A community driven effort is underway to help a Kelowna man whose life was irrevocably changed by a random assault just a year ago.
James Summers-颅Gill was attacked April 1, 2016 by a mentally ill man on a violent rampage while walking his daughter to school through the downtown core.
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During the nine-minute assault, his young daughter was forced to watch as her dad was pummeled and forever changed. Nobody stepped in to help back then, but there are people rallying around him now.
Heather Ormiston is part of a team that has organized a June 14 fundraiser that will include live music, a silent auction, a beer and burger special and hopefully lift some of the financial burden that香蕉视频直播檚 weighing down Summers-Gill as he attempts to recover from the attack.
She is currently looking for auction items to raise money and is hoping business owners around Kelowna can help by donating items or services for the silent auction.
香蕉视频直播淛ames Summers-颅Gill is a good man with little family and could really use help from the community,香蕉视频直播� Ormiston said, in a press release.
香蕉视频直播淚f you would like to help by donating an item or gift certificate please contact me香蕉视频直播� With little financial assistance James treads water while trying to find a path forward.香蕉视频直播�
Summers-颅Gill doesn香蕉视频直播檛 bear the physical scars of his attack, but that doesn香蕉视频直播檛 mean he香蕉视频直播檚 OK. In fact, surface level normalcy is almost a disadvantage.
香蕉视频直播淚 cry a lot. I get emotional easy,香蕉视频直播� he said, in an earlier interview with the Capital News.
He香蕉视频直播檚 overwhelmed by the volume of tasks his brain has to sort through to do the simplest of things, like making coffee.
In the time since his injury he香蕉视频直播檚 created plans that allow him to function, but if something goes awry it香蕉视频直播檚 hard to recover.
He has a counsellor funded through victim services limited, but there香蕉视频直播檚 been little to help with the life expenses that have piled up since the incident.
He didn香蕉视频直播檛 have a job at the time, so he can香蕉视频直播檛 get any wage loss supplement. Also, it will take a couple of years before it香蕉视频直播檚 clear whether his brain injury is permanent, so he can香蕉视频直播檛 get any assistance from that. He could get social assistance, but then he香蕉视频直播檇 lose his rental assistance. While he treads water, he香蕉视频直播檚 having a hard time finding a path forward let alone pay the bills that are stacking up.
香蕉视频直播淭he attitude of service providers is, 香蕉视频直播榠f you don香蕉视频直播檛 come to us we香蕉视频直播檙e not coming to you,香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈 he said.
Trouble is, he doesn香蕉视频直播檛 know where to go because he香蕉视频直播檚 starting life anew.
香蕉视频直播淧eople think, 香蕉视频直播榦h, he looks normal,香蕉视频直播� so I must be high-functioning,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淭he less normal I look the more help I香蕉视频直播檇 get, but then you get treated like that and I香蕉视频直播檓 never going to get any help in that way.香蕉视频直播�
If you can chip in to help, call (250) 826颅-3409 to reach Ormiston or Mark Greenhalgh at 250-463颅-3110, Andy Bowie at 250-859颅-2639 or Brad Krauza at 250-899-颅2112.
