Help the Budden's Fight for their Brother Paul

To know the Budden family is to love them.

Hi, my name is Erin Esperon, and I have been fortunate enough to know the Budden family by working alongside Jennifer at Runyon Elementary and teaching their daughter Vienna. The Budden family is known for the love that they show others, their empathetic hearts, and their courage to fight for their family. They are currently in the fight of their lives and need your help.

The Fight for Paul

John Budden's brother, Paul, is a 56-year-old man with cognitive disabilities. He has the mental capacity and executive functioning skills similar to a five-year-old. Paul moved to Spain 15 years ago from Britain with his parents. Unfortunately, John and Paul's parents passed away this last year, leaving no one to care for Paul. John, Jennifer and their family were in Spain dealing with the estate but were left with no financial resources to continue the care Paul needs. John and Jennifer have been trying to get him to the US since he lost his mother and his sole caregiver. John is the only family member left to help care for Paul.

John and Jennifer are dedicated educators who have depleted all of their resources and savings to financially support Paul's care in another country and the legal fees connected to trying to get Paul back in the US to live with them in their home. Despite the efforts of Jennifer, John, and their lawyer, the application to come to the US has been denied. They have tried talking to Senators and state representatives, but there is nothing they can do. The cognition of Paul is very low, and he is like a child that cannot be reunited with his family.

The United States government does not consider the severity of Paul's illness and how dire it is for his family to be reunited with him. John and Jennifer have experienced emotional turmoil in fighting for their brother and have recently come to accept that the government is only concerned about his basic survival needs and not his emotional well-being and mental health. Their decision is final.

The USCIS recommended that John and Jennifer apply for citizenship for Paul in US, which could take up to 9-10 years. This option does not help with what they are dealing with in present. They are not giving up and will try again, but that will take more time and money.

Next Steps to Help Paul

So far, John and Jennifer have spent tens of thousands of dollars on a lawyer and care for Paul as he has been in Spain. Without the help of a very small few in Spain, that monetary number would have been much more. Spain does not have the social services to help Paul now, and the people caring for him cannot keep up at this rate. The only option now is to move Paul to England, set up an apartment, and find providers to give him the care he needs. Government aid cannot be applied for him until he has lived there for at least six months. At that point, John and Jennifer can begin applying to the local council for support.

The Buddens Need Your Help

Jennifer and John hope they can go out to Spain, move Paul to England and help get his routine set up so he can feel successful and safe. Jennifer’s step-sister and family have been the “boots on the ground,” helping to find a suitable place for him to live while also being close enough that they can check in on him and see to his needs. However, the residence they found that all of them could fit, including Paul, fell through. Their current rental cannot accommodate Paul.

Finding a home for Paul has been very challenging. Most residential rentals are wary of housing him, and some require a full six months' rent up front, not including the deposit. John and Jennifer have exhausted all their resources and need financial help to get Paul into a safe living situation. They are trying to find Paul a suitable home that they would also need to furnish, set up utilities, and fund the services for Paul.

John and Jennifer have the stress of caring and worrying for Paul all the time. They are dedicated teachers, and the funds needed to support Paul, move him, and ensure he is cared for are exorbitant. They have been working extra jobs to help pay for his care, and their credit card debt is increasing. Despite all of these efforts, it is not enough. They will both need time off from work to fly to Spain, move him to England, and do all this while caring for their own family in Colorado. Working with three countries has been very challenging, and they could use your help.

How Can You Help The Buddens

I am asking you to please share this as widely as possible so that somebody, somewhere, might know how to help out this family and reunite them. They were hoping to be reunited for Christmas. However, it might not be in the cards since it is a complex process for Paul to get the proper VISA to come to visit, not to mention the extra money it would take to fly him to the United States since he cannot fly alone. Every trip requires John or Jennifer to fly and pick him up since he is wary of new people and trusting others. Paul speaks of missing his family daily and is grieving his mum's loss.

Can you help out the Buddens?

Your generous donation will help the Buddens in these ways: