Big hearted passenger helps dying Uber driver raise money to save his home
They only spent 12 minutes together — 12 minutes of casual conversation while they shared a car. But that twelve minutes has changed the lives of two Michigan men, one a dying grandfather, the other a college student who just wanted to help.
Roland Gainer needed a ride to meet some friends in downtown Ann Arbor, so the 22-year-old pulled out his phone and scheduled an Uber. When the car arrived, he sat in the backseat chatting with his driver, 69-year-old Ken Broskey. Their conversation started when Gainer asked whether he enjoyed driving for the car service, but it turned serious somewhere between the city's stoplights.
Broskey told Gainer that he was working full-time for Uber so he could make some extra money to pay off the $95,000 mortgage on his house. His daughter – a single mother – and two young grandchildren would need a place to live when he was gone. He said that he had Stage 4 cancer and that he'd just been told that his life could be measured in days. At best, he has ten weeks. At worst, it could be two. Broskey told ABC News
Once I pass away, chances are my daughter, who’s a part-time waitress at a small restaurant in Livonia, will lose the house we live in because she won't be able to afford it anymore. So I'm doing everything for her and my grandkids at this point.
Gainer, whose own mother is a cancer survivor, was profoundly affected by the story and was determined to do something other than just shake his hand and say "Take care." He set up a GoFundMe page where he shared Broskey's story and hoped that he might be able to raise at least a little bit of money for Broskey and his family. He wrote:
His situation reminded me of the helplessness I felt watching my mother battle (but beat) cancer when I was in high school. My unlikely friendship with Ken has defied age, race, geographic, and economic boundaries and is bound by the common good of mankind. But, it won’t defy time. Ken is dying [...] It is my hope that you will help us save Ken’s house for the sake of his family.
In less than a week, more than 3,700 people have contributed more than $102,000. Uber donated $5,000. A Livonia barber gave all the money he earned last Wednesday night. So many people have generously contributed to Broskey's cause that Gainer has requested that would-be donors now send their cash to others in need. In an update posted to the page, he wrote
Because we have achieved our goal, and there is such great need in all of our communities, we are declining further donations to allow other causes to be supported. We sincerely thank and appreciate everyone for their contributions.
Twelve minutes. Twelve minutes is all it takes to change someone's life for the better. And twelve minutes can be the beginning of a beautiful, unlikely friendship.