Help Give Charlie the Chance to Grow Up Healthy

What if one act of kindness could help change a child’s future? That was the question my 11-year-old daughter, Bella, asked after learning about Charlie and her immune disorder. My name is Maya, and I am a friend of the Everson family. When Bella heard what Charlie was facing, she couldn’t stop thinking about her. She kept coming back to one question:

"What can we do to help her?"

That question became the beginning of this fundraiser.

Charlie's Story (video)

Charlie is an 8-year-old who loves to laugh, play, go to school, and spend time with her family and her big brother, Bennett. She is bright, funny, and full of life. Most people would never know she is fighting a serious illness.

Charlie has a rare genetic immune disorder called STAT1 Gain of Function (STAT1 GOF). It occurred spontaneously—what doctors call de novo, meaning it was not inherited.

Instead of regulating normally, her immune system is stuck in overdrive. It attacks her own body while also leaving her vulnerable to infections.

She has spent years managing inflammation, infections, medications, and ongoing medical care.

The Only Curative Option

After years of treatment, Charlie's doctors have recommended the only known cure:

A hematopoietic stem cell (bone marrow) transplant.

Her dad, Blake, will be her donor.

Because no full match was found, this will be a half-matched (haploidentical) transplant—an advanced but high-risk procedure.

Charlie and her mom, Kate, have been in Seattle since early May. In early June, Charlie began the intensive conditioning process to prepare her body for transplant. This included chemotherapy to completely wipe out her existing immune system before her transplant, which is scheduled for June 30.

It is heartbreaking, but necessary: she must lose the immune system she was born with in order to receive a new one.

After infusion, her body will begin rebuilding a completely new immune system from her father's cells. The most dangerous phase comes afterward, when she will have virtually no immune system while waiting for engraftment.

But if successful, it offers something life-changing:

A chance for Charlie to grow up healthy.

The Family Impact

Charlie and Kate are expected to remain in Seattle until September or October while Charlie undergoes treatment and recovery at Seattle Children's Hospital. Blake will travel to Seattle for the transplant as Charlie's donor and support person. He is not currently working in his career in Papua New Guinea. Instead, he has taken seasonal irrigation line work closer to home, allowing him to travel back and forth as needed. Although he is still working when possible, the family's income has been significantly reduced and disrupted—especially during the transplant and recovery period, when he will be unable to work while recovering from donation and caring for Charlie.

At home in Idaho, daily life continues, but it will not feel normal. Charlie's brother, Bennett, will spend months separated from his best friend and sister during this time.

Financial Reality

Insurance does not cover everything.

The family is facing:

Lost income

Potential need for housing in Seattle after hospital discharge (if no space is available at Ronald McDonald House)

Ongoing travel between states, even after Charlie returns home

Meals and transportation

Maintaining their home in Idaho

And when Charlie returns home, life still will not return to normal right away. She will not be able to attend school while her immune system remains fragile. To continue her education safely, she will need a long-term tutor—someone consistent and qualified, supported with fair compensation so they can focus fully on teaching without needing additional jobs, while also minimizing exposure risks. This is essential for her recovery and long-term safety.

Other Ways to Give

Every contribution makes a meaningful difference. If you would like to make a tax-deductible gift by check, through a nonprofit that has generously agreed to accept donations on our behalf, please contact me using the "Message Organizer" option at the bottom of this GoFundMe page. I'll promptly provide the mailing instructions and any details you need. Thank you for your generosity and support.

Bella's Message—Move for Charlie

Bella believes kindness isn't just something you feel—it's something you do. She created two videos sharing Charlie's story a short highlight and a longer version. Bella's shorter video explains Charlie's story and why this family urgently needs financial support.

The longer video is a heartfelt message from Bella to Charlie , sharing what inspired her to create this fundraiser and stand beside Charlie and her family. Together, the videos tell the larger story—both the immediate need and the compassion, hope, and purpose behind this effort. Both include messages of encouragement from members of the U.S. Ski Team, along with Bella's friends, who were moved by Charlie's strength and wanted her to know she is not alone.

But Bella didn't want people to simply watch.

She wanted them to move.

She calls it Move for Charlie.

Run. Swim. Walk. Hike. Bike. Ski. Dance. Play. Move in any way that feels meaningful to you—and dedicate it to Charlie.

Say it:

"I run for Charlie."

"I swim for Charlie."

"I hike for Charlie."

"I ski for Charlie."

"I move for Charlie."

Then share it. Invite others. Keep it going.

Because kindness grows when it moves.

When Bella asked, "What can we do to help her?" she started something much bigger than she realized.

This is one answer.

Charlie may never know every person who stood beside her. But she will grow up in a world where people chose kindness when it mattered most.

And that changes everything.

Thank you—for reading, for caring, and for helping give Charlie the chance every child deserves: to grow up healthy.