Meet a few of our grant recipients

Kristina Biddix is a 34-year-old single mother of a 12-year-old son and a dedicated oncology nurse at both Trinity Health and the University of Michigan. Kristina has spent her career caring for others in their most vulnerable moments. Now, she finds herself in a battle of her own—facing an undiagnosed illness that has left her with mounting medical bills, numerous treatments, and hospital visits, including a stay at Cleveland Clinic. 

One of Kristina's treatments costs $100 for a seven-day supply, while another runs $350 for 30 days, and these expenses are only the beginning. The strain on her finances is significant, with deductibles and various therapies adding up quickly. Despite it all, she continues to work, raising her son, and persevering through uncertainty.

In September 2024, Kristina’s fellow nurses reached out to us to arrange a surprise grant presentation at Trinity Health, just before one of her treatments. We wanted her to feel the strength and love of the Fund a Life community, along with her friends, co-workers, and local business owners, showing her that she is not alone in this journey.

We were able to issue Kristina a $10,000 grant to help with her medical expenses, travel to Cleveland Clinic, and more. It is a small step toward easing the heavy burden she carries, and we couldn't have done it without the support of our generous donors.

Becca and Myles Lange are the proud parents of 3 beautiful children - Arlee, Abel, and Annie. Devastatingly, their oldest daughter Arlee and youngest son Abel have both been diagnosed with a rare, debilitating, life-shortening, and degenerative neuromuscular disorder called Friedreich’s Ataxia (FA). 

This disease can cause scoliosis, cardiomyopathy (heart disease), muscle ataxia (losing the ability to walk), and nerve damage, among other advancing symptoms. Both Arlee and Abel will require follow-up visits by many specialists for the rest of their lives. There are only about 5000 people with this diagnosis in the US, approx: 20,000 worldwide, and FA does not currently have a cure or treatment.

In order to make their home more accessible for their children, as Arlee has begun to use her walker more frequently, the Lange’s needed to build a wheelchair ramp. This major construction project also required changing the location of the front door to their home. 

Thanks to your generous donations, in the fall of 2024, Fund a Life was able to give the Lange family a grant to cover the cost of necessary zoning and permitting to start this major renovation to support Arlee and Abel’s mobility in their home. 

“The grant gave us peace knowing that we didn't need to spend extra time away from our family in order to make this extra money to pay for all of this. We were able to spend time with our family, which to us is the most important thing that anybody can give us. So we just want to say thank you for giving us the time to be with our family, and the peace in that time knowing that we had the finances available to get everything done that we needed to, to start the project for making our home more accessible.” - Becca Lange

In August 2021, five-year-old Sawyer should have been starting his first day of kindergarten in St. Johns, MI. Instead, Sawyer spent the day starting chemotherapy for a devastating diagnosis of B-Acute Lymphatic Leukemia. For parents Katie and Robert, and Sawyer’s three siblings, then 14, 13, and 1, Sawyer’s illness turned their world upside down, and life as they knew it would never be the same.

Thanks to your generosity and support, Fund a Life was honored to award this family a $10,000 grant in August 2022, to ease their financial burdens and provide peace of mind as they continue Sawyer’s brave battle against cancer.

“I guess this is my opening up the darkness that has seemed to loom over my family and asking for help. …I am tired of feeling like I am drowning most days and would like to be afloat for peace of mind. …Money does not buy happiness, but I now realize it can help provide peace of mind.” - Katie Hirschman

In May of 2021, 23-year-old Robert Roszell was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), after a two-year battle for answers to his rapidly declining health. Robert, Kasey, and their six-month-old son were facing the darkest time of their life.

Thanks to your support, Fund a Life was able to provide the Roszell family with a $10,000 grant in 2022.

"When I applied for a Fund a Life grant in 2022, I never thought that my family would be chosen, yet we were given a grant that changed the whole trajectory of our year. We were desperate for assistance and received the Fund a Life letter at the perfect time, and we were able to find a van that worked for my husband’s wheelchair and declining ability to maneuver a ramp by himself.” - Kasey Roszell

In 2018, Brock Meader was diagnosed with T-Cell A.L.L at just six years old. He fought through three long years of grueling treatment, and rang the bell in June 2021. Heartbreakingly, this was not the end of Brock’s cancer journey - just two short months later, Brock was diagnosed with a rare pre-cancer called MDS.

In November of 2021, Fund a Life awarded Brock and his family a $10,000 grant, shortly after Brock bravely underwent a bone marrow transplant to fight this new disease.

Sadly, the transplant was unsuccessful, and in April of 2022, Brock’s MDS progressed to Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Despite a devastating prognosis, his warrior spirit was selfless and strong to the end. Brock passed away in July 2022 at 10 years old.

“I cannot thank you enough. This is just amazing. We’ve been through a lot, and the help and support from family, friends, and our community...has just been absolutely amazing. Thank you.” - Christa Meader

With one of our largest donations ever, the Fund A Life team was able to provide the Prout Family with a new, handicap-accessible van. Not only did this provide the family with a newfound sense of independence, but it allowed them to transport all of the medical devices and equipment to over 100 surgeries and doctor appointments.

Amanda Mutschler is a mother of four who was diagnosed with Triple Negative invasive ductal carcinoma, an aggressive breast cancer, in 2019. Since her diagnosis, Amanda has undergone multiple rounds of chemo, a mastectomy and hysterectomy, and radiation to her chest that left her with 3rd degree burns. In 2021, she began experiencing seizures, and underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor.

Amanda is currently back on chemo in a battle for her life. Fund a Life is honored to have awarded this young monther with annual grants since the start of her journey, beginning with a $6,000 grant in 2020.

