A community fundraiser developed to help an Edmonton-area couple grow their family was stolen from them on Valentine’s Day.
Liane Proulx-Makovichuk and Darren Makovichuck said over 50 bags of empty bottles were taken from their home Friday.
The bottles were part of a fundraiser the couple started as they save up to cover the costs of surrogacy to help them add to their family.
The couple adopted a son two years ago but has been on a waiting list for another child for over a year.
For medical reasons they have been unable to have biological children but told CTV News they still dream of a big family.
“We know how lucky we are to have one but we have always discussed that we wanted a large family,” Proulx-Makovichuk explained.
“We have been told the wait could be another three years.”
The price of surrogacy for the couple could run up to $60,000.
The bottle deposit was expected to help them cover some of those costs.
“It is a small fraction of the overall cost of what we are trying to achieve here but ultimately we need to start somewhere,” Makovichuk said.
“We just felt like we had to be creative with the way that we would come up with the money.”
Proulx-Makovichuk said the idea to collect empty bottles and cash them in had been successful.
“I posted it on a Sherwood Park mom’s community group and the response was amazing,” she said, adding they had gathered over 60 bags.
However, the couple discovered 51 bags missing on Friday night.
“We think that it is probably random,” Proulx-Makovichuk explained.
They estimate the loss set them back $500.
“We are going to persevere. We are going to move on,” Makovichuk said.
“I told my wife that this is a road bump or a speed bump and we are just going to continue on in your journey.”
To get in touch with the family or to donate your bottles please e-mail: liane.proulx@gmail.com
With files from Nicole Weisberg
