Ayles Family Finds Life Is Now Measured In Love, Not Years

By Shannon Hicks

Kenny Ayles has been diagnosed with brain cancer, and his doctors have advised him that he may not live more than five years. He isn’t listening.

“I’m gonna beat it,” he said. “This isn’t going to kill me. What’s going to kill me is walking my daughter down the aisle 20 years from now.”

The Sandy Hook resident would like to do something special for his family but like most families, money for the Ayleses is tight these days. So the Quarry Ridge neighborhood where they live has decided to do something that will benefit themselves and the family of four, and Newtown residents can help.

A tag sale-bake sale-silent auction-Touch A Truck event is being pulled together for this weekend. It will run on Saturday, October 4, from 9 am until 2 pm, and Sunday, October 5, from 9 am to noon.

Proceeds from the event will be given to Kenny and Jennifer Ayles, who are planning to bring their children — Olivia, age 3, and Braydon, 13 months — to Disney World in December.

“Olivia loves Cinderella and my wife loves Christmas,” Kenny said. “It’s my dream to get them to Florida for Christmas.”

When his neighbors learned of Kenny’s illness, and his dream, they jumped into action.

“We’re one big neighborhood. We’re around the same age, our kids about the same age, they all play together,” said Rhonda Timmons, a Quarry Ridge Road resident and one of the people coordinating this weekend’s event. “When we found out about his brain cancer, we wanted to do something for him.”

Mr Ayles drove an oil truck for Kaufman Fuel Company until recently. He had to stop working after an incident on July 1, when he blacked out while driving.

“I don’t even remember what happened,” Ken said Monday afternoon. “I remember feeling very ‘off’’ all day, and I hit a parked car, then blacked out. I don’t remember anything.”

The good news was, no one was hurt in that accident. Unfortunately Kenny was told by his supervisor that he could not return to work until he found out why he blacked out. An initial MRI at Bridgeport Hospital said he may have had a minor stroke, but further testing led to the discovery of a brain tumor.

The tumor was operated on at Yale on July 29, but a check-up after that showed that the cancer was not fully gone. Kenny was diagnosed with an anaplastic astrocytoma (grade III), or a malignant brain tumor. When Jennifer asked for a prognosis, the couple was told Kenny would be lucky to live another five years.

“I told them ‘Put me down for ten,’” Kenny said Monday afternoon. “It’s not beatable, but we’re going to try to maintain it.” Chemotherapy and radiation are in his future.

The Ayleses have lived on Toddy Hill Road since January 2004. By the end of that year Jennifer and Ken hosted a Christmas party and invited everyone from their new neighborhood.

“We had 40 people in here that night,” Jennifer said this week. The friendships that began between the Ayleses and the families of Quarry Ridge Road have continued to strengthen since then.

“It’s a very close-knit neighborhood,” Kenny said this week. “It’s a familylike neighborhood. The kids all walk in and out of each other’s homes.”

“We were kind of at a loss, but someone, I’m not sure who, said ‘Hey, why don’t we have a tag sale,” said Mrs Timmons. “It’ll be a twofer: we can clean out our houses, and anything we sell can benefit them.”

In addition to the multifamily tag sale, neighbors are also planning a bake sale and a silent auction. As of early this week, items that had been promised for the silent auction included a coffee theme basket that will feature biscotti and Starbucks coffee, a kids crafts theme basket, a Parents’ Night Out including Pajama Time for the kids at Tumble Jungle, a $50 AMC (movie theater) gift certificate, Edmond Town Hall movie and refreshments passes, and gift certificates from Ricci’s Salon and  Hero Barber Shop, among others. Andrea’s Pastry Shop and Blue Jay Orchards have also made contributions to the fundraiser.

On top of that, Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company has also promised to have one of its fire trucks at the event. Children of all ages will be able to climb into the cab of the truck, and fire personnel will answer questions about the vehicle and its operation.

While it will be a multifamily tag sale, Mrs Timmons said the neighbors will be putting their contributions together on one lawn, rather than spreading smaller presentations along the road. As of late last week she was not sure which home would be hosting the tag sale itself, “but the fire truck will be parked right next to it. You’ll be able to see everything as soon as you turn onto Quarry Ridge from Toddy Hill,” she promised.

“It’s so hard to grasp, all of this kindness,” said Jennifer Ayles.

Her husband has begun to think of himself not as a charity case but someone who is fortunate enough to be surrounded by people who love him and his family. Friends have taken him to UConn football games, others have dropped off home-cooked dinners for the family or made arrangements with local caterers and food establishments to have dinner delivered to the Ayles residence, and on October 18 the men of Quarry Ridge will have a poker tournament for Kenny and his family’s Disney World Dream.

“Everybody’s trying to do something nice for me now,” said Kenny. “I appreciate everything, especially the thoughts and prayers. I wish I could show everyone how thankful I am. I really hope people know how much their thoughts and actions mean to us.”

If it is raining on Saturday, call Rhonda Timmons (426-5079) to see if the event is still running. The tentative rain plan is to present the event both days, but heavy rain on Saturday may postpone everything to Sunday. Quarry Ridge Road is immediately off Toddy Hill Road, about one-quarter of a mile from Toddy Hill’s intersection with Berkshire Road (Route 34). A donation box for the Ayles family fund will also be set up as part of the tag sale. Anyone wishing to make a donation, but unable to attend this weekend’s event, can call Ms Timmons for further information.