Lia Weekes is fighting hard to save her son Joshua’s life. He was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia and desperately needs a bone marrow transplant.
So she was surprised and disheartened to discover someone collecting money using her son’s picture in front of a Coquitlam grocery store last month.
“This woman was representing herself as someone from Canadian Blood Services and had photocopied some blood drive posters and had them on the table in front of the money box that she was using to collect funds,” Weekes said.
READ MORE: BC mom claims charity scammer taking advantage of 6-year-old son battling leukemia
Her name is Kyra Kathleen Foster and she’s been spotted outside at least five grocery stores, raising money on behalf of Canadian Blood Services, something the non-profit organization does not do.
“We do not solicit funds from any individuals,” David Patterson of Canadian Blood Services said. “You will never see an authorized person from Canadian Blood Services at a mall soliciting funds, outside a grocery store. You won’t see that.”
“It’s despicable if, in fact, she’s attempting to profit from a family who is going through such a heartbreaking situation,” Kulvinder Hayre said.
Hayre also said she gave money to the same woman at a grocery store in Ladner back in March. She was raising money for a different child.
Westshore RCMP are investigating a similar setup in Langford last Christmas.
It turns out Foster has a history in the court system. In 2005, she was ordered to pay a Halifax property company more than $15,000.
More recently, a court ordered her to pay more than $2,000 to her ex-landlords. They never received the money.
Global News reached out to Foster several times. She responded by email, admitting she has been campaigning for sick children. In fact, she just had another family ask her for help.
She adds that she was expecting gratitude and enthusiasm when Joshua’s mother confronted her at the grocery store last month.
As for six-year-old Joshua Weekes, he still desperately needs a bone marrow donor.
Those interested in learning more about the donation process can visit blood.ca.
– With files from Randene Neill