Cancer-struck Prunedale family's invitation to Starbucks a ruse
Cathy and Rowland Bories stood in line with 3 of their 4 grandchildren and 2 foster kids in a packed Starbucks in Prunedale on Thursday afternoon. Jordan, their 12-year-old granddaughter, was looking at a tall pile of gift-wrapped presents lying in a corner of the coffee shop when she saw her name on one of them. "Oh my God, this has my name on it!" Jordan yelled.
It wasn't long until the news broke that the Borieses weren't there for coffee at all.
Instead, a group of Prunedale residents, Starbucks employees and members of a community church had come together on Christmas Eve with one goal in mind — to spread holiday cheer to the Bories family.
As soon as Cathy found out, the tears of joy began to flow.
"This is amazing; I can't believe this," she said while hugging Starbucks manager Emy Fischer.
"Thank you so much," Bories said.
"You deserve it," Fischer replied.
"We just wanted to brighten up what would have been a bleak Christmas for them," Fischer said.
It hasn't been an easy year for the Bories family.
Rowland Bories said he had a heart attack in March. He had open-heart surgery in April — and his heart stopped in the operation room before he was revived.
Months later, Cathy said, the family found out Rowland had cancer.
"Stage three, very aggressive, prostate [cancer]," she could barely say. Rowland is set to start chemotherapy early in the new year.
To those health problems, add the responsibility of caring for their grandchildren and foster kids.
"It's been a really tough year," Cathy Bories said.
While she continued to cry, shocked by all the presents and hugs from people she's never met, her 6-year-old grandson only had a smile on his face.
"Is this all our presents?" asked Jimmy Blackmore, while holding on to a soccer ball and a carton of chocolate milk.
Then the coffee shop burst into singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," led by about 20 congregation members from Prunedale's New Life Community Church.
Cathy Bories said she thought they'd been invited for coffee and to sing Christmas carols.
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