In 2011, Violet Grima was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in her head and neck at only 27 years old. For more than ten years, she has battled not only her cancer diagnosis, but the debilitating side effects of numerous harsh treatments. In April of 2022, Fund a Life awarded Violet a $5,000 grant.

Since that time, Violet has continued to battle her devastating disease, including a life-threatening jaw infection as a result of radiation treatments, a heart attack, and time spent in a coma this fall. For the past two months, Violet has been back at home, getting accustomed to her new normal, and preparing for future surgeries.

As a Fund a Life grant recipient, Violet says her grant award could not have come in at a better time.

"The grant I received actually was spent to pay all my bills while in the hospital, so all I had to do was get better and get home to my 16-year-old daughter, Kiyla. This foundation saved my life in so many ways - financially, mentally, and emotionally.

It gave me room to breathe, and hope to keep fighting on!!!! This foundation is an absolute blessing, and I probably would have lost my home had Fund a Life not stepped up and helped us! When you support Fund a Life, you are helping those who truly need the help! Mark and his foundation have touched my life in every way good possible. Please support them if you can - I know firsthand that a little help goes a long way!" - Violet Grima

In April 2022, Jessica & Sean Williams’ beautiful four-year-old daughter Hannah was diagnosed with DIPG, a devastating and fatal brain tumor. After a short but fiercely brave fight, Hannah passed away on June 9, 2022. The Williams family faced the unimaginable - daily life without their daughter - all while dealing with overwhelming medical bills and expenses.

In September 2022, Fund a Life awarded the Williams family with a $10,000 grant to help ease some of their heartbreaking burden.

“Since receiving the generous grant from Fund A Life, we have been able to breathe! After our daughter fought DIPG & passed away, we were worried about the unknown with basic adult life. We had to get back to reality, as they say. Having financial support really put us at ease, as much as we could be with our circumstances. It was just a blessing to not have to worry about it. We both have wonderful careers, but we were still not working full-time for a while. We didn't have the nagging pressure of paying bills or anything.

To support Fund a Life in any way is so rewarding. We felt like little angels were helping us out, when we didn't even ask for it! To feel that love from a community is so powerful. There is good in the world.” - Jess Williams

In August 2021, Nicole Moor's husband Steve was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. A lifelong firefighter, Steve was unable to continue working while undergoing treatment. He took what he thought would be a six-month leave of absence. After chemo, Steve underwent a Whipple procedure in February 2022, which resulted in numerous complications.

As a result, Steve was hospitalized for 21 days and returned home to Occupational & Physical therapy, in addition to needing a home nurse three times per week. His return to work was delayed indefinitely, and medical costs continued to rise.

In March of 2022, Fund a Life awarded Steve and Nicole a much-needed grant of $5,000.

Devastatingly, Steve's cancer returned in August 2022, exactly one year after his first diagnosis. It progressed rapidly, and Steve passed away on October 5, 2022.

"I can't tell you how grateful we were. Fund a Life helped us pay off Steve's car, and pay for those in-home visits from our nurse. I can't tell you how much that meant to us and what a weight that took off our shoulders. It was such blessing to focus more on steve and his healing rather than trying to figure out how we were going to pay some of those bills. Please consider giving to this organization. They make a world of difference in people's lives." - Nicole Moor

Financially overwhelmed battling a cancer diagnosis, Bonnie Erwin was unable to work due to her cancer treatments and side effects. Our grant enabled her to have hope. One of the most amazing moments in our journey together was celebrating Bonnie's good health in person at our annual 5K.

One of the few black business owners in Livingston County, Daniel Graves knew he was facing an uphill battle when he purchased local Fowlerville pizzeria The Pizza Box in July 2021, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the determined entrepreneur was eager to follow his dream, and support his young family.

Devastatingly, just 6 months after taking over ownership at The Pizza Box, Daniel's family home burned to the ground in January 2022. Although he and his family were safe, they lost most of their valuables and possessions, and were facing a huge, life-altering circumstance that threatened to destroy everything they worked so hard to build.

That's why when Fund a Life received an application for grant assistance to be provided to the Graves family, we were honored to help ease their burden.

Fund a Life issued an $8,000 grant to the Graves family, to alleviate their stress and assist them in getting back on their feet.

Fund A Life was able to provide the Welser family with a grant that then allowed them to replace the flooring in their home and purchase a flight to California to visit specialists at UCLA with their young daughter, Mae. These "extra" but necessary items were not covered by insurance but were instrumental in taking care of their daughter.

Charleigh was born to Katie and Gary Gatewood in December 2021. Arriving almost two months early, Charleigh was born with an Omphalocele, a rare birth defect that exposes the organs outside the body. Despite the overwhelming obstacles she faced, and continues to face today, this sweet baby is a warrior!

Thanks to the generosity of donors like you, we were able to present the Gatewood family with a $10,000 grant in 2022.

“Thank you for doing what you do, to help all of us going through the unimaginable. Without your foundation, we never would’ve made it for as long as we have.” - Katie Gatewood

When 6-year-old Elouise’s parents brought her to the pediatrician in the fall of 2024, they could never have imagined that the unexplained bruising and swelling she was experiencing were the first symptoms of what would lead to a devastating diagnosis on October 8th, 2024: acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Although ALL is curable, Elouise faces approximately seven months of aggressive treatment, including chemotherapy, followed by 2-3 years of ongoing maintenance treatments. The emotional, logistical, and financial impacts of Elouise’s disease will be significant for both her and her family.

To help ease the burden of this diagnosis for Elouise and her family, Fund a Life was honored to award the Meffert family with a $10,000 grant on Giving Tuesday 2024.