Support Brandon's Journey to Healing and Home

Imagine having a special needs, non-verbal child who needs care and you are too sick to provide for him. Imagine dying and your son is left to fend for himself on the streets, depending only on the kindness of strangers for his most basic of needs. This is the story of Brandon Hatton, the son of the late Gayle Fry English of Columbia, Tennessee. After losing his father at 13 to suicide, his sister, brother, and mother to illness, and his home to a house fire, Brandon became homeless 3 years ago at the age of 39.

In August of this year, Brandon took up residence under a local bridge. Many people came to bring him food, clothing, and other necessities. However, one early morning in August of 2024, all of Brandon's donated belongings were removed and destroyed by our city public works department after several complaints from the community over its unsightliness. This sparked a community outrage!

In response, I started a community support page to provide a central location for members of the community to coordinate care for Brandon. Within hours of starting the page, I was able to coordinate 3 meals a day, around-the-clock oversight, and gather a team of volunteers who would help store donations, donate supplies, and meet Brandon's needs. However, because of Brandon's sex offender registry status, we were unable to secure immediate housing for Brandon and he remained homeless on the streets.

A few days later, Brandon was taken to a local hospital for a wellness check. While there, Brandon entered the emergency mental health response unit. It was a grueling process to make attempts to check on Brandon's status or visit him due to policies out of our control at the hospital. In the meantime, I learned not only was Brandon my classmate, he was also my relative! With this new information, I decided to petition the courts for conservatorship for Brandon. This would allow me to advocate legally for Brandon and assist him in his medical and financial affairs. A week later, I received a call from a care facility letting me know Brandon was now in their care and I could come visit. On 9/23/2024, my request for conservatorship was granted! Praise GOD! Brandon is on his way to a much better life and healing!

I need your help to get him HOME! Would you consider donating to help me achieve this important goal for Brandon? Our goal is to raise enough money to cover one year of rent and utilities and furnish his home. Please pray and consider what you may be willing to donate towards this amazing cause!