They turned grief into a cause
Plus: Mecklenburg flood victims want answers from Duke Energy; Lawsuit against Charlotte Latin accepted by N.C. Supreme Court; New pod on healthcare; Hamas to release N.C. native
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After losing their 5-year-old son, Rebecca and Michael Holt founded Charlie’s Heart Foundation. It has kept Charlie’s legacy alive and awarded $1M in grants
Michael and Rebecca Holt and their three living children (from left), Causby, 6; Ellie, 10; and in his mother's arms, Teddy, 3. (Photo contributed by family.)
By Ken Garfield
On the day in 2017 that their 5-year-old son Charlie died from a brain injury, Rebecca and Michael Holt shared this exchange.
“I can’t do this without you,” Rebecca said to Michael.
“I can’t do this without you,” Michael said to Rebecca.
That was the first step on their journey, a husband and wife refusing to be torn apart by life’s most unimaginable tragedy.
Out of their promise to each other has come Charlie’s Heart Foundation, which recently awarded its millionth dollar to nonprofits that help people deal with challenges and tragedies. That includes addressing mental health needs.
As they honor Charlie by helping others, the Holts of Charlotte appreciate what this work has given them.
“It lets us talk about Charlie so that he continues to grow with us,” Rebecca says. “It’s a living, breathing piece of him.”
Charlie was always up for adventure and one more hug and kiss. (Family photo)
New traditions
Michael and Rebecca agree: Charlie was an old soul, easygoing, aware of his surroundings. He loved anything chocolate. Because he couldn’t say “ch,” he’d say “shocolate.” He attended preschool at St. Stephen United Methodist Church. On the playground, he would seek out the kids who looked like they needed someone to play with.
“Every night we would tuck him into bed, he would ask what we were doing tomorrow and then before we would close the door, he always asked for one more hug and one more kiss,” Rebecca says. “His sense of life and what was to come was so there. He wanted to live it. He was always up for an adventure.”
He would be 12 today, in 7th grade.
As the Holts sit at the kitchen island talking about Charlie, their three other children play in the adjoining room. Ellie, 10, was 2 when they lost Charlie. Causby, 6, and Teddy, 3, came along after. Rebecca says Teddy knows exactly what he wants when he wants it. Smiling, she wonders if God gave her two boys with different personalities to help Mom and Dad avoid the pain of comparing them.
The Holts, as many bereaved parents do, have found comfort in creating new traditions.
Every year on his birthday — March 22, 2012 — they take the kids out of school and all together deliver doughnuts to Charlie’s preschool. Then they visit the preschool garden named for him. Later, they’ll do something fun, like go for pizza. The day, Rebecca says, is all about Charlie.
Friends and even strangers display tiny tokens known as Charlie’s Sunshines. Michael, a civil engineer, has one in the toiletry kit he takes on business trips. On one side is a smiling sun. It’s inspired by a line in a Justin Timberlake song, “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” that Charlie loved — “I got that sunshine in my pocket.” On the other side of the token is a single word, “Charlie.”
Each Christmas, the Holts send out a card that includes a photograph of Charlie. Rebecca, a schoolteacher for kids hospitalized at Levine’s Children’s Hospital, chooses a different photo each holiday season. “I want it to be fresh for people,” she says. Last month’s card included a photo of Charlie at age 3 with this inscription: “Loving you from Earth all the way to Heaven this holiday season.” She loves getting cards with pictures of kids who played soccer with Charlie or went to preschool with him. How big they’ve grown.
Rebecca and Michael each sport a Charlie tattoo. Hers is that ubiquitous sunshine. His is the familiar Superman logo with a “C” instead of an “S.”
A day for Charlie. Charlie’s Sunshines. Christmas cards. Tattoos. All are expressions of love. So is running a foundation that has given away $1.1 million since its founding in 2017.
Grants awarded
The foundation focuses on small nonprofits in the mental health sector. Grants are awarded annually. (Partner grants are three-year grants to organizations with whom the foundation has worked over multiple years.)
The maximum annual grant is $50,000. First-time grants typically range from $5,000 to $15,000. Nonprofits operating in North and South Carolina are eligible. The period to apply runs from March 22 to April 14. That first date is Charlie’s birthday. The second is the anniversary of the day he died, from injuries sustained at a rotating restaurant in Atlanta.
There is no foundation office. The “board room” is the Holts’ kitchen island, where the seven board members, including Michael and Rebecca, vote on where grants go.
The list of Charlie’s Heart Foundation grant recipients — 25 and counting — is at www.charliesheartfoundation.org.
