VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — It’s the season of giving, and a Virginia Beach woman received the best gift of all while moving to a new home.
Moving is no easy task, but imagine taking it on while battling breast cancer. That’s what Heather Smith and her family are dealing with right now.
“When I’m fighting cancer, financially it’s been tough to be off work and lose that income,” Smith said.
Smith spent years working as a nurse in local hospitals and helps others often. This time, others are helping her in a big way.
She reached out to the local College Hunks Hauling Junk branch for help for moving furniture. When they heard her story, they agreed to move it all for free.
“I mean honestly, after hearing her story … it was a no-brainer for us,” said Parke Atkinson, the owner of the Virginia Beach College Hunks Hauling Junk branch.
“Hunks” stands for, “honest, uniformed, nice, knowledgeable, service.”
That’s an understatement for the gift they gave to Smith.
“It’s hard for me to accept help through this whole process because like I said, I’m usually the one helping people, but at this time I knew that it was something that impacted my family,” she said.
Atkinson is just happy his company can help make a difference.
“Everyone knows someone — whether it’s a family member, a sibling or close friend — that is battling cancer and going through this, so even though she’s one of many, being able to make an impact on one person is huge,” Atkinson said.