Val Needs Some Wheels

5/18/24 UPDATE:

Brian here with an update on Valerie's progress. Valerie wants me to pass on her thanks to everyone that has helped her. Whenever we discuss this subject, the tears begin to flow. Even I get a bit misty just watching someone sacrifice their own hard-earned cash to help someone else in need. If I've learned anything in my life, it is that all of us are just one bad day away from catastrophe. People that know this fact give out of empathy, compassion and plain old-fashioned love. "There but for the grace of God, go I" --right?

At this writing, we're at $6000 and the gifts have pretty much tapered off. This is typical according to GoFundMe's tutorials. But WOW! The $6000 is amazing and wonderful, isn't it?

A family friend is waiting on the delivery of a new car for themselves and has their used car available for sale. I suspect that this person is not offering to sell it at full value because they are in a very good place financially and just want to help make this happen. This person has always taken insanely meticulous care of their cars over the years. What I'm trying to say is: this is a great deal.

Val hasn't yet received anything from the insurance on the wrecked car but I did some estimation work and with the insurance money, the GoFundMe cash and whatever else Val is able to scrape up, we find ourselves about $4000.00 short of purchasing the used car with taxes, license and registration paid-in-full.

So armed with this information, I ask each and every one of you if you could please once again share this GoFundMe page with everyone you have already shared it previously and then find even MORE people to share it! And, if you happen to find a surprise $20 somewhere, please pass it along. --B

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ORIGINAL MESSAGE:

Hi all...my name is Brian McQuaig and I'm fundraising for a friend who I've known since I was five years old. Her name is Valerie. If you're coming to this GoFundMe then you know Valerie Knowles-Pratt or you know someone who does. Here's what happened to her on Wednesday, April 20th, 2024:

Val was in our area and came to spend the evening with us. After dinner, she left to stay at her sister's house in a nearby town. Several minutes later, we get a frantic call...she is stuck on the railroad tracks just outside of our rural town and can't get the car loose from the gravel. My wife called emergency services and I raced to her to see if there was anything I could do.

I arrive to find her front wheels stuck in deep gravel, back wheels on the tracks with a train maybe a quarter mile out. Because it was dark, I had no idea if she was in the car or not. Seconds later, I watched in horror as the train hit her car. The car launched into the air and rotated three times before coming to rest 150 feet away in a gully next to the tracks. When the train had passed, I thought the worst and started running to the car. Just as I ran across the tracks, I saw Valerie with a good Samaritan who had tried to get her unstuck on the road just beyond the tracks. Thank you God for sending that man to my dear friend! Val was unhurt but frantic. Val has had some seriously bad luck lately and this just seemed to 'cap it off'. It started with her husband dying suddenly. I won't go into her other woes here.

So...here's the ask. Her husband's car was the last thing, other than the roof above her head, that had any value to her. She had insurance but it was a very old car and even though totaled, will not be replaceable. Val doesn't have the means to purchase a car. I have decided to set up this GoFundMe to help Val get enough money to purchase a decent used car, license and insure it. That is all. I know that all of Valerie's friends and family will help us gather enough money to help her out of this terrible situation.