07/09/2026
Enjoy the fish, help a family, share the love !
One thing I’ve always loved about our Down East community is how we show up for one another.
Right now, it’s Dylan Gillikin and his family who could use our support.
Dylan, a Harkers Island native, is just 34 years old. He and his wife, Myranda, are raising two sweet girls, Emersyn(10) and Mabry(6), and they’re the kind of family that’s always involved—in their church, their community, and the Down East Girls Softball League.
Earlier this spring, Dylan learned he was born with a bicuspid valve that had begun leaking considerably. The leak has also caused an aneurysm of his aortic valve. Today he was scheduled for open-heart surgery at Duke to replace his aortic valve with a mechanical valve, but that had to be rescheduled. He’ll spend about a week in the hospital, followed by a long three-month recovery at home.
If you’ve ever wondered whether a small act of kindness can make a difference, this is one of those times.
Miss Gina’s has tickets available for the Mullet Fish Fry fundraiser put on my friends and family to help support the Gillikin family while Dylan focuses on healing. It is Friday, July 17 at the Davis Boy Scout Hut. Every ticket purchased is one less thing they’ll have to worry about during the months ahead.
Please stop by and grab a ticket if you’re able. And most importantly, please join us in praying for Dylan, his surgeons, a successful surgery, and a smooth recovery. Let’s also lift up Myranda, Emersyn, and Mabry as they walk through the weeks ahead.
Myranda does have Venmo. If you are interested, please message and I’ll get it to you. Because of scammers, I don’t want to post it on here.
This community has always taken care of its own. Let’s do it again. ❤️