published: Sunday, July 11, 2010

Family needs help getting reliable transportation

By CHRISTOPHER TUFFLEY

christopher.tuffley@newssun.com

LORIDA -- The News-Sun only learned about Veronica Elerbee when a concerned Christian family called us to ask for help.

The Yaneys, a young couple with children, have friends who live down the street from Veronica and her family.

When their friend told the Yaneys about their young neighbor with cystic fibrosis, adding details about her family's financial situation, the couple asked to meet Dawn and Jimmy Cooper, Veronica's mother and step-father, and Veronica herself.

They were immediately taken with the teenager, her parents and Dawn Cooper's mother Janice Lamb, who is a part of the household.

Discovering that medical bills are not the issue, but safe transportation is, the Yaneys felt they had to do something to help.

The Coopers own only one car, a late-model compact that is held together with wire.

The windows, for example, have to be raised with wires.

Worse than uncomfortable -- the air conditioning does not work -- the car is not reliable. The Yaneys worried about the drives to and from Orlando and Gainsville. They looked into what could done.

Allstar Auto Sales offered a van at cost, for $4,500.

But low as the price was, neither the Yaneys nor the Coopers could afford it.

"We're wanting to get something started," Lisa Yaney said Friday. "We have met the mother and grandma. (Their situation) tore my heart out.

"We're thinking about a yard sale and bake sale to raise money."

Yaney explained she has no experience with trust funds and fundraising, but a member of her church is a lawyer and has agreed to help her with the formalities.

Yaney is hoping that by speaking up, people will make enough small donations to buy the van.

Watch the News-Sun's Community Briefs section for announcements regarding fundraisers as plans develop.