Colitis his entire life, as have I. I was diagnosed at age 14, and while I excelled in sports as did Richie, the disease robbed me of a chance to keep playing. He is just 5 years younger than I. Wow. I'm just sitting here stunned at the similarities. I'm just rambling now, but man, you just never know who is at the other end of that keyboard, I wish I could have known all the things we had in common, and I could have reached out to him during his struggles which I understand so well.

If there is anybody out there struggling with Ulcerative Colitis, or a loved one, please reach out. I've spent a life time dealing with it and other autoimmune issues, and have a lot of experience with diet and lifestyle to help manage.

God bless you RichieRich.