Former State Trooper Battling Cancer 'Gets Marty'
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Cancer created a mountain of medical bills for a state trooper and his family.
It also left them without the means to fix their truck after it broke.
But a call to "Get Marty" got things moving again, and left the family shocked by a big act of generosity.
The Podvorec's are from Ford City, and they're fighting two battles: a life threatening war against cancer racing through Bob's bones, and rust, destroying his Ford F-150 truck.
"I've been living with cancer, that's been going on for years. That's been a daily thing," Bob Podvorec tells KDKA's Marty Griffin. "But when this truck popped up, all of the sudden, bam, that's like a hit on the head with a sledge hammer, one more thing to pound you down."
Bob was a career Pennsylvania State Trooper, forced to retire in order to battle cancer. He fought it into remission once, it's now back, spread to his bones.
"He has fought so hard to stay alive, he has outlived many doctor's expectations, and he's still here. I thank god for that," wife Mandy Podvorec said.
Mandy sent Marty Griffin an email:
"I don't know if you can help my husband. His retirement truck is completely rusted out. The truck is out of warranty. Ford Motor Company will not help. My husband is now terminal with cancer. I don't know who else to help my husband."
"I couldn't let it go. I saw how upset he was when he came home from his local dealership. I couldn't just let it go," Mandy said.
After Marty contacted him, Shults Ford owner Richard Bazzy stepped up fast.
His people put the truck up on the rack and realized pretty quickly it was not safe to drive.
The truck was ruined, but there was good news for the Podvorecs.
Bazzy put them in a new truck, until he can replace the old truck.
So they leave the dealership shocked by what's happened.
"I'm very overwhelmed. I never expected this to happen. I didn't expect they were going to replace it," Mandy said.
Turns out when Bob was a state trooper he even gave Bazzy a ticket. All has been forgiven.
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