Five years ago, Brandi poured her heart, soul, and every ounce of herself into building Rest Assured Assisted Living. She followed every rule she was given, complied with inspections, worked directly with township officials, and corrected anything requested of her so she could continue operating and caring for the people who depended on her.

Over the last five years, Rest Assured Assisted Living became more than a business—it became a home. Brandi cared for 18 elderly and mentally disabled residents who became family. She gave them safety, dignity, compassion, stability, and a place where they felt loved and protected.

Now, everything she built is being ripped away.

What makes this situation so devastating is that Rest Assured did not operate in secret or without township knowledge. Spencer Township was aware of the facility, its operations, and the licensing questions from the very beginning.

In 2021, after reviewing materials submitted by Brandi and discussions surrounding the operation of Rest Assured Assisted Living, township officials and legal counsel acknowledged in writing that the facility did not require licensure under the State of Michigan at that time based on how the facility was operating. The township approved the special land use for an assisted living facility, approved continued operation, and allowed the business to move forward.

The township’s own letters stated that Rest Assured was not operating as a nursing home, home for the aged, or other licensed health facility requiring licensure under Michigan law as it existed at that time. Township officials, attorneys, inspectors, and building officials were involved throughout the process and continued allowing operation for years.

Brandi operated openly. She worked with inspectors. She corrected issues brought to her attention. She trusted the approvals, guidance, and direction she was given.

Then, after changes in laws and regulatory requirements, Brandi began attempting to become AFC certified through the state so she could continue moving forward the right way. It was during that process that licensing questions, occupancy classifications, fire suppression requirements, and building requirements were suddenly brought into question under newer standards and interpretations.

Now, the same facility the township approved, inspected, and allowed to operate for five years is being forced to shut down.

And the cost of that failure is falling on Brandi, her staff, and the vulnerable residents who call Rest Assured home.

Eighteen residents are now being displaced from the only place many of them know as home. Families are scrambling trying to figure out where their loved ones will go. Staff members who devoted themselves to caring for these residents are suddenly facing the loss of their jobs and livelihoods.

And in the middle of all of this stands a woman who already survived the kind of pain most people could never imagine surviving.

While building Rest Assured Assisted Living from the ground up, while carrying the weight of residents, staff, inspections, responsibilities, and everyone depending on her…Brandi lost her 11-year-old son.

There are no words big enough for that kind of grief.

No mother should ever have to bury her child. No mother should have to wake up every day after losing a son and somehow still find the strength to keep going.

But she did.

She kept showing up.

She kept caring for people.

She kept building.

She kept pouring love into others while carrying a heartbreak that never leaves.

While most people would have collapsed under that kind of pain, Brandi somehow continued creating a home for people who needed one because that is the kind of person she is.

And now, after surviving unimaginable loss and spending five years building a life, a business, and a home for so many people, she is watching it all be taken away.

Anyone who truly knows Brandi knows she is one of the most selfless, hardworking, and compassionate people you could ever meet. She is the person who carries everyone else’s burdens while silently carrying her own. She is the one who helps others without ever asking for anything in return.

But right now, she needs help.

Funds raised will help Brandi obtain legal representation, help with the overwhelming costs associated with closing the facility, assist with relocating residents and helping ensure they have proper placement and continued care, and help Brandi, her staff, and her family try to rebuild after losing everything they spent years creating.

This is not just the loss of a business.

This is the loss of a home.

A livelihood.

A future.

A family people built together over five years.

In full transparency, Brandi is willing to provide documentation, approvals, inspection records, correspondence, emails, and the full timeline of events—from the original approval to open Rest Assured Assisted Living to the forced closure now taking place.

She wants people to understand the truth of what has happened here.

Brandi never asks for help. Ever. Which is exactly why getting this right and being completely transparent matters so deeply to her.

If anyone has questions or would like additional information regarding the situation, documentation, or timeline, Brandi is willing to speak openly and provide what she can.

She can be reached via Facebook @Brandi Rae Ball 

For five years, Brandi made sure others could “Rest Assured.”

Now she needs people to stand beside her and remind her that after everything she has endured, she does not have to walk through this alone.

If you cannot donate, please share. Every share matters. Every prayer matters. Every single bit of support matters.