Once again, Jericho fans help others
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- July
- 23
Hot off the e-mail, I hear of more do-gooding (is that a word?) by Jericho fans.
This time, they’re helping an Army sergeant who’s trying to raise awareness of autism. 
Sgt. Patrick Neal’s son, Brendan, was diagnosed as autistic at a young age, and now the Neal family is trying to raise awareness and help other military families who have a loved one affected by the disorder.
The short story: Neal’s created two websites:
Piece of the Puzzle and Autism Treatment Center of America: The Son-Rise Program.
After the break, the full release from the Jericho Rangers:
JERICHO FANS EMBRACE ONE OF THEIR OWN SERVING IN IRAQDeployed Army Sergeant seeks help in autism awareness campaign
Over the course of the last year, fans of the post-apocalyptic drama Jericho have reached out to fight for the resurrection of their beloved show, but they’ve also sought out the resurrection of restored hope for people in need — from stocking food bank shelves to shipping DVDs to deployed military members overseas craving entertainment options to raising funds for a small Kansas town devastated last year by an EF5 tornado. Jericho fans also are standing behind one of their own who’s currently stationed in Baghdad, Iraq.
Since December 2007, Sgt. Patrick Neal of the 102nd Forward Surgical Team, based out of Ft. Lewis, Washington, has become somewhat of a cause célèbre to fellow Jericho Rangers, as they are often called. Discovered during a campaign to recruit new and former Jericho viewers for saving the show from another cancellation, Sgt. Neal responded with the story of his deployment to Baghdad to assist wounded American and Iraqi personnel. What ensued is indicative of fans’ continued drive to not only save their show, but to also help others. In a matter of weeks, Sgt. Neal and his fellow soldiers became recipients of nearly 2,000 pounds of care packages full of DVDs and CDs, toiletries, books, Bibles, games, stationery, gum and mints, and other items, in addition to hundreds of holiday and ‘thank you’ cards showing Jericho fan support for their efforts.
However, the story of Sgt. Neal did not end there. In fact, it has just begun, as Neal is now demonstrating that he and his family, too, have the same caring hearts as the fans who supported him and his fellow soldiers. Sgt. Neal and his family are spearheading their own campaign to raise awareness of autism, a perplexing neurological medical condition with which Neal’s son Brendan was diagnosed at an early age, and to bring needed relief to other military families suffering from the effects of the disorder.
Neal is asking for assistance in shining the spotlight on two Web sites he has helped to create: http://pieceofthepuzzle.synthatsite.com/index.php and www.autismtreatmentcenter.org.
“With a program to help Brendan and our family in various ways, we are committed to paying it forward and assisting military families who may need help in the future,” said Neal. “We wish to set up a fund for military families needing assistance in gaining access to programs specifically designed for children diagnosed with autism.”
Sgt. Neal recently sat down for an interview with the Jericho4Kids site (www.jericho4kids.com) and spoke of the compassion of the Jericho community and his family’s campaign on behalf of autism awareness. Information regarding Neal’s autism awareness campaign can be found on several other Jericho-related sites, including www.jerichorises.com and www.jerichooncbs.blogspot.com.
PS: Check out this interview with Carol Barbee on Sci Fi Weekly. She is still positive about Jericho’s future, but says a graphic novel or feature film are the most likely ways to continue on (though she doesn’t rule out a series, just says it’s not as likely!). She also has lots to say about Hawkins and how they approached season 2. Thanks to mpbnice for the tip!
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 at 7:00 pm by Amy Vernon.
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Thank you for your attention to this. Rangers always take care of their own.
Thanks, Amy!
Awesome article Amy, thanks!!
Amy, Please tell me more about Jericho. My oldest son was misdiagnosed as having autism at a very early age. He actually has received his Learners Permit this past Tuesday. I am proud of him and all 4 of my boys.
Thank you Amy for help Sgt. Neal to get the word out. This is a very quickly growing problem with 1 in 150 children likely to be affected. It needs to be stopped now!
One of the crowning acheivements of the Jericho Rangers is their charity to others! They embrace philanthropy as they continue to work towards bringing the series to a new home. Bravo to the Rangers!
I would like to comment on the P.S. at the end of the blog regarding Carol Barbee’s interview. I want to preface by stating that I’ve not ever read anything Carol has ever said to be grammatically incorrect. Therefore, I did not read in her article that a series was less likely than a movie or graphic novel. What she said first was she had to be “cagey” that means she can’t talk about what is on the table. This all with the exception of “what’s obvious.” Which is what has been talked about for months now. So, I take that to mean she is not talking about anything but what has already been revealed in the rumor mills. Ie… a series is as much of a possibility as anything. I had to comment on this part of her interview as much speculation has been made on it to the extent that people are taking “the most obvious” to mean “the major focus” and that is NOT even remotely what she said at all.
Thank you for your piece on the work the Rangers are doing for kids with autism.