New Bedford car salesman gifts Taunton family ‘miracle van’ amid cancer battle

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WLNE) — A New Bedford car salesman made a generous donation Tuesday to a Taunton family in need.

After Lorienn Higgins’s son Dyllan was diagnosed with cancer, the mother of five has been forced to balance life between the hospital in Boston and her home back in Taunton.

Kara Magoni owns Lily Pad Boutique in Dartmouth, where Lorienn supplies vintage jewelry.

Seeing how hard her friend was working to keep the family afloat, she started a fundraiser in early April to get them a new car.

Magoni spoke about the effort on April 7 in an interview with ABC 6.

“I thought that possibly we could get together and find a cheap car,” she said. “So that Lorienn can stay by Dyllan’s side and not be worrying about all the other kids getting back-and-forth to their jobs.”

New Bedford car salesman Russell Leite was touched by Lorienn’s story and soon got in contact with Magoni to work on a plan.

“I really enjoy helping people,” Leite said. “When you do this for a living for 41 years, you gotta do it for more than just money.”

Tuesday afternoon, Lorienn was introduced to a brand new minivan, describing the experience as “overwhelming.”

“It’s a double-edged sword,” she said. “It’s happiness through sadness.”

Magoni said she never expected such a generous donation.

“It’s just a huge a huge stress off of Lorienn’s shoulders to not be worrying about transportation,” she said.

Lorienn’s friends are even coining a special name for the new ride: a miracle van.

With Dylann set to continue his treatment, Lorienn drove off in her new van Tuesday, offering a bit of a silver lining in a dark time for the family.