Danny Federico
When Chip and Tonya Balduf left the mountains of North Carolina for rural North Florida, they weren't chasing luxury. They were chasing simplicity.
The couple purchased property in late 2022 and moved to the area the following spring, determined to build the homestead where they would spend their retirement. Living in a camper while clearing land, digging a well and installing a septic system, they envisioned quiet days tending a garden and enjoying a slower pace of life.
"We wanted to spend our retirement in a warmer climate," Tonya said. "A much simpler life, having a garden and just enjoying the simple things."
Instead, in 2024, their dream was interrupted by a medical crisis that changed nearly every aspect of their lives.
"Our lives changed forever on March 31 with his stroke," Tonya said.
Although Chip initially showed signs of improvement, the months that followed brought one setback after another. A urinary tract infection developed into sepsis, requiring additional hospitalizations. Complications with circulation led to vascular surgeries and, eventually, the amputation of his right leg. More complications followed, including another bout of sepsis and additional surgeries. Earlier this year, after an infection failed to respond to treatment, Chip underwent a second amputation
Today, he continues his rehabilitation while the couple focuses on another challenge: creating a home where he can safely live.
The camper that once symbolized a fresh start is no longer accessible.
After Chip's stroke, the Baldufs converted a 12-by- 20-foot storage shed into a makeshift home. The cramped space serves as a bedroom, kitchen and living area while housing medical supplies, a wheelchair, a Hoyer lift and everything else needed for Chip's daily care.
"It’s challenging," Tonya said. "He has many supplies, such as in-bed pads, briefs, catheters, urine bags, plus his wheelchair and lift."
The tiny home also presents obstacles many people never have to consider.
"I have to shower him outside because his wheelchair will not go through the door," she said.Simple daily routines that were once taken for granted have become difficult or impossible.
"Waking up every day knowing the things we took for granted, like him being able to get up and walk to the bathroom, brushing his teeth, combing his hair, getting dressed," Tonya said. "With Chip now, every day is a challenge."
For Chip, the hardest adjustment has been "relearning to do everything again."
The stroke also left him incontinent and dependent on Tonya for nearly all of his daily needs.
Serving as his full-time caregiver has been emotionally taxing, she said, but giving up has never been an option.
"It has been an emotional journey," Tonya said. "It has not been easy. When you care for someone, and you see their willingness to try and not give up, well, it helps the caregiver not to give up either."
Through every hospitalization, surgery and rehabilitation stay, the couple says their faith and family have sustained them.
When asked where he has found hope through the past two years, Chip's answer was brief: “God, my wife and children."
Support from the community has also carried them through some of their darkest days. Friends have donated, offered prayers and shared their story. The Suwannee Baptist Association of churches built a ramp to improve access to their temporary home, while others have helped begin work on a permanent ADA-accessible house on their property.
The new home will include features designed to restore some of the independence Chip has lost, including a roll-in shower, an accessible sink where he can shave on his own and wider spaces for his wheelchair. The couple also hopes to one day install a ceiling lift and that Chip will eventually learn to walk using prosthetic legs.
"Having room for him to be able to do a little more for himself," Tonya said. "Him just being able to have a little more independence."
A GoFundMe campaign created to help complete the accessible home has raised more than $11,700 toward its $14,000 goal.
For the Baldufs, the home represents much more than walls and a roof. It represents privacy instead of outdoor showers. Space instead of cramped quarters. Independence instead of constant barriers.
Looking back, Tonya said one lesson stands above all others: "Asking for help."
Those wishing to support the Baldufs' effort to complete their ADA-accessible home can scan the accompanying QR code to donate to their GoFundMe campaign.
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