Jason Unrau
Northern News Services
Friday, April 27, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Two Yellowknife families have benefited from the kindness of strangers and will receive much-needed financial assistance to help with costs arising from health issues.

Almost $8000 was raised at an April 13 benefit to assist the family of Tim Noble with travel expenses so they can be with him in Edmonton while he is being treated for esophageal cancer.

"It was an awesome event," said event organizer Andreas Tesfaye, adding his thanks to Raven Pub and Black Knight staff whom assisted with the gathering. "There weren't as many people as we'd have liked but those who did come were incredibly generous."

The generosity doesn't end there. Employees at the Ekati mine have taken up a collection to help pay for two-year-old Kadriye Sarikaya' orthotic braces, necessary to correct her clubfoot birth defect. Several individuals also donated including Western Arctic MP Dennis Bevington.

Despite references from two physicians who lobbied on Kadriye's behalf that her orthotics be covered, health and social services would not budge so parents Mustafa and Reyhan appealed for assistance

"It made me happy that people have a heart and want to help us," said Mustafa. "But we're still waiting for the government to do something."

If the government will not come through for the family, Extra Foods assistant manager Paul Beaton is working on getting future braces Kadriye will require from a special President's Choice Children's Charity.