Hello everyone, my name is Thomas and this is my older brother, Matthew. Early in the morning on November 13, 2025, Matthew’s home in Springfield, MO caught fire and is a total loss. We are beyond lucky that Matthew was not staying at the house that night and is in perfect health. However, he lost his turtles, cat, and all of his worldly possessions in the fire and has no rental insurance to recover anything.

Matthew is also autistic and was living in an income based duplex since he does not work. (He is given a stipend each month as part of his disability.) The good news is, the Red Cross is stepping forward and helping him with immediate housing, food and clothing. The difficult thing is, Matthew is having a hard time with all of this. Under these circumstances, neurotypical individuals struggle when attempting to regroup. My brother is neurodivergent and it is difficult to watch him try to grasp that he is now facing a new living space with nothing he has ever seen before as well as not having his animals or his personal preference items. Things like a PlayStation and other gaming equipment as well as Magic the Gathering cards, a TV and so much more. I understand that to some people, it may seem silly that I am trying to raise money in order to replace these items instead of focusing on essentials. But to Matthew, these are essential and bring a sense of security, especially at a time of such instability and stress.

Any and all funds that are donated through this platform will be used to purchase these items for my brother. I truly appreciate you taking the time to read and think about donating. This is important to Matthew and Matthew is important to me