Most of you may know Lauren and Augie Carlson. They have lived in Washington County for many years. Lauren's mother's family has lived in Burton for decades. Lauren is the smiling face you see when you walk into Brenham Produce, where she has worked for the past 15+ years, and many of you have heard her voice on the radio as well. If you are friends with her outside of work or on social media, you also know her silly and amazing sense of humor, wonderfully kind heart, and have watched her along her fitness journey and been inspired by her will and dedication. Right now, Lauren and her husband Augie need us. As you all may know, Lauren was hit with devastating news that she would need to have emergency surgery due to retinal detachment in her only seeing eye, and currently, she has complete vision loss. She went into surgery on Oct 2, 2024, and the doctors are optimistic about her recovery. She is looking at a 3-6+ month recovery time in which she will have to learn to navigate her new reality, and she will also not be able to work. Lauren and Augie also take care of Lauren's mom, who also suffers from the same degenerative eye disease that Lauren has. This is bound to lay a heavy burden on this family who we all know and love. With trips back and forth to Temple for appointments, medical bills, and day-to-day expenses, this can quickly become overwhelming for all of them. Augie will be taking on a second job to try to combat some of this cost as well. He also will be her sole caretaker, so the burden is heavy. I know that neither one of these wonderful people would ever ask for help, so I am asking for them. Every little bit helps and is greatly appreciated. I hope as a community we can show this family some love in their time of need. You can reach out with any questions to myself or Augie. Thank you in advance for the relief I know you will help provide for this local family.