The family of Kendra Coy Combs, who was severely injured in an
accident 13 years ago, are hoping to get the one thing they need
this Christmas with help from the community.

A benefit will be held for Kendra Coy Combs, daughter of Russell
and Janice Coy of 78 Williams St., at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the
Abbasso at the Downbeat to help her get a new van so she can get
around easier.

Thirteen years ago, Combs was involved in an accident as she was
exiting off U.S. Route 219 North at Kendall Avenue. Her car crashed
into a lamppost at a high speed, leaving her with major head
injuries.

She is now a quadriplegic and unable to speak. Then a few years
after the accident, her husband divorced her, leaving her parents,
who are now in their 70s, to take care of her.

Combs, who is 38 years old, is a 1985 gradate of Bradford Area
High School and has two children Garrett and Heather Combs, who
live with their father now.

Combs uses a feeding tube and has to be transferred from her
hospital bed to her wheelchair using a manual lift. She uses a
handicap van to go to doctor appointments as well as other places
in the community.

This is where the problem lies. The van that she currently uses
is a 1991 model and has been repaired several times. But now the
van is beyond repair.

Combs’ parents are currently looking to purchase a newer van,
but have a very limited income.

So along with Sheila Passley, the Coys are trying to raise
public funds to purchase a newer handicap van.

“I knew all the time that they wouldn’t ask for help,” Shelia
Passley said. “It’s a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week job for them to
take care of her.”

“A lot of people have helped me since my husband died and I know
that people have a tendency to forget and move on. I knew they
needed a new van so a benefit would get people involved again,”
Passley said, fighting off the tears.

Passley also knew that her son, Joe Herndon, a graduate of
Bradford High School and now a professional musician in Pittsburgh,
does a benefit each year in Bradford, so she contacted him about
doing a benefit for the Coy family. Herndon thought it was a great
idea to help someone specifically in the community. So Herndon,
along with nine to 12 other professional musicians, decided to
perform a jazz concert to benefit Combs.

Passley was fast to say that there are many people involved in
this cause.

“Don Burlingame has been a big help; he’s the one that contacted
me first about helping the family,” Passley said. Burlingame has
been involved with other charities and knows the family, Passley
stated.

Passley also said that if it wasn’t for the Downbeat, they
wouldn’t be able to hold this benefit.

“They gave us a place to have the benefit and they are
accommodating the band,” Passley said.

When asked how much money a new van was going to cost Robert
Gonzalez, Combs’ brother-in-law said, “We can’t really put a dollar
amount on it. It all depends on how much money we can raise. The
more money we raise, the newer van we can get.”

To go along with the concert, there will also be a Chinese
auction, including gifts from the Seneca Allegany Casino in
Salamanca, N.Y., and Julie’s Potting Shed.

Passley said that they are also planning to have a benefit in
the spring. They want to get all the local churches with praise
bands to come perform at the Grace Lutheran Life Center all day and
have people come in and out as they please.

Even if people are unable to attend, they can still make
donations by mail to Sheila Passley, 345 Minard Run, Bradford, Pa.,
16701.