My name is Celeste Blair, and I’m raising funds for my aunt Cindy and her husband Rob.

Cindy is my father’s sister, and she has been one of the most steady, loving presences in my life. Over the last ten years, while I was incarcerated in federal prison, Cindy never turned away from me. She wrote, she listened, she encouraged me, and she believed in my ability to rebuild my life long before I was free. That kind of support is rare, and I carry it with me every day.

A few years ago, Cindy and Rob’s life changed dramatically when Rob was diagnosed with both Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis. After spending much of their lives sailing, they made the difficult decision to sell their boat and transition to land in order to better manage Rob’s health and their future.

They purchased a small piece of land in the mountains of Turtletown, Tennessee, and began doing what they have always done — building with their own hands. They cleared the land themselves. They poured concrete. They began constructing the structure of their home piece by piece, living simply and working steadily, despite Rob’s diagnosis and the physical demands of the terrain.

They were in the middle of this process when a fire destroyed the temporary shelter they were living in and everything they owned.

What makes this especially urgent is that they are not just rebuilding after a loss — they are rebuilding in winter conditions, in a remote mountain area, while continuing the physical work of constructing their home and managing serious medical challenges.

Cindy and Rob are not people who ask for help easily. They are hardworking, resilient, and proud. But this moment is bigger than what they can carry alone.

I am raising money because Cindy once carried me through the hardest years of my life — and now it is my turn to show up for her.

Any support, whether through donation or sharing this fundraiser, means more than I can express. Thank you for taking the time to read their story and for helping two good people keep moving forward.