By Jennifer Edwards
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Peggy Fisher stands with neighbor Michelle North (both at center of group) and a number of other friends and neighbors. (Michael Snyder photo) | ZOOM |

FAIRFIELD TWP. - The Fishers are enduring tragedy - but they are not going it alone.

Neighbors in the Fishers' Weathered Oakes subdivision spent Saturday's national Make a Difference Day raising $3,429 in cash donations for the family. There also were offers from people from Covington to Cleves to Loveland to make the family's mortgage payment and to provide free clothes, Christmas and birthday gifts and medical and dental care.

Peggy Fisher lost her husband, James "Ty" Fisher, 33, on Oct. 3 when he died unexpectedly of an undetected heart disease. The couple has three daughters: Callie, 8 weeks old; Taylor, 4 and Erika, 6.

"I am fortunate to have wonderful neighbors who care about me and want to help me," Peggy Fisher, 32, said Monday. "It was just unreal when they told me they had had, like, 220 calls, people calling and asking what size clothes the girls wear, what kind of Christmas presents the girls want, the doctor calling and offering free health care until we get insurance.

"I was like, Wow. And, of course, everybody's been offering free babysitting," she said. "I just know my husband is up there keeping an eye on me. He's making this all happen. It's just unbelievable."

The money will help the Fishers stay in their four-bedroom home and allow Peggy Fisher to stay home with her children for now.

The family has no savings, and 10 days after Ty Fisher's death, they lost their medical insurance.

"It does my heart good to realize there's actually good people in the world," said a neighbor, Kim Wilson, 35. She planned to go door-to-door Saturday, but could not leave her phone because it rang non-stop throughout the day from callers wanting to help.

The Enquirer featured the family in Saturday's editions, which also generated donations. Dentists in a Blue Ash practice, Harris, Berkley, Sirkin and Kruger, offered to provide free dental care for the girls and Peggy Fisher until her daughters turn 18.

"It really hit our hearts and we wanted to do this to help the family," Dr. Harvey Harris said. "I am sure there are hundreds of families in need. But if each practice in this city would take care of one family in need, that would just be a wonderful, wonderful service for the community."

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E-mail jedwards@enquirer.com