Pacers’ Paul George helps Indy family
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – An Indianapolis family is raising money to purchase a wheelchair accessible van for their daughter, who has cerebral palsy.
Until this weekend, the family was not close to their goal, but then Pacers star Paul George stepped up to make a big difference.
Like many 11-year-old girls, Daisy Esterline loves the color pink and totes a One Direction backpack, but she is also a Pacers fan and once met George while she was in the hospital.
That chance encounter ended up making a major difference in the life of the young girl with cerebral palsy.
Her family was trying to buy a wheelchair accessible van because without it she had to be lifted into a car seat to travel.
“It just became apparent that what we’re doing wasn’t working for us any longer,” said her father, Howard Esterline.
A GoFundMe account set up for Daisy, by a friend more than a year ago, had only raised $2,000 so her father took to social media.
“I just started tweeting some of the people she’d had the opportunity to meet over the last year,” he said and that included Paul George. “I tweeted them back their pictures with Daisy and all I said is your girl needs your help.”
He said he just hoped they’d share her page with their followers, but then this weekend they got a huge surprise.
“According to this, Paul George just donated $10,000,” he said. George later confirmed during a Twitter conversation with Daisy’s uncle than he was the donor.
The family passed the original goal of $12,000 to help buy the van.
Howard said he is grateful for George’s donation and every other person who has made smaller donations along the way.
“None of this would have been possible had it not been for each one of those gifts along the way as well,” Esterline said.
The van will cost the family about $35,000. They will finance the difference between what’s raised in the GoFundMe account and the total cost of the van.
To donate to the van, click here.