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害羞草研究所檚 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.
害羞草研究所淛ames Summers-颅Gill is a good man with little family and could really use help from the community,害羞草研究所� Ormiston said, in a press release.
害羞草研究所淚f you would like to help by donating an item or gift certificate please contact me害羞草研究所� With little financial assistance James treads water while trying to find a path forward.害羞草研究所�
Summers-颅Gill doesn害羞草研究所檛 bear the physical scars of his attack, but that doesn害羞草研究所檛 mean he害羞草研究所檚 OK. In fact, surface level normalcy is almost a disadvantage.
害羞草研究所淚 cry a lot. I get emotional easy,害羞草研究所� he said, in an earlier interview with the Capital News.
He害羞草研究所檚 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害羞草研究所檚 created plans that allow him to function, but if something goes awry it害羞草研究所檚 hard to recover.
He has a counsellor funded through victim services limited, but there害羞草研究所檚 been little to help with the life expenses that have piled up since the incident.
He didn害羞草研究所檛 have a job at the time, so he can害羞草研究所檛 get any wage loss supplement. Also, it will take a couple of years before it害羞草研究所檚 clear whether his brain injury is permanent, so he can害羞草研究所檛 get any assistance from that. He could get social assistance, but then he害羞草研究所檇 lose his rental assistance. While he treads water, he害羞草研究所檚 having a hard time finding a path forward let alone pay the bills that are stacking up.
害羞草研究所淭he attitude of service providers is, 害羞草研究所榠f you don害羞草研究所檛 come to us we害羞草研究所檙e not coming to you,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 he said.
Trouble is, he doesn害羞草研究所檛 know where to go because he害羞草研究所檚 starting life anew.
害羞草研究所淧eople think, 害羞草研究所榦h, he looks normal,害羞草研究所� so I must be high-functioning,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭he less normal I look the more help I害羞草研究所檇 get, but then you get treated like that and I害羞草研究所檓 never going to get any help in that way.害羞草研究所�
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.
