A young life filled with loss has gotten a bit of a bright light shone on it during some dark days recently, thanks to the generous support provided by the Prince George community.
Randy lost his parents at a young age and was put in foster care when he was just six years old.
Angela Higham, a local resident, always wanted to be a mom.
She and Randy found each other when he was eight years old and Angela adopted Randy.
Angela enjoyed raising Randy as her own for a time but unfortunately fate had other plans.
After taking a fall at home on Monday, Jan. 24, family members took Angela to the emergency room at UHNBC.
There doctors gave the family terrible news.
Angela, 48, had an aggressive form of ovarian cancer. She was terminal and only had weeks to live.
The next day the doctors got further results from tests and came back to the family saying Angela only had days to live.
Angela went to the Prince George Hospice House on Tuesday, Jan. 25.
Randy turned 14 years old on Thursday, Jan. 27 and then said good-bye to Angela the next when she passed away on Friday, Jan. 28.
Angela and Randy had six short but lovely years together, said Angela’s older sister, Pam Corrin.
Corrin said Randy is a really quiet teenager.
“Randy is quite reserved, loves video games and especially loves his dog, Bear,” Corrin said.
“Randy is living with my parents. They will be his guardians.”
A friend and co-worker of Angela, Kayci Gibbs, started a GoFundMe fundraiser for Randy to help secure his future.
“I thought that was so very kind of Kayci and I didn’t realize it would become such a large thing,” Corrin said.
Other community members have supported the idea, including Dave Mothus of Hell Yeah Prince George, who put out the word as Randy’s Future, got a call from Carl’s Jr., who will be donating 10 per cent of their profits from sales on Saturday, Feb. 5. and then another business in Prince George came forward called Sprague Skate Shack, that offers skate sharpening services, that will be at the Elksentre on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and at the Ice Oval on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. who will donate 25 per cent of their sales towards the cause.
“It’s just been amazing - the outpouring from the community,” Corrin said. “And it’s not even about the money. It’s not even that. It’s the messages that are coming in from the GoFundMe page that are warming my mother’s heart. The messages - even from total strangers - that are saying their thoughts and prayers are with us and offering encouraging words for Randy and my mom and dad and my family - yeah, it’s just amazing how supportive this community is.”
The funds raised are earmarked for Randy’s future, including his post-secondary education, Corrin added.
“The amount is very large right now ($11,380 at press time) so we’re hoping to set up a scholarship in my sister’s name for a child in foster care who is going on to post-secondary school,” Corrin said.
After a deep, bracing breath Corrin was able to continue.
“My last words to my sister were that we would take care of her child with all of our hearts and I just didn’t know that we’d have so much support from our community. You know it takes a village and the village has stepped up and we’re so very grateful.”
