July 28, 2026: Due to an electrical problem with their wheelchair-accessible van, Jacob and AJ Armbrust had just returned to their Minnesota home when the vehicle suddenly caught fire.
Jacob, who cares full-time for his wife with cerebral palsy, noticed smoke and got AJ out of the van right before the fire began to rage.
“I got her out as fast as I could. As soon as I got her out, I could see fire underneath,” Jacob told Fox 9 after the frightening ordeal. “I think there were some gremlins in there or something.”
In the video above, the fire accelerates between the 8- and 9-minute marks, an explosion can be heard around 13:10, and water from a fire hose hits the van about 16:17.
AJ, 29, said in a GoFundMe post that she depends on the chair.
AJ said she’s grateful to be alive due to her husband’s quick thinking, but she’s worried about the couple’s finances and the loss of the van and some of her essential medical supplies.
The old van had held special memories for the couple, who went on their first date in the van.
Wheelchair-accessible van a necessity, not luxury
“Because I cannot walk, this van wasn’t a luxury—it was my entire lifeline. Without it, I am completely stranded. But the loss of the van has triggered an even more immediate emergency for us,” AJ wrote on the GoFundMe page. “Our monthly rent and utilities total $1,600, and they are due in just 20 days. Right now, we survive entirely on my monthly SSI fixed income of around $900. Jacob works around the clock to care for me for free while we endure the long waiting list in Hennepin County, Minnesota, to get him officially set up and paid through CFSS (Community First Services and Supports).”
Donations through GoFundMe (see GoFundMe’s Facebook post here) will go to the couple’s rent, utilities, and replacement medical supplies.
Almost $7,000 has been raised through GoFundMe as of July 28, 2026.
The couple has also already received a donated van. Details about the donation weren’t made public.
“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for standing by us during the scariest week of our lives,” AJ wrote on her social media.
The Bright Side
Even when disaster strikes, hope can arrive through the courage of a loved one and the kindness of strangers.
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