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MARY ANN KIRBY
Back in November of 2020, our
sister publication, Hometown
Madison, brought you an in-depth
story about Brad Sullivan, the Madison
County sheriff deputy that sustained
life-threatening injuries while attempting to
arrest a kidnapping suspect east of Canton on
September 5, 2019. The events of that day left this single father
of two with two bullet wounds in his head. Thirty-two days later,
after being in a medically induced coma, Brad Sullivan was
awake and facing the uphill battle of rehabilitation and recovery.
As with most physical disabilities, the ongoing expenses associated
with an injury of this magnitude can often make prioritizing
a livable home fall way down on the to-do list. Brad suffers
paralysis to his left side and regularly uses a wheelchair. Brad
has retrofitted and engineered as much as he can on his own,
including his personal vehicle, but it’s not hard to imagine the
limitations that come with not having properly ADA compliant
home.
Fast forward to 2021 and enter the Madison County Mississippi
Sheriff’s Department Benefit Association. This organization has
begun a fund-raising project with the goal of building a fully
compliant home for Brad and his family to spend the remainder
of their lives. Madison County Sheriff’s Deputies, Lt. Joey Butler
and Dwayne Moak are spearheading the “A Home for Brad”
project and hope to provide a special place for their former
co-worker and friend—a place that will accommodate his
special needs.
“Brad has a piece of land that we’re going to build on—so we’re
already that far along in the process,” stated Joey Butler. The
Home Builders Association of Jackson will be coordinating the
construction of the home through Kirkland Development, Charter
Homes, HouseWorks, and other HBAJ partners.
The “A Home for Brad” campaign
launched on August 31 and utilizes
Facebook, primarily, to reach the
over 11,000 followers of the “A Home
for Brad – Praying for Deputy Brad
Sullivan” page.
“This is going to be an expensive project,” said Dwayne Moak.
“Not only have the cost of building supplies skyrocketed, but
everything in Brad’s home will have to be customized, adding
expense, so it’s important we reach as many people as possible.”
All donations are fully tax deductible. Contributions can be made
through their website at www.ahomeforbrad.org or checks may
be made payable to the Madison County Mississippi Sheriff’s
Department Benefit Association, Inc. (Madison SD Benefit
Association) at 2941 Highway 51, Canton, MS 39046.
Those interested in donating homebuilding services, supplies,
equipment, etc., can contact Vicky Bratton of the Home Builders
Association of Jackson at vicky@hbajackson.com. For all
monetary donation inquiries, contact LeeAnn Sanders with
the Madison County Sheriff’s Department at leeann.sanders@
madison-co.com. For all other general inquiries email support@
ahomeforbrad.org.
Joey Butler is confident the community will support this endeavor.
“We depend on law enforcement to keep us
safe and protect us. Brad did his job. Now Brad
needs a home. He deserves that. We’re looking
forward to meeting that need.”
AHomeforBrad.org
Hometown RANKIN • 87