Among them:
◼️ KinderMourn offers counseling and other support to bereaved families, many of whom have lost children. The Charlotte agency was the first place the Holts turned for help after their loss. On behalf of KinderMourn, Michael talks with first responders about the particular challenge of working with children and families.
Theirs is a partnership born of loss, KinderMourn supporting the Holts, and the Holts giving back to KinderMourn. Says Kaela O’Donnell, KinderMourn’s executive director/clinical director, “No amount of words will suffice or appropriately capture how grateful we are to the Holts for the ways they have given back and spread sunshine in Charlie’s honor to KinderMourn, our families and so many other community partners. I admire the compassion and determination they have to support our community.”
◼️ Mind Body Baby helps new and expecting moms and other caregivers deal with mental health issues. According to the Charlotte nonprofit, perinatal mental disorders are the No. 1 complication of having a baby. The perinatal period covers the late stages of pregnancy, labor and delivery and the first days after childbirth.
Michael and Rebecca agree that Charlie’s death taught them the importance of resilience. Now, in memory of a little boy with an old soul, they are helping others shattered by crisis and heartbreak put the pieces back together.
Freelance writer/editor Ken Garfield is a frequent contributor to The Ledger, including the Ways of Life obituaries newsletter published Tuesdays. Reach him at garfieldken3129@gmail.com.
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Mecklenburg residents whose homes flooded in September storm are still steaming at Duke Energy
Dozens of Mecklenburg County residents who live near Mountain Island Lake are considering taking advantage of government programs to buy or help rebuild their properties from flood damage.
And some are still steaming about how Duke Energy managed water levels in September ahead of a storm that left their homes uninhabitable.
The publication Carolina Public Press last week caught up with Mecklenburg residents whose homes were damaged. When tropical storm Helene hit in September, lakes began filling, and Duke Energy opened the floodgates on the Cowan’s Ford Dam. That sent water downstream that damaged about 170 structures in Mecklenburg and six in Gaston County, the publication said.
About 45 residents have expressed interest in a buyout and another 15 say they’re interested in a program that would help pay for elevating or demolishing their homes.
The article says some residents say they want more answers from Duke about its management of the dam:
Flood victim Erik Jendresen submitted a letter to the [Federal Energy Regulatory Commission] urging the agency to further examine Duke’s actions in the week leading up to Helene.
“Why, in advance of what proved to be one of the most accurately forecast meteorological events in recent memory, did Duke Energy not commence immediately to lower the levels of each and every one of the 11 lakes that comprise the Catawba-Wateree River Basin,” according to Jendresen’s letter. …
Flood victims told Carolina Public Press that they believe Duke Energy was once again not proactive enough in moving water through the system ahead of the storm, which could have significantly reduced the severity of the flood.
“What’s really failed here is the trust,” resident Gidget Dennehy said. “Unfortunately, because Duke doesn’t have the integrity to step up to this community and to acknowledge wrongdoing, it’s the government that steps in … People look to them and blame them when we should be blaming Duke.”
Duke has said that given that the rain exceeded forecasts, the flooding was unavoidable. If it makes lake levels too low ahead of a storm, it risks creating a shortage of drinking water. Regulators are not requesting additional information from Duke about its water management, Carolina Public Press said.
Some residents are talking about a lawsuit, but that might be tough. Duke and residents settled a flooding lawsuit in 2019.
➡️ You can read the full article here.
Parents’ lawsuit against Charlotte Latin School will head to the N.C. Supreme Court
The N.C. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear the case of two Charlotte Latin School parents who say their children were improperly expelled following an argument between the children’s father and administrators.
The Supreme Court’s acceptance of the case keeps alive a lawsuit that had been rejected by a Mecklenburg trial court and an appeals court.
The court said it would review a 2-1 appeals court decision from last year that sided with Charlotte Latin in a lawsuit brought by Doug and Nicole Turpin. In the fall of 2021, Doug Turpin got into a testy argument with administrators over what he said was the increasingly political direction of the south Charlotte private school’s curriculum, and during that meeting, the school said it would kick out the Turpins’ children, then ages 11 and 13. The head of school said Turpin wasn’t working with the school in good faith.
The Turpins alleged Charlotte Latin breached its contract with them, while the school said it was within its rights under the school’s enrollment agreement.
In a statement provided to The Ledger on Sunday, the Turpins said they hope the Supreme Court overturns the previous court rulings because otherwise, “parents and children who attend private schools across our state will be without a legal remedy when woke administrators retaliate against them for their personal views.”
