My daughter Kaytryn was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia in January of 2007. When I was told of her illness I left my job to care for her. I was a single mother of three children with minimal income. My brother passed away 3 daysafter my daughters diagnoses and I gained custody of one of his children a short time later. My daughter started her treatments in Syracuse N.Y. however was not responding to the treatments they were using. I then had hertransferred to Strong in Rochester. This trip cost us between $50-$60 with gas and tolls round trip. We were at one point going between 1-3 times a week. We had our home foreclosed on and bills piled up. I foughtwith trying to keep the electric paid enough to not have it shut off and to keep fuel in our home for heat. We were forced to move a couple of times due to inability to pay the bills.In an effort to help us, I had a couple of relatives that wanted to plan a benefit in Rome, N.Y. to help us with the struggle our family was endearing.
When my ex mother in law, who is a Rome resident, heard of this she decided to take it upon herself to plan and throw the benefit instead and stepped in. When she spoke of this to me, she informed me that she was going to have a benefit and help the family to pay rent, gas costs and bills. As she began her planning, I also heard statements all proceeds would instead be placed into a trust fund for my daughter instead. I also found out that my daughters father, who has never been a part of her life, was placing change jars at all the local area business' with my daughters photo on asking them for donations. This gave me a bad feeling as I knew that the intentions here were not in the right place. I asked the family not to hold the benefit as I felt that as my daughters mother and having full custody of her, I should have that right.
After several attempts, my request were ignored and there was a benefit held for my daughter on August 1, 2007 at "The Cove". I was never informed of the dollar amount raised at this benefit in my daughters name nor was I ever informed of the dollar amount raised from the donation jars placed at the local area business. This amount has always been kept a secret. I had asked that the money be placed turned over to the Jonathon Cancer Society in Syracuse, NY. This is a non-profit agency that holds the money and pays the things needed insuring that the money is used to pay house hold bills, medical needs, food, clothing etc.. This way none of the funds could be mis-used. I was denied this option by my ex-mother in law.
I was never able to receive help from this benefit to pay rent or any necessary living expenses. I went without a vehicle several times when I needed to get her to her appointments. When this was mentioned to my ex-mother in law, I was not offered
any assistance to have repairs done, I was instead told that if she was off from work by chance on days needed she would transport her. I was given gas cards for the first two months to take my daughter to Rochester. The second month when I had requested them I asked a few days in advance. I was told they would be dropped off or mailed to me. They never arrived. I did not get in contact with my ex mother in law until very late the night before I had to be in Rochester and was made to drive from Camden to Rome at
about 2 am to pick them up when I had to leave for Rochester at 6 am. This was also the last I seen of the gas cards.
I was purchased an EZ pass which I believe had the amount of $25 on it.. The dollar amount of this card was never replenished once ran out.
The only thing this family insisted on doing was purchasing a WII system for my daughter. A game system. My daughter did not even want the system and told them this however this is what they decided so this is what she was going to get. She was very sick and was bed ridden. Anyone who has used one of these game systems knows that it takes strength and coordination to use it. Well.....I had been told that the system was purchased however a couple of months later, we had never received it. I finally asked about it and was told I could come pick it up. I picked it up to find that her relatives had had it for sometime. It had been opened and set up at their home and used for quite a bit. One of the game controllers had even stopped working. All paperwork and warranties were missing from the package. When I emailed and mentioned these things, my only reply was a nasty email from a family and "benefit" committee member informing me that All that I was worried about was the money. I was told that I was "trailer trash" and that "I need to get a job". I was also told that this money was to be used for Kaytryn only and that my other children or myself would ever see a penny of it.
I never asked again for anything from this money, only help buying school clothing for my daughter. Last year, I was given a hard time but then I was finally able to get half the money for her clothing from the benefit money. This year,
I have requested assistance. I was told that she would check and see and then never heard back. I have tried to contact her several times however I have received no response.
Like I said, the amount of the money raised has never been disclosed to anyone other that this family to my knowledge. My daughter has just finished 2 1/2 years of chemo and is now awaiting a surgery for gallstone removal and is seeing a specialist for a bone disease (osteo-penia). These medical issues were caused from the chemo and steroids used in her treatments. We are still traveling 3 1/2 miles back and forth to Rochester at least once a month until December. My daughters illness has made an impact on not just her, but our entire family. We have struggled through and made it. We are buried in bills and still fighting to get by however.
I am asking that at this time, anybody that had donated to this benefit in any way or donated to the change jars placed at this business, please step forward and help me recover these funds. Please contact your local district attorney and file
a complaint. I feel that this family has used my daughters name to commit fraud. I am not looking to receive the funds personally however I feel that this money is not in the right place.
FOR ALL OF THOSE WHO DONATED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS, OUR FAMILY THANKS YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS.
Thank you,
Charmaine