Lifelong friend’s kindness shines through in time of need

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    SCOTTSDALE, AZ (KTVK/KPHO) — Masha Coy and Bernice Campbell have been through a lot together. Friends since high school, they’ve shared some great moments and some of life’s greatest challenges. “She’s my sister I never had,” said Coy. “I’m an only child, so we’ve been in touch since 1974. And when her mom passed, it was like my other mother passed.”

This past year, it was Coy and her husband going through tough times, with both of them battling through coronavirus. Now, the Scottsdale couple is taking care of Coy’s parents. Her 90-year-old mom has Parkinson’s disease. Her 91-year-old dad has terminal cancer. A few weeks ago, Coy pulled them out of a nursing home to come live with them.

“Definitely, they need to be with me and my husband,” said Coy. “The treatment they get here is 100 times better.”

Campbell has seen first hand how devoted Coy is taking care of her parents, so she reached out to CBS 5 to Pay it Forward to her friend, who is always putting others first. “They can’t leave home. They can’t leave home because both parents need 24 hour supervision and care,” said Campbell. “I just want her to know that people care; her community and friends care.”

A CBS 5 news crew followed Campbell recently over to Coy’s house to surprise her and give her a $500 gift card. “You and Mike are going through a tough time taking care of your parents and working, and I know you feel like you were all alone, but you are not,” said Campbell. “I love you, and friends and neighbors love you.”

“It’s been a tough time, and I wanted to reach out to them and the Pay it Forward Program and present you with this $500 gift card,” said Campbell. “This was a good way I could help and with your help, I could help.”

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