So, how did Eric become Fred?

I told you that there's a story in how Eric earned his nickname...here's his story:

Shortly after Eric started his treatments for lymphoma, he started losing some of his motor control. As a result, he had to give up his driving privileges. If you saw the way he drove before then, you would be thanking the authorities!

Well one fine day, a day when Eric was especially down, his mother offered to let Eric drive the car from the driveway in to the garage. As luck would have it, Eric's foot slipped off the brake and he ran the car right in to the garage refrigerator!

Now, to keep time in context, you have to remember that William "the Refrigerator" Perry was making headlines at this time. So, you can imagine the jokes that we were laying on him. (I know, we should have been kind and caring, blah, blah, blah...but well, guys really aren't so kind and caring after all).

Well Eric's younger brother, AJ, has the greatest dry wit about him...and he made a crack that Eric didn't deserve the "Refrigerator" tag. It was one of those moments where you had to be there to apprciate the delivery, as AJ said to Eric, "you are such a 'Fred'".

That alone doesn't make a nick name stick...but Eric's dad returned from a business trip that very weekend, carrying a copy of the New York Times. No joke, the editorial headline read, "I used to believe in Santa Claus, now I believe in Fred." Eric has been carrying the name since!