Help the Harteaus of Our Open Road
Our dearest friends, Adam and Emily, and their two daughters, Colette and Sierra, also known as Our Open Road, have been living a life many of us dream about, traveling through South America and having picturesque adventures. They have shared thier lives with us via Instagram and their blog. On the eve of returning home to California after five years on the road, thier dream turned into a nightmare.
On Sunday, Oct. 29, at around 7p.m., the Harteaus were on a ferry travelling down the Amazon when heavily armed pirates took control of the vessel. The ferry was forced to dock in a port and the crew members and passengers were held hostage for hours while the pirates ransacked everyone's possessions before abandoning the ship. Hours later, the police found the ship, but without the Harteaus aboard. They were missing. Their van was found empty and looted. Days later, the family would be found by fishermen in the Amazon. Alive and safe. They escaped! 
Adam, Emily and the girls remain in Brazil, but will return to Los Angeles to recuperate from this terrifying experience. They will return to L.A., gratefully alive and together, but unfortunately with nothing. Every last one of thier belongings taken. They have nothing but the clothes on their backs and the toys given to the girls at the hospital. Thier liveilihood, which included thier computers and photo equipment, all gone. Another source of income was their Our Open Road 24-Hour Bazaar. They were returning home with enough inventory to organize Pop-Up Our Open Road Bazaars in Los Angeles. All of that has been taken as well.
We are hoping to provide what we can for our friends to lessen the financial burden that their families will have to shoulder to get them home and set up in a new life. They will need time and space to recover, emotionally and physically. It will be a long road.
We want to help them financially so they can focus on getting better and not on making ends meet.
