And how so many hearts were broken when the scam finally unraveled.
Everybody was doing anything and everything to have a go at make the last months of his life memorable.
Everybody was giving, giving, giving.
[00:01:36] Bob: Generosity.
Its such a beautiful human quality, born out of a selfless desire to help other people.
And like so many human qualities, the Internet has supercharged our capacity for generosity.
And tech tools make this even easier.
Thats all very wonderful.
Heres our story Dying to be Ill.
[00:02:55] Bob: Hows the weather in Minnesota today?
[00:03:04] Bob: I have to say I could listen to your Minnesota accent all day long.
[00:03:07] Darlene Asher: I dont have an accent.
Ill swear I dont have one either, but Im a liar.
[00:03:21] Bob: Then you know, you know the truth.
[00:03:23] Darlene Asher: Yes.
So big that she has spent years managing the local pub dart league.
And she doesnt even play darts.
Wait, a dart league?
Um, typically you join a league that is a specific night of the week.
Typically theres a two person team.
Its the most common.
And um, you typically put, play 12 games against another team.
I mean you meet every Tuesday night for three months you play each other, right?
It, its like a second family.
But while the competition is serious, the game is mostly….an excuse to chat.
[00:05:28] Darlene Asher: Correct.
A lot of catching up.
[00:05:31] Bob: Yeah probably more talking than playing in a lot of ways.
Im sure you know the key in.
More of a dart league mom, Id say.
[00:06:16] Darlene Asher: Oh yes.
And I know that Im going to have someone there for me.
[00:06:29] Bob: So it really is like a second family.
[00:06:32] Darlene Asher: Oh yes.
Its very, we call it our dart family.
Its very close knit.
[00:06:42] Darlene Asher: Thats a true statement.
[00:06:44] Bob: I bet its certainly a lot more fun that everybodys day job.
[00:06:48] Darlene Asher: Yeah, I agree.
Thats a, thats why I enjoy doing it so much, um, for so long.
[00:07:21] Darlene Asher: Oh, many times.
So um, weve done many benefits.
[00:08:00] Darlene Asher: We would, we certainly would.
[00:08:09] Darlene Asher: Yep.
It happens more often than not.
[00:08:13] Bob: Okay.
So that brings us to Jeremiah John Smith.
[00:08:18] Bob: Jeremiah John Smith.
He isnt in Darlenes dart league…he lives in a town a few hours away.
But among dart players, well, the very good ones get a reputation.
And Jeremiah John Smith has a big one.
Hes one of the best players.
[00:09:03] Darlene is anxious to see this mini-celebrity at his craft.
Its really a talent that they have.
[00:10:48] Darlene Asher: He was a great mentor.
[00:11:36] Bob: Well lets, lets be honest here.
He swears a lot.
[00:11:39] Darlene Asher: Yes.
So Jer, yes, he, he has a few choice words when hes not doing good.
So Jeremiah was try-, you know, he was like, you know, its just a game.
We would always be there and so was Jeremiah.
So we would see him two or three times a year.
And um, Jeremiah and his, his fiance were there.
And I could hear people saying stuff, like, did you hear Jeremiah’s sick?
And I was like, huh, what’s going on with Jeremiah?
[00:13:56] Bob: Jeremiah, their dart hero, has incurable cancer.
It is the worst kind of news but….well, its even worse than that.
[00:14:05] Darlene Asher: You know, at the time devastating, just devastating.
His finance was pregnant, due in December.
That was his prognosis he said was six months.
[00:14:36] It was all unthinkable.
Jeremiah was…quite literally … at the top of his game.
All these wonderful life events on the way.
[00:15:27] Bob: Um, did, do you remember how he reacted to you?
[00:15:30] Darlene Asher: Yeah, teary.
You couldn’t help but be sad because this was a person that always was there for everybody.
[00:16:12] Darlene Asher: Yeah.
[00:16:19] Darlene Asher: Yeah, it, I mean the thought crossed my mind.
Um, how sick he really was.
[00:16:41] Bob: Darlene doesnt have to imagine how sick Jeremiah is.
Shes following it all on social media.
Heres a post she saved from Jeremiahs Facebook page during that time.
The dart family is as amazing as they come.
Always there when you need them most.
As far as myself goes, the stupid disease is taking something else from me.
This weekend I felt my disease taking something I love as much as anyone.
Darts has been a love of mine for as long as I can remember.
I will always love the game and all of the people.
[00:17:42] Bob: Wow.
That, that sounds almost like a Lou Gherig’s speech as he’re retiring from darts basically.
[00:17:48] Darlene Asher: Yep.
Beginning with….making sure the growing family has some nice days to remember when the darker days come.
[00:18:06] They did get married very shortly afterwards.
[00:18:16] Bob: Paid for the wedding, wow.
[00:18:18] Darlene Asher: Yes.
I mean everybody was doing anything and everything to venture to make the last months of his life memorable.
He doesnt really have the strength to play full-day tournaments anymore.
[00:19:37] Bob: Watching all this unfold…Darlene just cant sit back and do nothing.
Shes thinking about the baby, about the young family without a dad, so she sweeps into action.
She decides to use her role as queen of the dart league to organize a big fund-raiser tournament.
So the planning began, and it came together really, really fast.
And we were able to have the benefit that February.
What did you do?
[00:20:36] Darlene Asher: So we had a dart tournament, silent auction, raffle.
[00:21:07] Bob: Now what was the big ticket item for the silent auction?
They’re about $3000 at that time.
Um, so we sold raffles for that and auctioned that off, or raffled it off.
[00:21:31] Darlene Asher: Correct.
[00:21:32] Bob: Wow.
[00:21:33] Darlene Asher: Yeah.
It was kind of the, it wasn’t hard to do.
[00:22:11] Bob: It was an emotional night for everyone.
Jeremiah is even able to make an appearance.
I mean Jeremiah cried several times at the benefit.
And also you know was very, my body’s getting weak, my body can’t handle this.
This is all…incredibly hard on Amanda, too.
Um, and she worked, she worked and worked and worked.
I mean she worked her butt off to venture to have income for their family.
[00:23:44] Bob: Darlene listens and hears just how hard things really are.
He couldn’t get out of bed.
He couldn’t help out with the kids.
He would yell for her to come bring him something everytime he wanted something.
She was burnt out.
She was absolutely, I don’t know how long I can do this.
[00:24:16] Bob: I dont know how long I can do this…
But Darlenes conversation with Jeremiahs wife leaves her very worried.
And theres something else nagging at Darlene after that night.
No, no, thats a terrible thing to think about someone dying of cancer.
But the thought wouldnt leave her alone.
And then….another darker, much more sinister thought, keeps pressing into her mind.
And when Darlene listens to hers, she learns a very dark secret.
Thats next week on The Perfect Scam.
Call the AARP Fraud Watch internet Helpline at 877-908-3360.
Their trained fraud specialists can provide you with free support and guidance on what to do next.
Be sure to find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
For AARP’s The Perfect Scam, I’m Bob Sullivan.
They raise thousands through fundraisers and a GoFundMe page, going as far as paying for Jeremiahs wedding.
It seems like theyre doing the right thing, so why does Darlene have doubts?
