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Fundraiser garners $19,000 for young couple fighting mounting piles of health care debt

April 20, 2016   ·   0 Comments

By Wendy Gabrek
On Sunday, April 17, The Hair Gallery, and Lindsay Nemeth Photography, teamed up for a day of beauty for a beautiful cause.
For a cash donation of $100, participants received a shampoo and style, makeup application and photo shoot with 10 glossy prints to take home. The value of the appointment exceeded $200, and 100% of the proceeds from the day went to Hair Gallery stylist, Cassandra Sigler and her husband, Jared, to help cover the cost of his medical his bills.
Jared and Cassandra, who have been married for just two short years have had their fair amount of troubles.
Jared, an American from Philadelphia, moved to Alliston to be with his bride after years of long distance dating.
Earlier this year, Jared had extensive surgery to remove a portion of his colon. Complications from the surgery arose, and Jarred suffered a massive cardiac arrest, as well as a blood clot in his chest.
Doctors told Cassandra to brace herself for the possibility that Jared would never leave the hospital. He is just 33 years old.
But Jared miraculously survived, and is now fighting for his life – and the life he moved to Canada for – one tiny response at a time.
“I can tell when I ask him to do something that he’s trying really hard to do it,” said Cassandra on Jared’s recovery. “It’s so frustrating and upsetting to watch him lay there (in the hospital, now for more than three weeks), knowing he wants to please me and realizing that he can’t.”
With more than $30,000 in health care bills piled up, the stress was too much to bear for Cassandra, so The Hair Gallery owner, Nina Katehos, decided to throw a fundraiser, with help from other local stylists, plus food from The Modern Market, and gifts and prizes from the Rosemont General store, because it was the right thing to do.
“Of course I’m helping Cassandra,” Nina told The Times. “No doubt about it.”
Despite the tragic reason behind the fundraiser, it was an upbeat day at the salon, with more than 40 men and women taking part in the day of glamour. Music was playing, goodies were served, and even Cassandra herself stayed for the full 12-hour day.
And a special surprise was also await Cassandra.
“One woman came in and gave me $5000,” Cassandra said. “She is very special to me and cares about me and all people so much. She is one fantastic lady.”
A GoFundMe account was also opened for Jared at: https://www.gofundme.com/hvsspat8
So far, $4,375 of the $10,000 ask has been raised through the crowd funding source.
In total $18,710 has been raised between the fundraiser, and donations.
As Jared bills continue to climb, and his length of stay at Royal Victoria Hospital in Alliston remains unknown, Cassandra continues to hope and pray for his recovery. And for his application for OHIP to be approved.
The Hair Gallery Salon & Spa is located at 3 Victoria Street East in Alliston.
For more information, or to discover ways to help Jared and Cassandra go online, call them at 705 434-9220 or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/The Hair Gallery Salon & Spa


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