They also said their case led them to start a nonprofit called Coalition for Liberty, which “protects everyday Americans from cancel culture attacks.” —Tony Mecia
Related Ledger articles:
“Tensions flare at Charlotte Latin” (Feb. 23, 2022)
“Charlotte Latin lawsuit: Head of school sought to ‘cancel’ parents by expelling children in dispute over hot-button social issues” (April 29, 2022)
“N.C. appeals court sides with Charlotte Latin on parents’ lawsuit” (Jan. 3, 2024)
🎧 New podcast: Understanding trends in the healthcare industry
A recent guest on The Charlotte Ledger Podcast is a name you might find familiar: Michelle Crouch.
Michelle is a longtime Charlotte reporter who covers healthcare for The Ledger through our partnership with North Carolina Health News.
In a conversation recorded in front of an audience at The Sharon at SouthPark retirement community, Ledger editor Tony Mecia talked with her about the healthcare industry and many of the hot topics she has covered, including medical billing, Charlotte’s new medical school and innovation district, hospital consolidation and more. And she took several questions from residents of The Sharon.
If you’re looking to understand this complex topic, check it out!
The Charlotte Ledger Podcast features conversations on local topics including business, nonprofits, education and more. It’s available on major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We have more than 100 episodes — find a topic that interests you!
You might be interested in these Charlotte events
Events submitted by readers to The Ledger’s events board:
TODAY: “Conversation with the Chair,” 5-6:30 p.m., Innovation Barn, 932 Seigle Ave. Join the Charlotte Area Chamber of Commerce’s Public Policy Committee for an engaging conversation with the newly appointed County Commission Chair for Mecklenburg County, Mark Jerrell, as we explore key developments and insights shaping the Charlotte area in 2025! Free.
SATURDAY: Michelle’s Mighty Mission 24,000 Meter Row, 11 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at Sugar Creek Brewing Co. Join Sugar Creek Brewing Company, Crossfit Mecklenburg, and 24 Foundation at the 6th Annual Michelle’s Mighty Mission 24,000 Meter Row. Come be part of the crew dedicated to the pain and suffering that people all over the world endure every day while fighting cancer. Participants must be age 8 or older to participate. Proceeds support 24 Foundation and our local cancer community.
FEBRUARY 8: “IDK Cyanotype Pendants,” 1-4 p.m., Arts+ Community Campus, 2304 The Plaza. Join artist Laurie Schorr as she leads you through the process of cyanotype using found objects, flora and sunlight to create one-of-a-kind images. Participants will each take home two beautiful blue and white pendants as well as a few cyanotype prints. $60.
➡️ List your event on the Ledger events board.
In brief:
Lives of 100+ storm victims remembered: The Charlotte Observer and the Raleigh News & Observer teamed up to chronicle the lives of the 104 people identified as killed in the storm that hit Western North Carolina in September. It is a thorough and moving compilation, with photos and remembrances. (Observer/News & Observer)
Children’s hospital for the Triangle: UNC Health and Duke Health are collaborating on a new $2B children’s hospital in the Triangle with financial backing from the state. UNC Health has said it would have around 500 beds. Although Atrium Health operates Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, backers of the Triangle project have said theirs would be the state’s first “free-standing children’s hospital” because it would be on its own campus devoted to children’s health. An announcement is expected Tuesday, Axios Raleigh reported, citing unnanmed sources.
2 officers sent to hospital: Two Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officers were taken to the hospital after a hit-and-run driver struck a police vehicle on Independence Boulevard near Bojangles Coliseum on Sunday. They’re expected to be OK. (WSOC)
N.C. native expected to be released by Hamas: Chapel Hill native Keith Siegel is expected to be the first American hostage released as part of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Israeli officials told NBC News that Siegel could be released Saturday. He and his wife were taken hostage in October 2023 when Hamas militants invaded Israel. His wife was released about two months after the attack. (WRAL)
Leah and Louise owners face legal and tax troubles: Well-known Charlotte restaurateurs Greg and Subrina Collier, known for Leah & Louise and Uptown Yolk, are facing a $36,000 lawsuit from an architectural firm and also have nearly $500,000 in tax liens on their restaurants and personal properties. “To be honest with you, it’s been a constant struggle to stay above water and operate as a great restaurant,” Greg Collier said. (Observer)
New dye needed for some N.C. hot dogs: North Carolina makers of bright red hot dogs might have to switch ingredients after the Food and Drug Administration banned Red Dye No. 3, which has been linked to cancer in lab rats. (News & Observer)
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