Lameisha Moon no longer has to plan her life around how she is getting to the next appointment. 

This Christmas Eve, that changed. 

Surrounded by family, dealership employees, and cameras clicking, Moon was handed the keys to a brand-new car. 

Moon was selected as the 11th recipient of the Homewood Chevy Cares Car Giveaway, an annual program run by Chevrolet of Homewood that provides a new vehicle each year to a local individual or family whose life would be significantly changed by reliable transportation. 

Nearly 400 applications were submitted this year. 

For Moon, the need was not abstract. It was medical, daily and urgent. 

Jahmyr Moon is eight months old now. Most of his time has been spent in hospitals and therapy rooms. 

Late in Lameisha’s pregnancy, complications led to an emergency C-section due to a detached placenta. Jahmyr was born without oxygen and had to be resuscitated for nearly 20 minutes before doctors were able to revive his heartbeat. 

“He had no oxygen,” said Moon’s cousin, Samiyah Moon. “All of his Apgar scores were zero.” 

Jahmyr was later diagnosed with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, a condition caused by oxygen deprivation, and cerebral palsy. He now requires ongoing therapy and frequent medical appointments, including services at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. Many of those appointments are located miles from her home in South Holland. 

Getting there had become a source of stress in itself. 

“With the car, it will be much easier getting to appointments,” Samiyah said. “She lives so far from Shirley Ryan, where he goes for services.” 

Samiyah submitted Moon’s application for the giveaway. She said she did ask for permission first, knowing how personal the story was, but then got to work and submitted it hours before the deadline. 

“It was like 9 p.m. when I submitted it on the last day,” she said. 

Out of nearly 400 applicants, Moon was selected as a finalist and ultimately chosen as the winner. Samiyah said hearing dealership president Steve Phillipos read parts of the application aloud during the ceremony felt surreal. 

“Hearing him say word for word, the words I put into her story, was crazy,” she said. “I am just forever grateful.” 

For Moon’s family, the win brought immediate relief. Her aunt, Tessa Shaw, said reliable transportation has been one of the biggest missing pieces during an already overwhelming year. 

“Now she does not have to call anyone for a ride, she does not have to worry about people saying they’re going to pick her up and then never showing,” said Shaw. 

Many of Jahmyr’s appointments are in Chicago, including his neurology and rehabilitation visits. Not having dependable transportation made plans incredibly challenging, Shaw shared. 

“I can sleep at night now knowing she has reliable transportation to take him to and from his appointments,” Shaw said. 

Moon also faced serious medical complications of her own after childbirth. Shaw said Moon required a blood transfusion and nearly lost her life while doctors worked to save both her and her baby’s lives. 

“She almost did not make it,” Shaw said. Not having made it to her six-week postpartum appointment, Shaw said her focus was on the baby, who was hospitalized for months. The car, she said, changes that too. 

Despite everything, Moon did not frame the moment as winning.

“I feel amazing,” she said. “It doesn’t feel like a giveaway, it feels like more than a blessing.”

She added that it felt like a return of faith she had been holding on to.

The selection process, Phillipos said, becomes more difficult every year. 

“There are a lot of sad and terrible stories, and a lot of good stories,” he said. “Mostly really difficult stories to read through.” 

One line from Moon’s application resonated with Phillipos. 

“She said, ‘I am not looking for charity. I am just looking for a chance,'” Phillipos said. “That hooked me.”

He said the giveaway began as a promise he made to himself during a difficult period in the car business. If he made it through, he wanted to do something that lasted. Eleven years later, he said he still checks on past winners. 

Employees across the dealership helped review applications and narrow the field. Finance Manager Barb Harvey said reading submissions is emotional but necessary. 

“We read all of them,” Harvey said. “It’s heartbreaking, because you want to help everybody.” 

Marketing team member Sarah Lovitt said the decision comes down to long-term impact. 

“It’s not just today or tomorrow,” she said. “It is about how this will impact someone’s life long term.” 

Moon stood beside her new 2026 Chevrolet Trax as family members and dealership staff gathered around her. Nearby was Latoya, the program’s 2021 winner, who returned again in support. 

The car was new. 

The faces around her were not. Former winners and dealership staff stood with her, offering hugs, the way they do each year.