Stand With Brooks Carson on His Road to Recovery

On July 3, 2026, life changed suddenly for our dear friend Brooks Carson.

After experiencing a severe headache the night before, Brooks still got up and went to play tennis the next day—because that is Brooks. An avid, almost-daily tennis player throughout his life, he has never met a challenge he did not want to conquer.

But it soon became clear that something was terribly wrong. Brooks could not remember the names of the friends around him. He was taken to Blake Hospital in Bradenton, where doctors discovered that he had suffered a brain bleed.

Since then, Brooks has undergone numerous scans and medical evaluations. Although he has recently returned to his integral role at the Ed Klopfer Schools of Real Estate, his recovery is far from complete. He becomes fatigued quickly and struggles with the detailed work, numbers, calculations, communication, and paperwork that were once second nature to him.

With the steadfast support of his longtime colleagues and close friends, Ed Klopfer and Jan Olson, Brooks is working hard and celebrating small successes each day. However, the road to a full recovery is expected to be a long one.

Many people in our community know Brooks through the Ed Klopfer Schools of Real Estate, where he is a true asset. He teaches the home inspector course, recently earned his real estate license, and is affectionately known as “Einstein” because of his remarkable technology knowledge, research abilities, and talent for solving problems.

Others know Brooks simply as the person who is always ready to help.

Brooks is the friend who will jump-start your car, troubleshoot your technology, research an answer, or step in to solve a problem—often before you even have to ask. He will have a conversation with anyone he meets, and he has a special way of making people feel genuinely seen, heard, and valued.

He also has an extraordinary love for animals. Whether it is offering his time, resources, or care to an animal in need—including Boo, a homeless dog found outside the real estate school—Brooks won’t stop until he finds them a forever home. His heart of gold is one of the many reasons he is so deeply loved.

Brooks has spent his life showing up for others. Now, he needs us to show up for him.

As Brooks continues to recover, he will need to significantly reduce the work he can accept through his real estate and home inspection businesses. The resulting loss of income, combined with mounting medical expenses and the need for ongoing follow-up care, has created serious financial strain. That stress makes it even harder for Brooks to devote his energy to healing.

Your contribution will help Brooks:

Every donation, regardless of the amount, will make a meaningful difference. Your support will provide Brooks with greater stability, reduce the stress surrounding his recovery, and remind him that the community he has supported for so many years is standing beside him now.

Everyone who knows Brooks agrees: he would be the first person to show up for someone who needed help.

Let us not hesitate to do the same for him.

Please consider donating and sharing this fundraiser with Brooks’ friends, former students, colleagues, tennis partners, clients, and members of the local real estate community. Together, we can help Brooks face this challenge with the support, dignity, and hope he deserves.