Cape Coral, Fla -- Two kids, one goal: To raise money from a lemonade stand to get their dad proper medical treatment. We brought you this story earlier this week, when Hunter and Jillian Garrison, set up their lemonade stand off Santa Barbara Boulevard just south of Diplomat Parkway in Cape Coral to get their dad, Virgil Garrison, to Duke Medical Center for a CSF leak in his skull. Which comes from a tear in the outer portion of his skull, in happened in an accident he had in 2012.
"You’ll have two good weeks, to where you’ll feel fine talk fine, walk fine look fine, then stuff just starts to go downhill," Virgil Garrison said.
Since then, the Hunter and Jillian have raised well over $5,000. It's been a refreshing few days for the Garrison's and the community, but the journey has been long, they've faced a few challenges along the way. Including facing eviction, the Garrison’s say they were on a month to month basis for some time at their Cape Coral home.
"I called to ask for a grace period to get the rent to her {landlord} and she advised us she was selling the home," said Lindsey Garrison.
On top of that, they say their insurance is ineffective at the moment, Lindsey Garrison says she didn't get a tax form submitted in time, and she lost her subsidy. With those challenges, things started to turn around. A family friend offered to have the Garrison’s stay in a home he wasn’t using.
"I went from making a lot of money every week to nothing, this is unbelievable, t’s been the most humbling year of our lives that’s for sure," Virgil Garrison said.
With his kids raising money, to help with expenses, and treatment for their dad, it’s something these two proud parents never saw coming.
"This is the first time in my life I haven’t taken care of my family. They’re taking care of me and I’m going to repay the favor," Virgil Garrison said.
The Garrison’s say Duke University Hospital doctors are reviewing Virgil's file and they will likely be doing his surgery. The Garrison's say the money their kids raise will also go to CSF awareness causes.
