Hi, I'm Rachael, Auntie to the magnificent Charlotte. Charlotte, now 13, was permanently and severely disabled on Valentine's Day 2020 when she and her brother were struck by a vehicle in their school crosswalk.
Charlotte's prognosis was poor in the beginning,` and she faced every complication possible. Her brother, Alex, didn't survive the same accident.
In the months that followed, a pandemic set in and the country was locked down. Charlotte's parents, Aaron and Jennifer Bush, moved across the country to get her medical care. Because of the COVID pandemic, they were rarely allowed to even be in the same room together with Charlotte during her hospitalizations and rehabilitation. Their workplace in Las Vegas was closed for nearly two years, and they became full-time caregivers for their daughter.
Living in a makeshift room in her grandmother's dining room, Charlotte has been through four major surgeries and numerous hospitalizations since the accident. She has never received regular home nursing care, and her grandmother's house has limited accessibility for Charlotte's wheelchair and her significant medical needs. There isn't even a shower or bath Charlotte can easily access. Charlotte will have ongoing, complex medical needs due to her severe traumatic brain injury and the other physical effects of the accident.
To move forward and try and rebuild their lives, Aaron has returned to Las Vegas to work, putting in 70 hours a week to build Charlotte a house specific to her needs here in Ohio. Jen and Charlotte remain in Ohio with Charlotte's grandma. They have purchased a parcel of land close to family and are selecting a home design that will allow Charlotte to be cared for at home for years to come.
In the meantime, the family has not received a penny of aid from their insurance or from the man who caused this terrible accident . A civil trial date is still more than a year away and the accused has only been punished so far with a $2,000 fine and a few months of house arrest.
Aaron and Jen have been working hard and preparing to rebuild their lives with Charlotte, but the market to buy or build a house is not in their favor. Aaron will remain working in Las Vegas leaving Jen to care for Char alone until the family's future is secured.
Previous fundraising efforts were used to provide direct care for Charlotte, including the purchase of a handicap-accessible van. With so many obstacles still for them to face, I'm trying to ease the burden and raise funds for the construction of a new home for Charlotte and her family.
If you know Jen and Aaron, they have been extremely generous with their love, time, talents, and money. They have always helped the people in their lives however they can, and I hope we can do the same for them.
Any money raised will be used for the construction and outfitting of a handicap-accessible home for Charlotte and her family. Thank you for whatever support you can offer and for all the love over the last few years!
Organizer and beneficiary
Aaron Bush
Beneficiary