On April 14th, our family’s life changed in an instant.
Our beloved mother, Susan “Sue” Olinger, was involved in a horrific, life-threatening car accident that left her vehicle totaled and required an emergency helicopter transport to Fairfax Hospital. She was admitted to the Trauma ICU, where she remained for three weeks, followed by a two-week stay at Encompass Health and Rehabilitation Hospital.
After 8 long weeks, Sue is finally home, but the road to full recovery is long, grueling, and far from over.
Her husband, Dan “Rooster” Olinger, has lovingly and tirelessly cared for her day and night. Our entire family — including her daughters Kim Olinger and Jenn Olinger Dietrich, her sister Lois Sutphin, and many wonderful friends — have rallied to keep things afloat, including Sue’s labor-intensive small business, Sue Pies and More, which she has proudly built and run for 23 years.
But after two months of doing all we can to support her recovery and keep her business going, we’ve had to face a difficult truth: we cannot keep it all going on our own.
Sue is the heart of our family. She is a devoted mother, wife, sister, friend, and a pillar of her community — known for her selflessness, strength, and unwavering work ethic. She’s always been the one to show up, to give, to love — and now, she needs help.
Due to the physical demands of her work, Sue is unable to bake, prep, or operate her business at all, and it may be quite some time before she can return. It goes against everything in her nature to ask for help — but this is where we find ourselves. We’re turning to our lifelong community, who has supported Sue in so many ways over the years, and asking for whatever you can give to help her transition from being a fiercely independent businesswoman to focusing solely on healing at home.
Any donation — big or small — will help lift the burden and allow her to focus on her recovery without added financial stress. Your support will never be forgotten.
From the bottom of our hearts,
Thank you.
— The Olinger Family
