Hardie Kressler’s Fundraising Website
The need for the site.
My name is George—the one behind siteWise Designs—and my brother is Hardie.
In March of 2020, at age 17, as the lockdown began, Hardie was mountain biking, taking all usual safety precautions, including wearing a helmet, when his bike lost traction, and he hit a tree head-first. When he hit the tree, it was later determined he broke his neck at the C4, C5, and C6 vertebrae, leaving him paralyzed.
Today Hardie goes to physical therapy multiple times a week to work to regain motor function. So far, he has recovered quite a bit but still has a long way to go.
The development of my brother’s website was born out of a critical need and a personal tragedy. Amid the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, my family faced not only the emotional turmoil of his condition but also the logistical and financial challenges of adapting to his new needs. The restrictions imposed by the pandemic prevented us from being by his side in the hospital, exacerbating our sense of helplessness.
Driven by a desire to support my brother and my family in any way possible, I turned to my skills in technology. The idea was to create a platform that could reach out to our community and beyond, to raise funds for the immediate medical expenses and the necessary modifications to our home to make it ADA-compliant, including purchasing a wheelchair-accessible vehicle.
The website served as a central hub for information about my brother’s condition, updates on his progress, and a direct link for those wishing to contribute financially. It was designed to be more than just a fundraising tool; it was a means to bring our community together, to share our story, and to rally support during our most challenging times.
The outcome exceeded our expectations. We raised over $100,000, which significantly alleviated the financial burden on my family. More importantly, the website became a testament to the power of community and the generosity of spirit that exists even in the darkest of times. It allowed us to make the necessary changes to our home and ensured that my brother had access to the best possible care and equipment to aid in his recovery.
Website Design
The front page offers an initial welcoming screen, where it says his Name and a brief description about him. Additionally with a button directing people to donate. The background of this screen is a picture from the day he came home after 3 months in the hospital.
Further down the page you will see an About section detailing more information about Hardie’s accident, and links to newspapers to read about this accident. Next, you’ll see links to his social media, and then a link to his merchandise store, to rep support for him.
Even further down, you’ll see some pictures from his homecoming day and some pictures from his physical therapy. Along with logos of brands and non-profits that support Hardie and his recovery. And then, another link to donate.
The donate page was designed to be simple and allow users to donate, either one time, monthly, or annually, this is all powered by DonorBox, a company dedicated to projects like his. Originally it was a GoFundMe, but GoFundMe takes significant fees for using their platform.
The merch store page, has 5 products that are extremely high quality and all allow people to rep their support for Hardie and his recovery.
Donate Today
