An unexpected gift from a local service club is helping a Nova Scotia woman live out her last days with freedom and independence.
Shirley LeGresley has only had her motorized scooter for two weeks, but she has already given it a name.
“His name is Caleb. I named him Caleb because my pets all started with a C-letter and I just stuck with that for this,” says the Pictou County resident.
LeGresley has terminal cancer and, as it spreads through her body, she is finding it difficult to walk or stand.
Last month, she and her doctor decided chemotherapy wasn’t helping anymore.
“So, now I’m not on any kind of treatment. I’m living day to day, and just waiting for the good Lord to come and get me.”
LeGresley purchased a scooter for $900, even though she couldn’t really afford it, and both the Red Cross and the Canadian Cancer Society told her she didn’t meet their criteria.
“They basically said it was considered a luxury item and I argued that point. I mean, yes, it might be a luxury to some people, but if you have no mobility.”
When the Lions Club in River John, LeGresley’s hometown, heard about her financial plight, they voted unanimously to pay for the scooter at a recent meeting.
“If anybody in the community is in need, or suffering, or needs any kind of help, it’s our job to do our best to get the money back out to those people who need it,” says club member Chris Giles.
LeGresley is grateful for the help and says it has given her a positive attitude about the future.
“I was diagnosed in June of 2010 with six to 12 months to live, and I’m still here, so who knows what tomorrow brings.”
With files from CTV Atlantic's Dan MacIntosh
