A mother of three in Nanaimo, BC says she is grateful for the kindness of her community, who came together to hang Christmas lights at her home this year and has raised funds to help support it.
Cindra Caverley is battling stage 4 breast cancer, and in May her husband Bruce died after a fierce battle with urethral carcinoma.
The Christmas light tradition is important to his children who wanted the lights “to be bright enough for him to see them from the sky.”
“Bruce was an amazing father, an amazing husband and he loved Christmas,” Caverley told Global News.
“This is something he used to work on for himself, and we thought this would be the last year to do it all for him.”
Read more:
‘Hold On To Me’: BC Mountie Reflects On Rescuing Couple From Car Submerged In Pool
Friends and neighbors took the stairs this week to help hang lights from the ceiling and trees, and place quirky statues in the front yard.
Lynn McCauley, who taught the three Caverley children in preschool, said she wanted to return the kindness the family has shown the community and celebrate Bruce’s life.
“We were going to move out of the church, Brechin United Church, and I will never forget that day because Bruce came with his truck, with the two children and said, ‘Mrs. Lynn, we are here to help you move, ‘”he recalled.
“He was the most incredible young man, a great father and always a great person in the community.”
Recent fundraisers for the family, including an auction and a new one GoFundMe campaign – they have also raised thousands to help them pay the bills.
Caverley is unable to work and receives limited disability and termination benefits.
“We really want to try and stay in this house for a couple more years, just to keep some stability for the kids,” he explained. “Our community has always surrounded us, lifted us up, and cared for us.”
The family says they love and miss Bruce, and want to rebuild one day at a time.
© 2021 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Reference-globalnews.ca