2019 ENRICHING LIVES PROVIDES HELPS ANOTHER FAMILY GET BACK ON THE ROAD

Press Release

For Immediate Release December 11th, 2019

Collision Clinic Announces Recipient of
16th Annual Enriching Lives Car Giveaway Program

St. John’s, NL – The recipient of the 16th annual Enriching Lives Car Giveaway Program was announced today, December 11th, 2019 at Collision Clinic’s flagship location at 685 Topsail Road in St. John’s. Each year, the Collision Clinic’s dedicated team presents a safe, reliable vehicle and one year of vehicle insurance and registration to a local family.

This year’s recipient, Katherine Costello is a single mother of one. Katherine and her seven-year-old daughter Maggie accepted the keys to a fully-reconditioned 2018 Nissan Versa and one year of vehicle insurance and registration.

To make this event a reality, Collision Clinic’s skilled technicians volunteer their personal time to fully-recondition the Enriching Lives vehicle for the Giveaway.

“The Collision Clinic staff look forward to this event every year. Making a local family’s life a little easier by providing a safe, reliable vehicle inspires our team during the holidays and throughout the year,” says Sharon Wells, General Manager at Collision Clinic. “It reminds us all of the importance of ‘paying it forward’ within our community.”

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About Collision Clinic

Collision Clinic Ltd. is proudly locally owned-and-operated and has been providing exceptional vehicle repairs in the St. John’s area since 1978. Collision Clinic continues its commitment to excellence in vehicle repair and customer satisfaction, guaranteed. For more information, please visit www.collisionclinic.com.

Media Contact:

Sharon Wells

General Manager, Collision Clinic

(709) 368-8371

swells@collisionclinic.com

For more information, please visit: https://collisionclinic.com/enriching-lives-car-giveaway-program/

Life can be overwhelming when you’re 23 years old, have had four brain surgeries in the last five years, are a mom to a two-and-a-half-year-old girl, working full-time as a personal care attendant in St. John’s, and living in Mount Pearl!

Now imagine you’ve sunk thousands of dollars into an old car, cab fares, and hours on public transportation – the situation is unthinkable for most of us.

Meet Christine Ryall, 2019’s Enriching Lives recipient!

In 2012, Christine found out that she had a brain tumour the size of a melon, which wasn’t cancerous, but did need to be removed. That’s when Christine had her first brain surgery. She was two weeks out of recovery when she met Jeff, her current boyfriend and father of their two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Alayah.

After Christine’s second surgery, there were complications, which involved her receiving home intravenous therapy. Jeff would administer the medication every three to four hours and without a reliable vehicle, they would take the bus back and forth to the hospital. On one occasion, a delay meant Jeff had to give her the medication while on the bus.

“I Just couldn’t get over it!”

Christine often thought a reliable car would have changed her whole life. “I literally jumped up and down in the middle of the hall. To be chosen … I just couldn’t get over it!”, Christine said when she got the call from the selection committee at work (after arriving late).

“I’m so thankful to be chosen for this. I still don’t know how to put it into words. It’s so amazing and I just love the car!”

One of Christine’s (and Alayah’s) favourite things about the fully re-conditioned 2014 Ford Fiesta, is the neon lights inside, which change colours and light up the dash and the cupholders. “Alayah will call out all the colours she wants me to change it to from the backseat!”

Drive all day and overnights too

Christine was constantly late for work and worried about losing her job. Now she’s working full-time at Pleasant View Towers, often doing overnights, which couldn’t have happened before. But work aside, the car has helped out in more ways than she could have imagined.

“Alayah is able to be in daycare now, I couldn’t have her in activities before, but she’s been doing swimming, and Jeff and I have been able to go to the gym. Jeff is from Marystown and in January we finally decided to go out there. His grandmother has Alzheimer’s and although we’ve been together for five years, we couldn’t go before because of the old car.”

An amazing gesture for anybody

“Whatever your story, whatever problems you’ve had … just apply! If you do have a vehicle that isn’t reliable … even if you think it’s impossible; no matter what the story is … it’s such an amazing program for anyone; an amazing gesture for anybody”, says Christine, offering her advice to other hopeful applicants.