Over the course of a few days, Brian's life was completely turned upside down. I’m organizing this fundraiser for Brian—my sister Marla’s dad—who was also a second dad to me growing up. He has been part of my life for many years, and watching everything unfold so quickly has been heartbreaking for our family.

On April 24, 2025, Marla flew from Oahu to Hilo after learning that her dad Brian, who is 72, needed urgent medical attention. His eGFR (kidney numbers) had dropped to 16, and doctors told him he needed immediate medical care due to kidney failure. At the ER, they discovered his kidneys had been damaged due to prolonged pressure related to prostate issues. After his hospital visit, Marla stayed to help care for her dad and began an overwhelming process of cleaning out and addressing the unsafe conditions in his home in Kurtistown, while staying at her house just up the street.

Then, in the early morning hours of April 28th, Marla received an unthinkable phone call-- that Brian’s house had caught fire during the night. By God’s grace, Brian and Marla were safe because they were staying at her place, and we are deeply grateful for this. But the fire destroyed all of Brian’s home, his vehicles, expensive tools and machine parts, and the equipment he relied on for his work as a heavy equipment operator. His two beloved dogs, Baby and Brown Brown, were also lost in the fire.

Among the losses were newly ordered bulldozer parts, decades worth of tools collected over a lifetime of hard work, his work truck, and his personal vehicles. The fire inspector could not determine how the fire started, and because Brian did not have home or fire insurance, there is no safety net to help cover these losses. Marla has since brought her dad back with her to Oahu, where he is now staying with her, her husband Kalei, and their two children Matai and Kamuela, while they work to get him the medical care he urgently needs. Fortunately, his kidneys are showing signs of improvement, but he still faces ongoing specialist appointments for his prostrate, possible procedures or surgery, and frequent travel related to treatment and care.

Anyone who knows Brian knows he is so much more than this difficult chapter in his life. He is a loving father and grandfather, generous, lively and deeply caring person, and someone who has spent his life finding and shaping beauty he sees in the land around him. He is a talented landscape artist, a dedicated farmer with a flourishing green thumb and a lifetime of knowledge, a lifelong lover and caretaker of animals, and a beloved member of the old-guard surfing community. Bulldozing, excavation, and land work are not just jobs to him—they are work he genuinely loves, takes pride in, and makes him happy.

We are hoping to help Brian regain some stability and begin rebuilding his life.

Donations will go toward:

• Medical care, copays, procedures, and possible surgery

• Travel expenses between Oahu and Hawaii Island for medical care

• Replacing basic necessities lost in the fire

• Rebuilding essential tools and machine equipment to help Brian return to the excavation and bulldozing work that has supported him for so many years

Any support—whether through donations, prayers, or sharing this fundraiser—means more than we can express. Thank you for helping surround Brian and our family with compassion, hope, and support during this incredibly difficult time!