Coachella resident Lindsay Woznick announced she is raising funds through GoFundMe for local veteran and former business owner Jeff Garcia and his family after he was diagnosed with cancer and placed in home hospice care. Woznick shared her statement with Coachella Valley on June 21.
"Jeff's doctors have told him to stop working and is not allowed to work," said Woznick. "However, due to the fact that Jeff is a government employee, he does not qualify for state disability. With Jeff as the main provider; my mom, Lydia, and I decided to set up a GoFundMe to help make Jeff's medical journey easier for him and the family."
According to Woznick, who has known the Garcia family her entire life, Jeff Garcia is a lifelong Coachella Valley resident and has been married to his wife Lydia for more than 30 years. They had two children together, Ryan and Andrea. "They’re a very close-knit family who love spending time together," said Woznick.
Woznick said that Lydia has multiple sclerosis and is on state disability, and their son Ryan works full-time as a security guard while caring for both his parents. Their daughter Andrea passed away in 2021 from COVID-19.
"Before their medical struggles and loss, the family loved going on road trips together to the beach, bowling, hanging out with their friends, seeing shows at local casinos and attending local festivals," said Woznick. "They also used to run a snack stand for the tamale festival for many years."
Woznick created the GoFundMe page on June 10 with a goal of raising $25,000. According to Woznick, the donations will help pay for Garcia’s medical bills, weekly appointments, in-home aid, emergency room visits, medication and end-of-life care, as well as the family’s everyday expenses like utilities and food. As of June 21, $1,850 had been raised.
For more information or to donate, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/medical-support-garcia-family.