After much searching leukemia-sufferer Susan Knox settled on a Tenterfield property three months ago with dreams of offering a country break to fellow cancer patients. Those plans, however, have come to a crashing halt after all her funds were consumed by termite and drainage problems on the property.
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With her savings now depleted after spending $500-800 a week on handymen and tradesmen to address the damage, she is now desperate and is asking if there is anyone in the community who can help her get to the stage of opening the cancer respite facility she had planned.
“I don’t want money,” Ms Knox said.
“I want to ask publically if there is someone who can do the labour and I can pay them off, or perhaps volunteer their time.”
She feels her location in Miles Street is an ideal spot to offer those battling cancer a country getaway as it’s easy to access and easy to find. After suffering stage four leukemia and nearly losing her life several times, she is familiar with the feeling of wanting to get away with the kids for a break, but being unable to afford it.
Her plan was to offer a couple of weekends a month of free accomodation at the B&B to those battling the disease or in remission until she got on top of her small mortgage, and then make the facility available to them most of the time. She said she even hopes to gift the property to the community once she’s gone, for the same purpose.
She said when she bought the place she had the budget to buy the furnishings to kit out the property in readiness for the B&B, but a storm caused a leak into the loungeroom and investigations revealed the extent of the problems.
She has received a $7500 quote from a local builder to reclad one side of the home and to fix structural damage, but has no way of paying for it.
“I’m too scared to take off more weatherboards in case I find more damage,” she said.
Now well-and-truly at the desperation stage, she is asking anyone who can help to contact her on 0436 284 994.