CANCER PATIENT'S BUDDIES HELP RESTORE HIS DREAM CAR.Byline: Meredith May Contra Costa Times The Contra Costa Times is a daily newspaper based in Walnut Creek, California. The paper serves Contra Costa and eastern Alameda counties, in the eastern part of the San Francisco Bay Area. The first classic car show at Marie's Panther panther, name commonly applied to the leopard, especially to a black leopard. It is also used locally to designate various other cats including the jaguar and the puma. Cafe drew a crowd of 300, including cancer patient Jerry Scholes. He thought everyone was there to see the cars. They were really looking at their watches and waiting to see the expression on Scholes' face when his restored 1932 Ford roadster drove up. Weakened physically and financially by terminal liver cancer Liver Cancer Definition Liver cancer is a relatively rare form of cancer but has a high mortality rate. Liver cancers can be classified into two types. , Scholes, 55, had put his partially assembled roadster aside after he was diagnosed in 1994, said his wife, Pat. It was his dream to drive his Depression-era convertible with Pat beside him, friends said. So they secretly finished restoring the car at Marcos Garcia's auto body shop. When Scholes saw it coming down A Street last Sunday, he turned red and started to tremble. Tears spilled out as he held his hand over his mouth and moaned with emotion. He shook his head as if he couldn't believe it. The car sported new paint, side windows, polished chrome, new upholstery and a shiny wooden instrument panel. Garcia, 27, drove up to Scholes, got out and handed him the keys and a polishing rag to wipe his eyes. The two next-door neighbors embraced. ``I love you,'' Scholes said. In the crowd were relatives, members of Scholes' church, Holy Rosary Holy Rosary may be:
Marie Bustamante and Rick Curcuruto agreed to open the restaurant on a Sunday and make fliers for the fake car show. East County classic car enthusiasts brought their vehicles for the ruse Ruse (r  `sĕ), city (1993 pop. 170,209), NE Bulgaria, on the Danube River bordering Romania. The chief river port of Bulgaria, it is also an industrial and communications center. , and collected donations to help pay for the roadster work. ``If this many people turn out for one man, you know he's special,'' said longtime friend and bowling buddy Bob Flanary of Antioch. ``Jerry is the kind of guy who would have done this same thing for anybody else. He's got a soul, and he's amazing a·maze v. a·mazed, a·maz·ing, a·maz·es v.tr. 1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise. 2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex. v.intr. because there are so few people like him left in this world,'' Flanary said. When Scholes started going to Holy Rosary in 1994, he stood up and said, ``My name is Jerry and I have a gift from God: I have terminal cancer.'' People started gravitating toward the former construction worker, said the Rev. Francisco Vicente, who later baptized bap·tize v. bap·tized, bap·tiz·ing, bap·tiz·es v.tr. 1. To admit into Christianity by means of baptism. 2. a. To cleanse or purify. b. To initiate. 3. him. ``I've really never seen anything like it, but people flock to him,'' Vicente said on the special day. ``He's supposedly dying of cancer, but instead of going into despair, he says it's given his life new meaning. Some people in his situation have one or two good days a week, but it's every day with him. I have great respect for him.'' With a little tap water from the restaurant, Rev. Vicente sprinkled the car, made the sign of the cross over the engine and registered the car with a higher authority. Scholes took a spin around the block, squealing squeal v. squealed, squeal·ing, squeals v.intr. 1. To give forth a loud shrill cry or sound. 2. Slang To turn informer; betray an accomplice or secret. v.tr. the tires, and zipped past a police car. He returned unticketed, laughing and waving. ``It's like I died and went to heaven,'' Scholes said. ``I can't get the words out of my heart to describe it, but I know the Lord will take care of everybody here who helped. What they did for me will come around to them in due time.'' CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Jerry Scholes takes a victory lap in Antioch with hi s wife, Pat. Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. |
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