Vet with cancer gets grace, generosity from fellow vet
Mar 19, 2025
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The compassion and generosity of a WAVY viewer are coming through for a Navy veteran with late-stage cancer.
10 On Your Side showed the life and death struggle for James Moore, 70, of Ocean View in our initial story March 10. His pancreatic cancer was spreading to other pa
rts of his body. The Nissan Versa Moore and his wife Brenda own had broken down, leaving him with no means of getting to his treatments at the Hampton VA Medical Center.
Norfolk Navy vet with Stage 4 cancer looking for help getting to doctors
"I don't know what will happen if I don't have treatment," James Moore said. "This has spread to my bones."
Fellow Navy vet Ryan Carafello, who has been in the region since 1997 when he was stationed here, saw the story and felt a sense of duty to respond.
"They've been through enough," Carafello said about the Moores, adding, "I'll do everything in my power to help this family."Carafello towed the Nissan to Carafello's Auto on Virginia Beach Boulevard near Newtown Road. It needed a new muffler, ignition work and it had water in the interior. The work is ongoing, and in the meantime, Carafello gave the Moores a Toyota RAV4 as a loaner."The bear hug I got from James when he came in, it was unbelievable," Carafello said.
The Moores were overwhelmed with gratitude. "I want to cry, I got goose bumps," Brenda Moore said. "They are guardian angels. Them and you and everybody who's helped."James Moore knows that mobility is more than a luxury for someone with his diagnosis.
"When the car broke down, that had me more scared than anything," he said. "Even if I were late on my rent, I'm more worried about a car because I have to make my appointments."Carafello, himself, is driving the Nissan everyday to make sure it's ready when he returns it to the Moores."We wanted to make sure they had that feeling of one less stress," Carafello said, "just be able to get up, focus on what's already a terrible thing they have to deal with."
And it's something the Moores have noticed. "I think he's awesome," James Moore said. "I've never met anybody like him that would go out of their way like he has."
Said Brenda Moore: "It brought hope back into our lives because we were ready to give up. We thought we were at the end of the line. And then with the help of you and seeing the generosity of the viewers in the Hampton Roads area ...""Exactly," James Moore said in agreement.It was a simple kindness greatly appreciated. "It's not hard," Carafello said. "Just be normal. Take care of people." ...read more read less