*A view I hope Wesley will never need to see again.*

Last Friday will live long in my memory. We served our first client family from Victoria, TX, a community we hope will become one of our next OnRamp locations. However, we did not deliver the vehicle to this family in Victoria. The husband, Wesley, has been fighting aggressive cancer. He is now at MD Anderson in downtown Houston receiving chemo for THIRTY STRAIGHT DAYS. This was just his third day, and the pain in his body and on his wife, Tanya’s face, was already palpable. Tanya and Wesley were nominated by their long-time friend and supporter, Shirley, after their previous SUV broke down beyond repair. How could they possibly get 130 miles from Victoria to MD Anderson regularly without a reliable vehicle? How could they care for their three children without a vehicle? Shirley knew help was needed and, as soon as we heard the details of this case as well as the support available from Shirley and her church, Fellowship Bible of Victoria, we decided to take on the challenge of growing OnRamp in Victoria.

Little did we know during the interview process that by the time Tanya and Wesley’s vehicle was ready, they would be staying at MD Anderson long-term. They had no vehicle, so they were literally trapped at the hospital with their kids making due back home. So for the first time ever, we delivered a car to a Hospital. Joe Dewolf found us a mint Toyota Rav4, and Rami Cerone and I took it to Houston and parked it in one of MD Anderson’s MANY garages. They couldn’t come to us since Wesley was receiving his next round, so we took the parking slip and a picture of the parking spot to their room. For us non-medical folks, there is nothing as heavy on the soul as walking into a place like MD Anderson. You’re grateful for the brilliant minds and cutting edge treatment technology, but you grieve that anyone has to set foot in such a place… especially a husband and father like Wesley. After successfully navigating countless hallways (this place is the size of an airport), we gathered with Tanya and Wesley to sign forms and pray for God’s healing, for their kids’ protection, and for this little Rav4 to last them forever. I hate that I can’t take away Wesley’s cancer, but I celebrate that with the help of our donors, we were able to comfort this couple through the gift of a vehicle.

We also rejoice to see Shirley and Fellowship Bible Church love this family so well. The kids have started attending the church’s youth group and Shirley’s small group is helping provide meals while their parents are away. I am confident this pleases Jesus’s heart, and in His name I invite you to join us in praying for Wesley’s complete healing. May he leave MD Anderson healthy and whole, never to return.

If you would like to help OnRamp serve more deserving clients like Wesley and Tanya, please consider joining us at our Drive with OnRamp fundraiser March 23rd at 5pm at BigShots. Tickets are $50 each and include 3 hours of play and free dinner, and most of the proceeds got to OnRamp. You can buy one or more here: https://e.givesmart.com/events/Bsg/

We also have entire bays that can be bought for sponsorship by businesses, including play and dinner for 6-8 plus publicity from OnRamp. And if you have ANY silent auction items like gift certificates, fine drinks, collectibles, or anything else we could list, please let us know. For bay sponsorships and silent auction items, contact Stephanie at stephaniem@onramptx.org.