Buddy Lyons, Lisa Portilla, Charri Jung pictured with Charley’s mom, Heather Binney. Photo courtesy Charri Jung.
Members of the Not Overly Concerned Citizens of Navarre Facebook group recently presented a check for $2,500 to Ronald McDonald House of Northwest in Pensacola in the memory a local girl who died last year after battling brain cancer and a rare neurological disorder.
6-year old named Charley Elise was diagnosed with Pilocytic Astrocytoma of the hypothalamus, a brain cancer, and Diencephalic Syndrome. She passed away November 8, 2019 and is survived by her mother Heather, her brother Elijah and her grandfather “Pop.”
Charley’s mother, Heather Binney created a Facebook page called “Smiles for Baby Charlie” to document the life of her daughter as they battled this rare disease, and Charley became a local celebrity and eventually an international celebrity as her Facebook page garnered more than 717,000 followers. Many of the videos Heather made of her daughter went viral.
The Facebook group adopted Charley and raised money to fund a legacy room in her name for one year at the Ronald McDonald House.
The room will house families of children who are staying at nearby hospitals to help alleviate expenses incurred while their children are receiving treatment.
Binney, a Pensacola native, and members of Facebook group were given a tour of the room named in her daughter’s honor on August 7 – one week prior to the anniversary of her daughter’s birthday.
“Charley inspired thousands of people who used the hashtag #LiveLikeCharley,” said group member Charri Jung. “Two murals were painted on the Pensacola Grafitti Bridge in her honor and a ‘Heart of Comfort’ Room is now dedicated to Charley at the Pensacola Ronald McDonald House.”
