HOW TO HELP This year's holiday appeal marks the 32nd year of The Ledger's Newspaper with a Heart campaign. There are no overhead costs.
Gifts are tax-deductible.
Although steroids cause him a variety of problematic side effects, those complications are preferable to the meningitis. Instead of being at the Gainesville hospital where he had his Oct. 26 surgery, Patrick was at All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg. His parents took him there two days before Thanksgiving, and he was in the hospital until Thanksgiving evening. Tracey and Tim Crossno celebrated there, with Patrick, then had a second Thanksgiving meal at home Friday with him, his sister and brother. The Crossnos are one of several families or individuals written about this month as examples of area residents who need help from Newspaper with a Heart, The Ledger's annual fund-raising appeal.