'Right Thing To Do': Colorado Family Donates Son's Truck To West African School
WINDSOR, Colo. (CBS4) – Nearly four years after 19-year-old Kyle Nackos was killed by a wrong-way drunk driver, his family is hoping to donate his beloved pickup truck to a small school in West Africa. Scott and Julie Nackos told CBS4's Dillon Thomas they plan to ship the truck to College Prive Jeunesse Elohim in Burkina Faso, West Africa.
"He loved his truck. But, a part of him will be going to West Africa, and that makes me happy," Julie Nackos said.
The Nackos family recently learned of the school's need for a vehicle for educational purposes, as well as medical transportation. Since Kyle's passing on Thanksgiving of 2016, the truck has remained parked in Windsor. So, the Nackos' decided they would donate the truck to the school.
"They are in need of a vehicle," Julie said. "It felt right. It felt like the right thing to do."
Parting with the truck, which carries many great memories for the family, was a tough decision.
"Every day we miss Kyle," Julie said. "He should be here. He should be here with us."
Scott and Julie said they spend many times still mourning the loss of their teenager, especially knowing his life was taken by the poor decisions of someone who survived the crash.
"It has been difficult. There's always that void there," Julie said.
"Even though he is gone, from this earth, he is still with us. And, we see him, and it is evident," Scott said. "Kyle's footprint is all over Windsor."
While making the decision to donate the truck seemed to happen fairly quickly, the ability to get it more than 6,200 miles away has been much more difficult. The family learned shipping the truck would cost more than $10,000.
With the help of the community, through a GoFundMe page the Nackos family hopes to get the much-needed tool to Africa soon. They also hope to stuff the truck, and it's bed, with supplies needed by the African people.
While letting go of a sentimental item from their son's life may be difficult, the Nackos' said they were comforted knowing that it would go on to help others.
"(Kyle) really loved little children. So, sending this truck to a school in Africa means they will get a taste of what we got of Kyle's memory. The friendship and the love he had for others. So, it makes us happy to do this, and that helps us get through the hard times," Scott said.
