While Tonya and Gary Bashlor of Richmond Hill are doing their best in what most would consider a bad situation, the community is coming together to help them see it through.
Sterling Links Golf Club in Richmond Hill is hosting a charity tournament at noon Friday to benefit Tonya Bashlor, who has stage 4 breast cancer and travels regularly to Houston, Texas, for treatment.
Gary Bashlor said his wife has to travel to Houston every three weeks for eight treatments, which will take about six months.
“It takes between two to three or four days when we go because they have to do different things,” he said. “She’s basically going for chemo(theraphy) treatment.”
Tonya Bashlor wasn’t available for comment by presstime, but her husband explained that the two trips his wife has made to Houston so far has already cost well over $2,000 in travel expenses alone. And it’s not likely to get any cheaper.
“The last two tickets were $641, but I guess because the summer is coming up it’s now gone up to about $1,000 – and that’s for two tickets because she can’t go alone,” he said.
Bashlor said a family member goes with Tonya so he can stay home with their 14-year-old son. But whoever goes to Houston usually ends up staying in a hotel near the hospital, which runs between $105 to $120 a night, he said.
“It’s pretty expensive, I’ll tell you that,” Bashlor said. “But we’ll make it one way or another, that’s for sure.”
He said so far, insurance has been helping cover chemo treatments, but that’s likely to end sometime this summer.
Once she’s finished with chemo, Tonya is scheduled to have a mastectomy, or breast removal surgery, and then begin daily radiation treatments for seven to eight weeks.
“Insurance doesn’t want to pay for the radiation, and that’s a big part of the treatment,” Bashlor said.
And as frustrating as the situation sounds, it’s hard to detect anything of the sort in Bashlor’s voice.
“The Lord’s opened doors for us every way we’ve turned – I can tell you things that would give you chills, it’s amazing,” he said. “We’re just dealing with it the best way we know how.
“But they said they can heal her – so that’s what we’re hoping for, that’s what we’re expecting.”
Ellis Phillips, who is helping plan Friday’s charity golf tournament, said the event has 90 hole sponsors at $100 a piece and about 15 teams signed up. He said there’s room for up to 24 teams, and folks can sign up as late as Friday morning.
Entry fees are $70 per team, $280 per four-man team and $5 per Mulligan. The fee includes a cart, green fee, drinks and prizes. And all the proceeds go to the Bashlors to help cover their expenses.
“This is the biggest thing that’s ever happened at the golf course,” Phillips said. “We appreciate anyone that can come out and play with us.”
Free hamburgers will be served for lunch around noon, and the shotgun start will be at 2 p.m. for captain’s choice.
Phillips said there will also be a raffle with prizes donated from local businesses.
“We’ve had a lot of response from everybody,” he said. “We’ve really never had anything like this at the golf course. And we invite anyone who just wants to be a spectator to come out and buy a raffle ticket and help us any way they can.”
Bashlor, who is a lifelong Richmond Hill resident, said it’s amazing the people that have “come out of the woodwork” to help.
“We sure appreciate what everyone’s been doing,” he said. “I know a lot of people, and I’ll tell you what – they’ve been really good to us.
“I can’t say how much I appreciate it.”
For more information on the golf tournament, please contact Ellis Phillips at 312-3387, Perry Shuman at 547-0363 or Christine Davis at 658-7047.
Sterling Links Golf Club in Richmond Hill is hosting a charity tournament at noon Friday to benefit Tonya Bashlor, who has stage 4 breast cancer and travels regularly to Houston, Texas, for treatment.
Gary Bashlor said his wife has to travel to Houston every three weeks for eight treatments, which will take about six months.
“It takes between two to three or four days when we go because they have to do different things,” he said. “She’s basically going for chemo(theraphy) treatment.”
Tonya Bashlor wasn’t available for comment by presstime, but her husband explained that the two trips his wife has made to Houston so far has already cost well over $2,000 in travel expenses alone. And it’s not likely to get any cheaper.
“The last two tickets were $641, but I guess because the summer is coming up it’s now gone up to about $1,000 – and that’s for two tickets because she can’t go alone,” he said.
Bashlor said a family member goes with Tonya so he can stay home with their 14-year-old son. But whoever goes to Houston usually ends up staying in a hotel near the hospital, which runs between $105 to $120 a night, he said.
“It’s pretty expensive, I’ll tell you that,” Bashlor said. “But we’ll make it one way or another, that’s for sure.”
He said so far, insurance has been helping cover chemo treatments, but that’s likely to end sometime this summer.
Once she’s finished with chemo, Tonya is scheduled to have a mastectomy, or breast removal surgery, and then begin daily radiation treatments for seven to eight weeks.
“Insurance doesn’t want to pay for the radiation, and that’s a big part of the treatment,” Bashlor said.
And as frustrating as the situation sounds, it’s hard to detect anything of the sort in Bashlor’s voice.
“The Lord’s opened doors for us every way we’ve turned – I can tell you things that would give you chills, it’s amazing,” he said. “We’re just dealing with it the best way we know how.
“But they said they can heal her – so that’s what we’re hoping for, that’s what we’re expecting.”
Ellis Phillips, who is helping plan Friday’s charity golf tournament, said the event has 90 hole sponsors at $100 a piece and about 15 teams signed up. He said there’s room for up to 24 teams, and folks can sign up as late as Friday morning.
Entry fees are $70 per team, $280 per four-man team and $5 per Mulligan. The fee includes a cart, green fee, drinks and prizes. And all the proceeds go to the Bashlors to help cover their expenses.
“This is the biggest thing that’s ever happened at the golf course,” Phillips said. “We appreciate anyone that can come out and play with us.”
Free hamburgers will be served for lunch around noon, and the shotgun start will be at 2 p.m. for captain’s choice.
Phillips said there will also be a raffle with prizes donated from local businesses.
“We’ve had a lot of response from everybody,” he said. “We’ve really never had anything like this at the golf course. And we invite anyone who just wants to be a spectator to come out and buy a raffle ticket and help us any way they can.”
Bashlor, who is a lifelong Richmond Hill resident, said it’s amazing the people that have “come out of the woodwork” to help.
“We sure appreciate what everyone’s been doing,” he said. “I know a lot of people, and I’ll tell you what – they’ve been really good to us.
“I can’t say how much I appreciate it.”
For more information on the golf tournament, please contact Ellis Phillips at 312-3387, Perry Shuman at 547-0363 or Christine Davis at 658-7047.