Ailing Mechanic Needs Help
Lester Forbell, known as Zeke to most, is generous with his friends and family, particularly with his automotive skills. “If anybody has car problems, he’s there to help people out,” Jamie Bennett, the mother of his two grandchildren, said.
Diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer this summer and unable to work while undergoing aggressive treatments, Mr. Forbell, 60, now finds himself the one in need of help.
A mechanic with the East Hampton Town Highway Department since 1995, Mr. Forbell has used up all his allotted sick time. He went out on family leave, which, according to Ms. Bennett, provides half-pay, but on Sept. 15 that too ran out. For now, the East Hampton native and his wife, Marianne, are living on just her income. She is a secretary at Otto Glass in Wainscott.
While insurance is covering his treatment, he is worried about making ends meet. Though it is not in his nature to ask for help, Ms. Bennett convinced him to let her start an online GoFundMe campaign in his name to raise money for his living expenses while he fights for his life.
Mr. Forbell started experiencing stomach pains in June, and a trip to the emergency room led to a CT scan that showed a tumor on his pancreas. At Stony Brook University Hospital a biopsy revealed that the tumor had spread to both his lungs. Chemotherapy was the only treatment option. He is undergoing it at Southampton Hospital once a week for three weeks, followed by one week off.
A reserved and stoic man, Mr. Forbell “doesn’t really say very much about it,” Ms. Bennett said. “Every time I ask him how he feels, his answer is always, ‘So-so.’ He doesn’t complain very much.”
Stephen Lynch, the highway superintendent, agreed, saying by phone on Tuesday that Mr. Forbell has stopped by the highway barn every once in a while. “He keeps going like nothing’s wrong, other than being out of work.”
He described Mr. Forbell as a good worker who can be entrusted with big projects. “When it was done, it was done right,” said Mr. Lynch, who has known Mr. Forbell most of his life. “We hung out when we were younger. The day I met my wife I was with Zeke,” he said.
It has been a difficult year for the Forbell family. Over the winter, his only son, Lester, who has Crohn’s disease, nearly died after becoming septic following surgery to repair his intestines. He was in the intensive care unit for several days and had to undergo two more surgeries. He has made a full recovery and is back at work at NAPA Auto Parts in Bridgehampton.
The GoFundMe account has raised $6,180 in the 13 days since it was created. Seventy-one people have donated, including one anonymous donor who gave $1,000. Donations can be made through the site at gofundme.com/lforbell.
Donations can also be sent to Lester Forbell, P.O. Box 518, East Hampton 11937. The couple live on Queens Lane.