Support for Charlotte Burghardt

Brandon Burghardt has been part of the STEP family since December 2016. On December 9 of last year Charlotte, Brandon’s nine month old daughter, had her first seizure and was admitted to the Red Deer Hospital for testing. Charlotte’s seizures grew in severity and she was prescribed medication in hopes to provide her some relief, but sadly did not.  

On January 17, 2019 Charlotte was diagnosed with Chiari (Kee-Ahh-Ree) Malformation. Chiari Malformation is a condition where a portion of the lower back part of the brain (cerebellum) or the brainstem extends through an abnormal opening in the back of the skull affecting the nerves that control breathing and heart rate. Unfortunately there is no cure; only a very long and high risk surgery which includes putting a wedge in her spinal cord and removing a small portion of her brain.

Charlotte is currently in the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton waiting for surgery. Brandon has been unable to join his crew at work because his focus is with Charlotte and his young family.   

The stress and pain that this family is going through is unimaginable.  Let’s come together in true STEP fashion to support our teammate. We don’t have a goal or a limit in mind, but we hope to raise a respectable amount to assist Brandon and his family through this tough time. The real value here is showing Brandon that he is a part of a much larger family, and that we do what we can to take care of each other.