The Hy Way Rockers, a Festus-based classic car club, has donated $1,020 in cash and some gifts to the family of Pheonix Spangler, 13, of Cedar Hill, who is battling cancer.
Pheonix just finished eighth grade at Hillsboro Middle School. She is the daughter of Stephanie Furtado.
The car club presented Pheonix and her mother with the gifts on Saturday (May 31).
“It was such a generous thing,” Furtado said. “They called me out of the blue (about the donation). It was so wonderful and generous. The club brought their cars, so we got to see them all. It was really neat.”
Furtado said they will use the money to pay bills and maybe take a much-needed vacation.
“She (Pheonix) has been through so much,” Furtado said.
Pheonix was diagnosed in December 2012 with stage 4 embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, a type of cancer that causes malignant soft tissue tumors formed from embryonic skeletal muscle tissue.
She finished chemotherapy on May 19, her mom said.
“She’s doing good,” Furtado said.
Last December, local residents, businesses and organizations banded together to give Furtado and her daughter a surprise home makeover, including a new deck and remodeled kitchen, bathrooms and bedrooms. New flooring was installed throughout their home, and the home was painted. In addition, they got a new furnace, washer and dryer, 60-inch TV, and furniture, as well as a new garage door and fencing in their backyard.
