While their focus is normally on selling cars, the team at Skaha Ford will use March 28 as a fundraiser for 16-year-old Kaylee Kozari-Bowland, who’s had to take her costly fight against cancer to Houston, Tex.
To help offset the overwhelming medical bills, Cosmic Brew (and friends) for Kaylee will be taking over the dealership between noon and 4 p.m., offering the community some live music and a barbecue lunch.
“We’re new to town and we want to get a little bit more involved with the community, and this is definitely a worthy cause,” said Kolby Crocker, assistant sales manager at Skaha. “Our goal is to raise $10,000.”
A large portion of that goal will be covered by the Skaha Ford team, who are making a donation of $2,500.
But even in those large amounts, it doesn’t take long to burn through money in a private healthcare system.
Kaylee, along with her mother and grandma, arrived in Houston on March 23 to consult with a doctor the following day.
“They’ll give us our options, tell us how much it’s going to cost, and then we’ll go from there,” her mom Tammy said, adding that a few more days have to pass before they’ll have the answers needed to proceed.
In the meantime, the family is at the mercy of travel and accommodation costs.
“Just our flight down here cost us $5,000,” said Tammy.
A $24,500 deposit was required by the hospital, which after exchanging into Canadian currency, ended up costing $32,000.
“Her chemo and radiation have been covered through B.C. Health Care, but we need specialized treatment, such as the alternative ones (offered in the United States) to enhance certain therapies,” she said. “When you have to go to other places for resources, you’re pretty much at your own expenditure.”
To focus all of her finances on Kaylee’s health, Tammy took her Ford vehicle into the dealership in hopes of trading it in for a car with lower monthly payments. After sharing her story with Crocker, he said that they wanted to help out.
Because of a tumour in her hip, sitting up is a challenge for Kaylee. And when the family needed to travel to Vancouver, she was expecting a very uncomfortable ride.
“Within an hour Kolby, had a (large SUV) at my door delivered, filled up, and insured on a Sunday, thinking that we were leaving on Monday morning,” she said. “One of my friends put it out there and they just jumped on board.”
However, an infection prevented her from leaving Penticton until her flight earlier this week.
And because of the opportunity to travel to Houston, the family won’t be able to attend the fundraiser. Those who can’t be part of the event but want to help out, can make a donation to her crowd funding page at goo.gl/e0VjxE.