After someone stole gifts for her benefit auction, Cindi Hayes said she felt overwhelmed Saturday night in a room with a motor scooter, kitchen appliances, Seattle Mariners memorabilia and dozens of other new donations.
“It’s unbelievable what people have done,” said Hayes, 49, who is battling cancer and will undergo a bone-marrow transplant in December.
“It was amazing to see how generous people were.”
After news media reports about the theft of auction items two weeks ago from her unit in Daffodil Storage in South Tacoma, donors – many of them anonymous – stepped up. Hayes said she wound up with more items than she’d had before the theft.
More than 50 friends and family members filtered through two rooms lined with items for silent and live auctions Saturday night at the Tacoma Elks Club.
In addition, cash donations will continue to be accepted at any Wells Fargo Bank branch to the Cindi Hayes Bone Marrow Transplant Fund.
Hayes said that between the auction and the fund, she hopes to raise $10,000 toward the costs of undergoing a bone-marrow transplant.
“I have a feeling we’ll make our goal,” said Hayes, of Tacoma.
Tacoma police spokesman Mark Fulghum said a suspect in the theft was arrested and booked into jail, then released Wednesday for further investigation. Fulghum said he didn’t know if the man arrested was the same person seen in surveillance video carrying several boxes away from the area of Hayes’ unit.
The expense of the transplant and related costs are estimated at $600,000. Hayes said she doesn’t know how much her medical insurance will cover or how much has been donated at Wells Fargo branches.
After 13 years battling chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Hayes was told by doctors in August that a bone-marrow transplant was her only chance of survival.
Her sister Sheri was there when Cindi was originally diagnosed.
“She’s a very strong woman,” Sheri Hayes said.
Cindi Hayes said she must move temporarily from her home in Tacoma to Seattle next month, in preparation for the transplant Dec. 9.
She said the last few weeks have been stressful – a rocky ride of emotional ups and downs.
“It’s really been a roller coaster,” Hayes said.
Steve Maynard: 253-597-8647 steve.maynard@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/crime
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