GRANDVILLE, Mich. — After decades of raising money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Michael and Marge Bush are closing in on a major milestone: one million dollars raised to fund research and treatment at that facility.
A personal tragedy started the couple on the trajectory of giving back.
Their son Brian, diagnosed with brain cancer in 1983, sought treatment at St. Jude's several times before contracting pneumonia during a bone marrow transplant.
After spending days in a coma, Brian passed away at the age of 15 on April 1, 1989.
Through the cloud of grief after his death, the couple was stunned to learn they wouldn't have to pay for anything.
No family is charged for the cutting-edge research and treatment at St. Jude's.
Grateful yet heartbroken, they believed they would never return to the hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
"We said we're never going to come back. And this is it. We're never coming back," explained Marge. "And then another month. We just felt different... And we decided that we're going to give back."
They picked one of Brian's favorite activities- miniature golf- and created the St. Jude/Brian Bush Memorial Putt for Life Tournament.
"First day, first year we raised $1,000 for St. Jude's Children's Hospital. And then we sat down and said, we can make this better," explained Michael. "We will raise money to save lives because no child should die in the dawn of life. That was what Danny Thomas stated in 1962 when he started St. Jude."
The fundraiser is held on the last Saturday of July at Loeschner's Village Green in Grandville.
"What would Brian think about it? I honestly believe he'd be jumping up and down and laughing and so excited because he knows people, families are having a good time," Michael said. "Brian loved to make people happy."
35 years later, the couple has raised more than 893,000 dollars.
They believe the fundraising is paying off- the survival rate of Brian's cancer has risen from ten to more than 80 percent.
The 2024 St. Jude/Brian Bush Memorial Putt for Life Tournament is set for July 27th.
To learn more, visit the website or Facebook page.
As the FOX 17 and Lake Michigan Credit Union Pay it Forward Person of the Month, the Bushes receive a $550 prize.
Know someone who should be our next Pay It Forward Person of the Month? Nominate them here.
Meet Jessica Johns, our December 2023 Pay it Forward Person of the Month.