Airdronians are rallying around a young Airdrie mother who needs a potentially life-saving drug trial in the U.S.
Chelsea Broadbridge, a family friend and organizer of "Bottles for Brooke" explained that Brooke's child and hers share the same daycare provided. After hearing about the family's situation, she felt the need to help.
"It just didn't sit well with me, and I wanted to do what I could to help support. So I had reached out to the other moms that attend our day home, and asked if I had put together a flyer if we could just deliver those in our neighbourhoods and try and collect as many bottles as we could."
Brooke Kajdy and her husband Gabriel put out the call for help and have started a GoFundMe to help Brooke pay for a trip to the United States of America, in the hopes of taking part in a potentially life-saving drug trial.
In June of last year, Kajdy was diagnosed with stage 4 B-cell lymphoma while pregnant with their son (second child).
Since the call for help, over $70,000 has been fundraised and a group of Airdronains are currently collecting bottles with all the proceeds going towards the Kajdy family.
Broadbridge also mentioned residents can drop the bottles off in a collection bin donated by a local recycling depot on Monday at Living Springs Church until 5 p.m. if they prefer.
"I'm having a very difficult time wrapping my brain around the fact that a 23-year-old could be diagnosed with such a serious condition. She was told by medical professionals that it was simply just pregnancy, she had to advocate for herself to get the medical attention that she needed."
The moms have been picking up bottles that are being donated in Airdrie, but the main collection day will be Monday, October 14. Airdronians can message her on Facebook to let her know that they are willing to donate bottles. You can message her by clicking HERE.
"The hope is that all of those people that we left the flyers to, they can just leave the bottles out on their front doorstep, on their driveways, hopefully with the flyer attached, and then we'll just pick them up because I want to be conscious of the fact that it is Thanksgiving Monday."
Broadbridge hopes the young family can get the medical support that is needed and also generate the funds needed.
"She's 23 years old with these young children, she deserves every single opportunity to live the rest of her life with her kids as anyone else does."
To read the full story of Brooke and her family, click HERE.
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