Gwinnett County

Mother fighting cancer facing eviction

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A local business is stepping up to help a family who's in desperate need this holiday season.

The Gwinnett County mother is fighting cancer and facing eviction.

“My fear is that one day I will end up in the hospital and die,” Jamie Kolev said.

Kolev, who has two children, says she should be focusing on what could be her last Christmas with them, but instead she says she’s being evicted just before Christmas.

"I have cancer and I’m in and out of treatment all the time. Now I have to throw in packing all of my stuff and move in 60 days,” she said.

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It’s an added stress that the 27-year-old mother says she wasn’t prepared for, especially because she can’t work. Kolev says she gets just $770 from the state monthly to help pay the bills.

“Without this place, we have nowhere. Where am I going to go? To my car? It’s a lot, a lot of stress,” she said.

Channel 2’s Nefertit Jaquez reached out to her landlord multiple times to ask why he was terminating Kolev’s lease early, but couldn’t reach him.

Jaquez went through Kolev’s two-year rental agreement, and the letter from the landlord’s attorney saying that Kolev has to be out by Jan.17, to see if there was any reason for terminating the leave.

Research showed that in Georgia, there are no tenant protection rights, so all Kolev could legally do is sue for breach of contract and ask courts to have the landlord pay her for her move and new place.

“I’m really hurt and I’m sad,” she said.

Making matters worse, Kolev, who was diagnosed with cancer two years ago, just learned that the deadly disease has now spread to other major organs in her body. So any extra money she has is going toward her treatment and chemotherapy.

That means she has no means to buy her daughters, 8-year-old Abigail and 6-year-old Alexis any toys for Christmas.

But Kolev says that despite the fact that there are no presents under the tree or in their stockings, she’s blessed to have her life, even if she doesn’t know for how long.

“That’s my biggest scare. She’s 6 years old. When I die will she remember me?” Kolev said.

Del Frisco’s Bar and Grille in Buckhead is collecting monetary donations and gifts to help Kolev and her girls. If you would like to help, you can visit them at 3376 Peachtree Road in Atlanta.