Karen Jones appreciates her new car offered by the Long Island Leader in Cars Auto group. A needy local veteran was offered crucial transportation to take his son to the cancer treatment he needed, thanks to the Long Island Leaders in Cars Auto group, which donated a Hyundai Elantra.
Jordan Daiagi Harary, owner of Garden City Mazda and president of Leaders in Cars Auto, through a local non-profit organization, learned that Karen Jones, of Hempstead, a veteran of the Navy and a single mother of four, could no longer drive her son Karon to the Hassenfeld Children's Hospital of NYU Langone Health in Manhattan for treatments for brain cancer due to a car accident that destroyed his previous vehicle.
Karon, 18, was diagnosed with brain cancer at the age of 10. he went into remission, but the cancer has come back recently, requiring aggressive treatment. The family had gone through difficult times and had been roaming for a while before Jones' car was finished, leaving her with no reliable way to get her son treated.
A retired 3rd class navy officer, Jones served nine years, including overseas during the 1991 Gulf War. Karon was accepted to SUNY Buffalo, but was unable to enroll in fall due to the return of his cancer.
"Without this car, it would have been so difficult to get my son to his appointments to get the life-saving cancer treatment he needs," said Jones. "I am very grateful to Jordan and for making all veterans smile for their incredibly generous help."
"When I heard Karen's heartbreaking story, I realized that donating a car was the least I could do," said Daiagi Harary, who also sits on the board of the Greater New York Automobile Dealers. Association. “Our soldiers have sacrificed themselves for our country and I have had the privilege of helping a Free cars veteran in need. Car dealerships are often at the heart of their communities, paving the way for charitable donations, and I am happy to be able to do our part. "
"This is an exceptional example of the kind of generosity and lasting charitable effect that franchise car dealers have on communities in the region," said Mark Schienberg, President of the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association. “I would like to congratulate Jordan on her compassion in recognizing how she could help a member of our community in need and take up the challenge of providing critical and practical assistance. I extend my sincere wishes to the Jones family, who face these challenges. "
"Karen Jones is a needy veteran we wanted to help at Making all Veterans," said Anthony Andreano, co-founder of Making All Veterans Smile. “We were organizing a fundraising gala to help Karen and other veterans in financial distress. Karen told me that she had a car accident and that she had refueled. When I heard this, I knew that I had to help him find another vehicle to transport his children between hospital visits in the city for his son and school receptions for his daughters. I contacted my friend Connie, manager of the Garden City Mazda office, who then put me in contact with Jordan, who sincerely wanted to help Karen. Before you know it, I got a call from Jordan to tell me that she had found a car that he thought would meet Karen's needs perfectly. Jordan's heart and desire to help was moving. I told Jordan, as I told Karen, that she is now part of the MAVS family. "
After Jones' car accident, his insurance coverage did not allow him to buy a car. She has found a home for herself, her 16-year-old twins and Karon, but their finances are tight. She also has a 21 year old son in college.Free cars for vets and free cars for disabled vets program can help him