Help our brother Charlie recover

Hello,

We are Judi and Candi, and we are reaching out on behalf of our big brother, Charlie, who is currently facing a challenging road to recovery. At 61, Charlie has spent his life dedicated to the craft of carpentry, creating and fixing with his hands, which he has always loved. Unfortunately, this past Monday, Charlie suffered a stroke that resulted in mild paralysis on the right side of his body, impacting his leg and arm. More distressingly, he also developed expressive aphasia, significantly affecting his ability to communicate.

Charlie has always been the cornerstone of activity —constantly working on a project, whether it was tinkering in his shop or maintaining a tractor or updating/fixing an RV. His passion for staying busy has always defined him, making this sudden pause in his life even more severe.

During his hospitalization, doctors discovered an aneurysm in his aorta and multiple blockages, adding to our concerns. Though his days will now be full of physical and speech therapy at home and attending regular appointments with a vascular surgeon and cardiologist, the road ahead is daunting. It seems now that surgery is in his future, but we will learn more in the coming weeks. Despite these challenges, Charlie's spirit remains unbroken. He understands everything happening around him and still finds moments to smile and laugh—a testament to his enduring resilience.

With Charlie being self-employed, he doesn’t have unemployment benefits to fall back on, and applying for disability benefits could take over a year to process. This has left him and his wife, Charlene—who has been his rock through these trying times—without any income.

We are setting up this GoFundMe to provide Charlie with the support he needs to navigate his recovery. We believe in the power of community and know that many of you hold Charlie dear. Every contribution, no matter the size, will help alleviate the financial stress so that Charlie can focus on what’s most important—getting better.

We love Charlie and Charlene deeply and appreciate any support you can provide during this difficult time. Thank you for keeping them in your thoughts and, if possible, contributing to this fund.

With heartfelt thanks,

Judi and Candi