Auto shop does free repairs for families fighting cancer

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The task of taking a car to get serviced just got a little easier for the parents of children with cancer. A local mechanic is cranking up their auto repairs–free of charge.

“One of the big worries is heading to the doctor to get your child help and your car breaks down or you don’t have air condition,” said one parent Alisa Gainous.

In the long list of things to worry about while a child is sick, taking the car to the shop is no longer one of them for parents like Gainous.

“You know, we got the diagnosis and it was kind of a whirlwind after that,” Gainous said.

She discovered her son had cancer in February of 2016. “You know except for oil changes we haven’t really had a lot of time or money for anything else so this has really been a blessing,” she said.

Today mechanics at Mitchell’s Automotive provided a different kind of service. “We’re providing free auto repairs to the families,” said owner Mitchel Dunce.

They’re saving parents “hundreds and hundreds of dollars at least,” according to Gainous.

A trip to the mechanic can be pretty pricey. There’s the cost of parts and labor–but Dunce says this is a labor of love and getting to help families who need it doesn’t have a price on it.

“A lot of times repairs they get neglected because they can’t afford it,” said Dunce.

He says they’re taking care of everything from tune ups to breaks and making sure problems under the hood won’t stop them from getting to treatment.

“It’ s such a relief to know that when you get in the car to go to the doctor it’ll be reliable,” said Gainous.

So families can focus on how the appointment, itself, will go.

Mitchell Automotive was the only auto service shop in Middle Georgia chosen to partner with Delco. This year they provided free service to 10 families.