Help our sitter buy a new car

Our babysitter is an incredibly good person in a very unfortunate situation. She is a hard-working mother of three (two school age kids) whose husband recently received a cancer diagnosis with a grim outlook. Her primary vehicle, an old Toyota minivan, barely served her family’s needs before the diagnosis. Recently, the radiator blew, which I’m assuming is due to the increased usage as she shuffles her husband to/from his appointments (which are mostly at a cancer center over an hour from their home). Beyond the radiator, the list of maintenance needs far exceeds the value of the van. Because her husband can’t currently operate a vehicle safely, she is using his work van (pictured here). What you can’t tell from this photo - which I had to sneak so she wouldn’t notice - is that it only has two front seats, meaning she has no way to safely transport her entirely family at one time. This is unacceptable for anyone, but especially a family trying to work through cancer treatment. 

I can’t begin to imagine the stress she must be under, and there are no signs of it getting any easier any time soon. As such, I want to take the stress of repairing her old van off her shoulders by surprising her with a new-to-her car. 

I have set a goal of $5,000. I am going to try and keep the total vehicle price at or below that amount, because I don’t want her to be hit with a new insurance premium she cannot afford. I don’t really know the rules here, but if I receive more than the goal, I will give her every penny of it. I will personally be putting $1,000 towards this goal, on top of any money raised here. I don’t know which car I’m going to buy yet as this is a fairly spur of the moment thing, but every penny raised here will go directly to her and her family, primarily in the form of a reliable car. I will be buying the car outright so she doesn’t have a monthly payment, and I will make sure she has enough cash to cover registration and the taxes at the end of the year. If we don’t hit the goal, any money raised will beused to get her the most reliable car I canfind, and again, if I find a good deal, she will receive any extra cash there may be. 

I am keeping this semi-private as I don’t want anyone to identify her, nor do I want her to come across this and feel as though this is a pity party. She’s a good person who is too strong to ask for help, even when she deserves it. Thanks to anyone who feels compelled to assist with this. I will record her receiving the vehicle, and if she permits it, will share the video so everyone can see the result of their generosity.