# RSS News Feeds > RSS News Feeds >  For those of you who dont know Steve McCreary, he has been the b

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For those of you who dont know Steve McCreary, he has been the backbone of Collings Guitars for over 18 years.  In addition, hes one of the nicest people youd ever meet and the kind of person who would do anything to help others.  Well today, Steve and his family could really use our help.  If you appreciate Collings instruments, I ask you to please continue reading as Steve deserves a great deal of credit for making Collings instruments what they are today.    16 years ago, Steve and Felice McCreary adopted a little girl named Sophie.  She quickly became the light of their lives, but they also noticed early on that Sophie was different from the other children her age.  They first assumed that her unusual behavior would pass and knew that every child has their unique set of challenges, but as years went on they started to notice patterns developing.   After consulting numerous doctors and therapists, Sophie was diagnosed with severe Early Onset Bipolar Disorder.    In hope of giving Sophie a better life, Steve and Felice have tried everything from therapy, medication, counseling, special schooling, special needs parenting workshops, and have followed the advice of numerous mental health professionals.  Despite Steve and Felices love and considerable efforts to help Sophie cope with daily life, her care has become simply unmanageable and requires more resources than they can provide.  To say that the past years have been difficult for Steve and Felice is a major understatement, but they are not about to give up.  Beneath the manic highs and lows of Sophies condition, Sophie is a sweet kid who wants more than anything to have a normal life.     Four weeks ago, Sophie was admitted to a long-term residential treatment center, which Steve and Felice believe is Sophies best hope for a future.  The program offers a safe, therapeutic and well-structured environment that focuses around praise and rewards combined with logical and non-punitive consequences.   While the treatment program offers significant hope for Sophie, it comes at a considerable price.  At a cost of $456 per day, the program will quickly exceed the McCreary familys financial resources.   The insurance company has denied coverage for treatment (despite legal pursuit), leaving Steve and Felice to incur major out of pocket expenses.  While their financial ability to keep Sophie in treatment is uncertain, they are thoroughly committed to Sophie's care and are willing to give everything they have for as long as they can afford to do so.   The bottom line is that the McCreary family could really use our help. It's not easy for Steve and Felice to ask for charitable contributions, but they truly believe that the program can provide the type of treatment necessary to give Sophie a better life.  Weve put together a fundraising website to help raise money for her care.  I humbly ask that you visit www.helpsophie.com to find out more about Sophies story, treatment plan, and most importantly, to find out ways that you can help the McCreary family.   Donations of any size will be greatly appreciated.  Also, any effort to help spread the word about the website will be a tremendous help.    Sincerely,  Alex Rueb Collings Guitars

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From the Collings Mandolins and Guitar Facebook Fan page - Collings web site

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