A call has gone out to help a Narromine family that never asks for anything, and the community is answering.
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A Gofundme fundraiser was established in December to help buy a car for John and Rachel Lillyman and their young daughters, Molly and Esther.
The Lillymans have been doing it tough since Molly was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a rare malignant tumour in her right eye, two years ago.
The 1984 Toyota Hilux dual cab ute they currently use as their family car has no air conditioning and also has reliability issues.
So far $5000 has been raised of a goal of $10,000 and fundraising organiser Kevin Robinson said it was wonderful to see people donating to the cause.
Mr Robinson has already been a major help to the Lillymans. His charity Wings4kidz had been flying them from Narromine to Sydney whenever Molly required treatment, and since she completed her treatment, for regular check-ups.
More recently, Mr Robinson decided the family needed something better than the Hilux for getting around.
“The Lillymans are a beautiful country family who look after their kids and live a quiet life. They don’t expect any help but really deserve it,” he said.
“We found a vehicle that will be suitable for them and now we are looking to raise the funds to fix it up.
“We are looking to purchase it now and make it roadworthy, get it registered and on the road.
“It’s a sedan so it allows mum and the kids to get into town and do the shopping or get the airport for a medical trip.”
The good news for the family is that while the tumour is still in Molly’s eye, it has been dormant for two years.
However she still requires four-monthly checkups with an ophthalmologist and oncologist for MRIs until she turns four.
She will also need six-monthly visits to an eye clinic throughout her childhood.
Mr Robinson said the fundraising goal had initially been higher but a suitable vehicle had been found cheaper.
“An ideal vehicle would have been a four-wheel-drive like a new Hilux but it would have been a big ask to get the donations and after talking to the family, the car we found will meet their needs,” he said.
“The Lillymans have no expectations.
“They’re the kind of family that if you gave them a new car, they would probably give it back. They keep saying ‘there are people worse off than us’ but they deserve a break.”
To assist the fundraiser to get the Lillymans a better car, visit www.gofundme.com/LillymanFamilyCar
