Emergency Fundraiser for Sue Caola
Dear family, friends and neighbors,
On Sunday, May 10, 2026, Sue Caola experienced a devastating and life altering accident. On what started as a normal morning, Sue was loading her wheelbarrow with plants, getting ready for the new gardening season. As she rolled it across her driveway, the asphalt gave way and her right leg plunged into a deep, old cistern/hole. In terrible pain from a broken leg, she had to pull herself out, crawl into her house, and call for help.
Sue broke her right ankle in 3 places; detached ligaments caused her fibula to break away to just below her knee. She is now facing necessary surgery that will include screws, plates, and rods, followed by a recovery that could take a year. She needs a walker, is unable to drive, and is completely unable to do the physical work she depends on.
Sue is a vibrant, strong, and fiercely independent 54-year-old single woman who has built her life around her passion for creating beautiful outdoor spaces. Sue went back to school last year to become a landscape designer. Sue is a horticulture expert, she has designed and built stunning decorative containers, plant beds, and custom landscapes. She also did extensive work in horse care and worked part-time at our local neighborhood hardware store in the Lake Minnetonka area, where she has been known for her helpful smile and willingness to go the extra mile for customers.
Sue is one of the hardest-working people we know. Her work is physical and demanding—full of heavy lifting and hands-on labor—and she loves every minute of it. Right now is her busiest and most important time of the year. In Minnesota, the spring and summer planting season is when she earns the majority of her annual income.
Her injuries could not have come at a worse time. She is missing out on her entire busy summer season—the heart of her yearly earnings. As a single woman who owns her own home, Sue is now facing living expenses with little to no income for the foreseeable future (fortunately her medical expenses are covered).
Sue has always been the kind of person who helps others. Now she needs our help to get her through this troubled chapter.
If you are able to donate any amount of money for Sue's financial support during this difficult time, it will be deeply appreciated. Your donation will go towards her mortgage, utilities, groceries, dog/cat food, vet bills, student loan payments, and transportation, and it will help reduce Sue’s financial worries so she can focus on healing.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for caring about Sue and standing by her during this unexpected hardship. She is determined and strong, and with your help she will get through this and return to doing what she loves.
Please feel free to share this with anyone who might be able to help.
With gratitude,
Kathy Caola (mother)
Jessica Felt (friend)
Jamie McGowan (friend)
Patti Kerman (neighbor)
