BURNAUGH —
Brandon Crawford didn’t think he was going to get his 1973 Nova back.
So what the 17-year-old saw waiting for him in the gymnasium of Burnaugh Baptist Church on Sunday afternoon was a big surprise. Members of the congregation gathered at noon to unveil the Nova, which members of the church and community worked to refurbish, complete with a new shiny blue paint job.
Crawford said he thought his family had lent the car to a man who was considering buying it.
The teen had tears in his eyes as a black cloth was pulled from the car. He opened the door and sat down slowly when prompted.
“Go on,” his father, Bob Crawford, urged him on, and the young man turned the keys, igniting the roar of his new car.
“I’m really surprised that so many people donated things that didn’t know me personally and they took their time to do it,” Brandon Crawford said of the gift.
Brandon Crawford has Loeys-Dietz syndrome, a connective-tissue disorder that has brought multiple surgeries, including open heart surgery and multiple surgeries on his spine.
Pete Miller, senior pastor of the church, said Crawford’s father had purchased the 1973 Nova, but the car was a “clunker.”
That car took on new life as members of the church, the Burnaugh community and beyond embraced the idea of getting Brandon Crawford a car. The idea was brought forward by a church deacon about a year ago. Brandon Crawford had requested a car through the Make-A-Wish Foundation and been told the group couldn’t bring him the wish.
“We have just totally and completely renovated it,” Miller said.
Members of the church gave money to purchase new parts for the car, a neighbor of the church who owns a body shop rebuilt the engine without pay and many companies donated parts once they heard what church members were trying to do, he said.
“It’s just amazing how it’s all worked out,” Miller said.
The church presented the car to Brandon Crawford with a toy car of a similar make in the window along with a cardboard sign that read “Never give up on a dream.”
The Crawfords purchased the Nova as a fixer-upper about five years ago with the intention that Brandon Crawford and his father would work on the car together.
Brandon Crawford said his father used to rebuild old cars when he was younger, and they wanted to do the work together and enter the car in car shows.
Bob Crawford said one reason his son was interested in working with cars was because his health didn’t allow him to be active in sports, like a lot of other boys his age.
“He didn’t do a lot of sports,” Bob Crawford said. “He was always my little assistant.”
Health also made fixing up the Nova a challenge. The family have owned the car for about five years, Bob Crawford said. However, Brandon Crawford had to have open heart surgery soon after it was purchased. Then other health problems, such as seizures, prevented him from working on the car.
Eventually, Brandon Crawford wanted to sell the car so he could buy another he could drive to school during his upcoming senior year.
Bob Crawford said fixing the car was just one example of the open hearts of the members at the church, which Brandon Crawford has attended since he was born.
“Burnaugh is just such a loving, caring church,” he said.
KATIE BRANDENBURG can be reached at kbrandenburg@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2653.
Local News
Related Photos
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Burnaugh Baptist Church members and community volunteers remodelded this Nova for Brandon Crawford who has suffered a long battle with a connective tissue disease called Loeys-Dietz. Kevin Goldy / The Independent
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Brandon Crawford at right gets a look under the hood of his new Nova. Kevin Goldy / The Independent
Discussion
A wish and a prayer
Teen's church family surprises him with refurbished Nova
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