Shaun Lockhard is described by his colleagues as a "salt of the earth" guy.
Lockhard and his wife Mallorie moved from New Brunswick to Kelowna in 2019 after Mallorie got an opportunity in the Okanagan.
Lockhard started a job at Maxum Automotive Refinishing shortly after, but just as their lives were coming together, things took a turn for the worst.
Mallorie had fallen ill.
"After we had the baby, everything was good for a bit, and then she found out she had melanoma on her leg. It appeared as a spot. She had that checked out and went through all the necessary steps to have it removed. Everything was fine for probably another year, and then she started experiencing pains," he said.
Lockhard says it was confirmed that his wife had melanoma in her lymph nodes. They also discovered a spot on her liver, which is currently in the testing stage.
The couple is now trying to survive on one income.
"With all the appointments and such, I have been missing a lot of time at the shop and trying to make up for it when I can."
Lockhard says, unfortunately, they have no family in Kelowna to assist them with watching their son, Keaton.
They are currently on a years-long waiting list for daycare services.
Despite the absence of close relatives, Lockhard says that his coworkers at the body shop have become like a second family.
When his colleagues discovered what he and his wife were going through, they put together a GoFundMe.
"It was actually the owner of the shop... it was his wife who started the GoFundMe page for us, and it has been awesome to see all the support that we didn't even know we had."
Lockhard says he plans to use the funds raised to cover his time away from work and hopefully be able to put it towards child care.
To donate, visit the GoFundMe page.
