<div>On the night of September 21, 2024, in the soft glow of hospital lights, a miracle entered the world much too soon. Buddy William Andrew Olson, weighing only 1.5 pounds, was born at just over 26 weeks—far from the safety of his mother’s womb, his tiny body fighting for each breath. His due date was supposed to be December 23, 2024, but now, instead of warm holiday preparations, Buddy’s family faces the unimaginable reality of life in the NICU, where each day is a gift filled with hope.
</div>
<div>For Megan and Steven Olson, this is the hardest chapter of their lives. Megan had already been in the hospital since September 8th, battling her own complications. When doctors decided she was stable enough to be flown to Victoria, closer to their home in Lake Cowichan, they thought they’d have more time. But that very night, little Buddy made his early arrival. An emergency C-section brought him into the world far too soon, his body barely developed, yet his heart was already showing the strength of a warrior.
</div>
<div>Buddy now spends his days in the NICU, surrounded by machines that hum and beep, keeping him alive while he grows and fights to stay with the family who loves him beyond words. His parents, Megan and Steven enjoy watching their tiny boy, praying for the day he comes home.
</div>
<div>But the struggles don’t end with Buddy’s premature birth. Megan had to undergo yet another surgery after complications from her C-section, leaving her weak and in recovery, unable to care for their nearly 3-year-old daughter, Everly. Meanwhile, their 15-year-old son, Saber, is trying to stay strong as he balances school, hockey and working at A&amp;W, while his family endures this difficult time. He knows his parents are stretched thin.
</div>
<div>What makes this even harder is that Steven, the family’s sole provider, had a camp job up north. The job ended and he was unable to pursue another one due to Megans hospitalization. The timing couldn’t be worse, leaving them with no income as bills pile up and medical expenses mount. Their situation is dire, and the weight of financial stress only adds to the emotional toll.
</div>
<div>Everly, who was so excited to be a big sister, now spends her days in Lake Cowichan with her grandparents. At times she is separated from her parents, and unsure of what comes next. Her life has been turned upside down, just like her parents’. Steven and Megan drive back and forth between home and the hospital in Victoria, trying to be everywhere at once, but the weight of this journey grows heavier with each passing day.
</div>
<div>Their family is holding on by a thread—financially and emotionally. But the only thing that matters to Megan and Steven is being there for Buddy, so he can hear their voices, feel their love, and know he is not fighting this battle alone.
</div>
<div>In the NICU, Buddy’s doctors encourage what they call Kangaroo Care—the chance for Buddy to lie skin-to-skin on his parents’ chests, feeling the warmth of their bodies, the steady rhythm of their hearts. These precious moments of connection are vital to his development, allowing him to know the love that surrounds him. But each day is a rollercoaster of highs and lows. Some days Buddy shows his strength, rallying with the determination of a fighter; other days are filled with setbacks that break Megan and Steven’s hearts all over again.
</div>
<div>Buddy’s journey is far from over. He will remain in the hospital until at least Christmas, probably longer, as his tiny body continues to develop the strength he needs to survive. He will also likely endure a year of medical and specialists appointments. His parents dream of bringing him home, where he belongs, surrounded by the warmth and love of his family. But right now, they are faced with the stark reality that they cannot do this alone.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>How You Can Help:
</div>
<div>Your support can make a world of difference. By donating, you will help cover the mounting bills, the travel costs, and the daily expenses that have become impossible to manage. Most importantly, you’ll give Megan and Steven the gift of being fully present for their son, to hold him close and give him the love and strength he needs to continue fighting.
</div>
<div>Let’s come together to give Buddy the best chance to come home, safe in the arms of his family.
</div>
<div>Please consider making a gift to support Buddy and his family. Please share their story so others can step forward and join in helping them through this harrowing journey. Let's give Buddy the chance to grow up in the arms of his loving family safe and sound at home, where he belongs.
</div>
<div>Thank you for being apart of their miracle.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>

Darryl Koivisto

Anonymous

Karyn Gammie

Jan Pasloski

Kim M Walters

kayla facendi

Stefan Scott

Jan Riishede

Moreau Cheryl

Jenean Beskal

Cheryl Ann Brandt

Wayne Despins

James Johnston

Duncan Taylor

Jinet Monti-slatta

Leslie Schofield

Corrie Helliwell

Ingrid U Carpentier

Ramsey Galbraith

Mariah Dupuy

A Miracle named Buddy:Help This Family in Their Time of Need

platform

Platform is iOS

Android

Adyen Google Pay Development Audience

$opt_dummy_attribute

English only

Deprecate Stripe Legacy

dyn_template_ids

Adyen V6 Bene Transfer & MyMoney Campaign Organizers - test01

Bene transfer V6 and AdyenV6MyMoney Campaign Organizers - production

OneTrust next-app audience

fundCountryCode

NextDoor Share Option Users

Fundraisers with Reactions feature capability

fundCurrencyCode

US + Non-charity COs Only

locale

fund country is US and user language is English

personId

comms-internal-person-ids

Enhanced Story Experience Users

Suggested Goal Experience Users

user language is English and fund country: US, AU, DK, FI, IE, NO, SE, CA, GB; 

