Auction for Ashley MacLean Kearse to pay for specialized care
Stephanie vanKampen | CBC News | Posted: December 21, 2014 3:48 PM | Last Updated: December 21, 2014
Paralyzed teen will need new home, wheelchair, van
About 100 people turned out for a fundraising effort Sunday to help a Cole Harbour teen who was paralyzed after a home invasion shooting last month.
Ashley MacLean Kearse, 18, was shot by intruders wearing bandanas at a home on Arklow Drive in November. The invasion left her paralyzed from the chest down.
Todd Inglis, a longtime family friend, said MacLean Kearse will need specialized care and equipment when she is released from hospital.
"They're going to need a new house, they're going to need a van that's wheelchair accessible, they're going to need a lift, a hospital bed, and that list will just go on and on," Inglis said.
"So we're hoping to raise as much money as we can to put toward that."
Inglis organized Sunday's auction at the Royal Canadian Legion in Eastern Passage. More than 100 items and services were donated, including artwork, gift baskets and autographed pictures of Jean Béliveau and Patrick Roy.
Inglis said MacLean Kearse's family is overwhelmed by the show of support.
"It's the season, people are opening their hearts and they're opening up and I'm so proud to be living in Nova Scotia right now," he said.
An earlier crowdfunding campaign raised more than $13,000 for the family.
Three 17-year-olds and an 18-year-old have been charged in connection to the shooting.