Billy Mitchell is a one-of-a kind extraordinary man. So much so, his daughters and grandkids even call him Billy because there are many people in the world called Dad or Grandad but there is truly only one Billy Mitchell! Billy met his future bride, Puffy (yes, what a pair – Puffy & Billy!) in the second grade and at the very mature age of nineteen they were married and soon had a baby on the way! He had to leave his young and wild roller-derby ways behind him and become a family man, and boy did he ever (although his class-clown and mischievous personality has continued!) In the years since, Billy has been the provider for his family, extended family, friends, teammates, staff and his community, big and small. His quick wit, philosophical wisdom, immense intellect, lighthearted jolliness, strong moral compass and overflowing generosity allow him to be the North Star to so many people, providing them guidance and mentorship, support, encouragement and unconditional love. He is always the most charismatic person in the room and yet, deflects that bright light to shine on others. To say he is adored by all who meet him is an extreme understatement. He is loved and admired beyond words.

Like all of you reading this who have been touched by PSP, Billy’s journey started with a lot of confusing symptoms especially given his active and engaged lifestyle. Many doctor's visits, tests and years later, we received his PSP diagnosis in March 2023. This journey is a difficult one to say the least, in the big and spoken ways but also and sometimes more deeply, in the small and unspoken ways, for both the individual as well as their loved ones. For Billy, he has continued to be the provider and takes care of his loved ones in the ways he can — offering his blanket or a bite of his soft and small easy-to-swallow food to his daughters, and most importantly providing caregiving assistance to Puffy, knowing this is now her daily journey as well. As he has his whole life, he continues to think of others before himself and wants to take care of his community, his PSP community.  Thus, he has created a fund to help pay for caregiving support. While this is a community none of us wish we were a part of, Billy wants to make sure every person involved feels seen, respected and cared for during this difficult time.