Poster share - new funds eligible (newest 9/18)

Streaming widgets beta user

paymentProcessor

3DS payment method

user language is English and fundCountry: US, AU, DK, FI, IE, NO, SE, CA, GB; 

GoFundMe Employees

ipAddress

Mark Rieth IP Address

Version 9.2.0 and above

Fund is in English speaking country

desktop

Android v12.11.0 and above

Platform is Android

paymentMethodType

checkoutType

Payment method type group to be vaulted on success

admin pr kit prod

EUR Donation Upsell

Share Text generation Skip Fundraiser

(prod) new funds eligible for amp12 (UGC gallery)

fintrac_cad_idv_form_v2 audience

paymentProcessorAccountId

fallback mode accounts

proCampaignId

p2p legacy startfundraising page

be_supporter_comments_enabled_supported_funds

AMP24 New Funds Only PROD (DO NOT MODIFY)

countryCode

charityId

UKCharities

Federated Search Internal Testing

route.pathname community

US Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks Feature Audience

Supporter Comments Eligible Funds

International Only

fundId

braze fundraiser group 

Payment Identity Transfers ATO Risk Check (Targeted) - Production

Fundraiser Saved Payment Method Rate Limit Bypass (Production)

leaderboard-partner-id-audience-givepanel

Version 9.2.1 and above

AUD Donation Upsell audience

fundraiserCountryCode is US/EN

Active Fundraiser - Smart Default Cadence

DAF Internal

Vault on success card payment method

Platform is iOS v11.0.0 and above

Desktop users

Person ids

United States (US) users

allow yuno fundraisers for test

Mexico country code

Posters INTL

NPO Profile Opted-In

iOS at or above 12.4.0

non-US recurring donors

Canada Campaign Owner Group

Fundraiser Without Meta Link

Scheduler payment tester gorup

charityCommunityId

Charities allow to be claimed unclaimed (PRD)

Canada (CA) users

currencyCode

UC Tipping v20250115 International

pymk_production_xplr_fe_team

Android at or above 12.2.0

Profile photo entry point audience

smart goals (fundraiser/manage) on test01

Activity Tracking v1 Beta Testing

writePath

Stream Notification

start gfm intl allowed locales

Platform is iOS v11.2.0 and above

prod_ach_audience

AI Chatbot Audience

amp13 only new funds (prod) (anyword auto)

UC Flow Enabled (Prod)

Payment Identity Beneficiary Verification - Production

shared notification bell audience

Custom users

ach frontend audience

Android v11.0.0 and above

Users Receiving Payments Paused Notifications

smart goals test01

Manage Coach - US English Organizers Only + new funds only

Team EGG - IP Address list

Fundraiser Without Instagram Deep Link

Native 11.4.0 and above

UC Tipping v20250107

Users Receiving Braze KYC Validation Failed

Native 11.3.0 and above

Influencer - Prod

US fundraisers and US users

userEmail

template_id

userId

fundUrl

isCharityCo

email

appVersion

shouldBucketIntoExperiment

partnerId

donationCadence

isActiveFundraiser

isPartner

isMobile

npoProfileOptIn

fundIsLinkedWithMeta

hasSessionDonation

isCampaignOwner

fundHasInstagramDeepLink

Native 11.4.0 and higher

New funds eligible - Video Sharing (PROD)

GB Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks V3 Rollout Audience

Thank you V3 testing whitelist

isRecurringFriendly

Is Recurring Friendly

Excluded funds - Video Sharing

Logged In Users

CH Donation Upsell audience

Android v10.6.0 and above

userCurrencyCode

Localized Currency

v11.5.0 and above

testAudience

pathname

Survicate

appVersion is at or above 12.8.0

Non-charity fund

isChallengeFundraiser

challenge-fundraisers

Payment Identity Launch Verification - Production

New funds eligible - Posters v2

CAD Donation Upsell Audience

Braze Email Tester

NPO Profile Opted-Out

iOS App Version

hasKnownDonors

PYMK has donors

iOS v12.3.0 and above

A Miracle named Buddy:Help This Family in Their Time of Need

Still $11,265 to go. Help us build momentum.