Sick Call

[GhostDancer]

From: Sean Patrick Fannon

 

For those among my friends and followers who know Scott Bennie - or who know his work - I have the difficult news that he has been hospitalized and undergone surgery. I do not know what his current condition is, but according to his sister, he is undergoing significant rehab. He has no access to a computer or the Internet and is very much cut off. As I understand it, you can send him an email address to the following address, using the following information to ensure a message is hand-delivered to him by the Volunteer Resource team. This will be the only way he knows friends and fans are thinking of him. youvegotmail.ARH@fraserhealth.ca Robert Scott Bennie Unit: Baker 3 Room 109

[GhostDancer]

                                       YOU’VE GOT MAIL!

You’ve Got Mail is an email greeting service for patients at Abbotsford Regional Hospital.  Provided by: The ARH Volunteer Resources Department

 

Thank you for using the “You've Got Mail!” service at Abbotsford Regional Hospital.  This program is designed for well wishes only.   All messages are received and handled confidentially. 

Please note: This auto reply does not confirm the delivery of your greeting and does not confirm the presence of the intended recipient at ARH. 

 

Important:  All email greetings must contain the full legal name of the patient (if possible include the room number).  If your email greeting did not contain this information, please resend your email.

Message delivery

Email is checked daily Monday to Friday and is printed, sealed in an envelope and hand-delivered to the unit.  Emails received on weekends and Statutory Holidays will be delivered on the next business day.  Emails received after the intended recipient has been discharged will not be delivered.

 

Please note: We will only be able to receive emails from well wishers to patients. We are unable to facilitate a conversation back and forth; think of it as a greeting card! J

This service is managed by the Volunteer Resources Department at Abbotsford Regional Hospital.

 

[Lord Liaden]

Looks like mine should go through, then. Thanks , GD.

[archer]

Best wishes.

 

 

[Hermit]

I hope Scott has a healthy and speedy recovery

[death tribble]

Poor Scott

 

Hope he gets well soon

[tkdguy]

Best wishes to Scott.

[archer]

I'm not sure of the social protocol in this situation.

 

Are we not talking about exactly what happened to him because no one knows?

 

Or are we not talking about it because everyone but me knows, however, it's a delicate matter and we just aren't discussing it openly because everyone but me is trying to be sensitive?

[Badger]

I would be curious too.  If only to know how much one needs to worry.

[Lord Liaden]

SPF's notification implied it's serious, but was otherwise guarded as to what the problem actually is. Either he doesn't know himself, or it's a matter Scott wants kept private, at least for now.

 

For the time being I have no problem with wishing Scott well, whatever his condition is.

[GhostDancer]

I know little about Mr. Bennie's health. He publicly stated he's had several falls, and he suffers anxiety and depression in a continuing care facility, where service is not always up to par. He has other health issues that I am not familiar with.

[Starlord]

These health issues could be the result of a revenge plot by Viper operatives.  As we all know, Mr. Bennie was instrumental as the whistleblower who revealed all those Viper organizational secrets by writing a manual disguised as a 'Campaign Sourcebook' for a mild-mannered superhero rpg. 

 

J/K

Get well Scott Bennie!

[Scott Ruggels]

This is unfortunate. I met Scott before he turned pro, when we were in the same Fanzines. And in Carl Rigney’s sometimes PBM, sometimes live at convention games. After the endless volumes he wrote in that game, it was only natural that he would become a full time writer. 

[archer]

3 hours ago, GhostDancer said:

I know little about Mr. Bennie's health. He publicly stated he's had several falls, and he suffers anxiety and depression in a continuing care facility, where service is not always up to par. He has other health issues that I am not familiar with.

 

I hadn't heard anything about him in several years and didn't even know he was in a continuing care facility or had suffered from falls.

 

The only reason I haven't fallen a lot is that I've been very lucky and move very gingerly. So I know at least a little of what he's been experiencing.

 

Thanks for the information.

[GhostDancer]

Scott Ruggles, my first acquaintance with you and Scott Bennie is a bit like yours, given that my Secret Identity is Will "Suffice" Geiger.

[archer]

2 hours ago, GhostDancer said:

Scott Ruggles, my first acquaintance with you and Scott Bennie is a bit like yours, given that my Secret Identity is Will "Suffice" Geiger.

 

j/k

 

 

[Lord Liaden]

Scott Bennie was very active from the earliest days on Champions Online, playing, commenting or answering questions on their forums, sometimes posting short stories around his PC, Thundrax. On their forums he would sometimes mention health issues, most often his failing eyesight, but I had no idea he needed long-term care. It was actually over a year since I'd seen anything by him related to CO, and I had gotten worried. It seems I had reason to.

 

I posted Sean Fannon's contact info to the CO community, in case any of them want to wish him well.

[Christopher R Taylor]

Message sent, I hope it is not too serious and he recovers fully soon.

 

I remember him from wayyyy back in the old Email group and Red October days.

[mattingly]

17 hours ago, archer said:

 

j/k

 

 

 

"Aren't you gonna wash your hands?"

 

[GhostDancer]

I just sent Mr. Bennie another note. Keep it up, please. 😍

[Lord Liaden]

One of Scott's friends in the Champions Online community reprinted this message his sister posted to Facebook:

 

To all of Scott’s friends. He’s received 60ish emails and he is very happy and humbled by all the attention he is getting.
They think he’s a minor celeb in the hospital.
Still no word on how long he will be there. It’s been only one week since his surgery and he says there is no pain.
Please keep him in your thoughts as he continues his journey of healing.

[Lawnmower Boy]

On 1/5/2021 at 7:50 PM, Badger said:

I would be curious too.  If only to know how much one needs to worry.

 

To briefly respond to these questions, while I do not know the specifics of Scott's current condition, I did know him quite well in college, and can tell you that he suffers from a congenital disorder that would more than explain why he currently requires assisted living and remedial surgery. 

[Lord Liaden]

Does anyone have any news?

[Lord Liaden]

This information was just posted to the Champions Online forums by the username "epelesker," whom I would not be surprised to learn is one of Scott's friends posting here:

 

Since you guys have all been patiently waiting for information on our Mighty Thundrax...

He's still in the hospital as of yet and apparently close to going home, though we're not sure of what the timetable exactly is for the moment. But he's for sure feeling ready to not be cooped up in that building for much longer.

I'd heard secondhand that there was some chatter about 'Drax at this week's Dev CC so the positive thoughts for him were definitely appreciated! (I, for one, would support an AF of Thundrax!)

If I find out more, I'll try to not to leave you all in the dark.

 

Since Scott's condition seems to be improving, I thought it acceptable to send an email of encouragement to him at the address at the top of this thread, following the same rules as spelled out there.

[Lord Liaden]

Latest announcement from epelesker on the Champions Online forums:

 

(Yes, I know what day it is today, but this is 100% serious.)

New update, and one that's probably important to those of you in the community that have been sending him well-wishes.

Thundrax has been moved from ARH to another local area hospital as of yesterday. However, don't consider this a bad thing: his sister has been encouraging him that "next week" is when he will finally be back home.