California Dad Loses Battle to Keep His Haunted House Open — The One That Funded Hospice Care for His Daughter with a Rare Condition
For more than a decade, a California father named Augie Cowan poured his heart into a haunted house — not for fame or money, but for love. The spooky attraction, once a neighborhood Halloween favorite, became a lifeline for his 17-year-old daughter Andrea, who battles a rare and devastating condition called metachromatic leukodystrophy. Every year, as October rolled around, the community would gather at Cowan’s haunted house, scream their lungs out, and leave behind donations that helped fund Andrea’s hospice care. It wasn’t just a haunted house — it was a father’s mission to keep his little girl comfortable, loved, and cared for.
But this year, that mission has taken a heartbreaking turn. Due to city restrictions and zoning disputes, Augie has lost the fight to keep the haunted house open — at least for now. What was once a source of light in the darkness has been forced to shut its doors, leaving him devastated and unsure of how to replace the income that supported his daughter’s care. “It’s not just about Halloween,” he said. “It’s about Andrea. It’s about giving her the life she deserves.”
Andrea’s condition, metachromatic leukodystrophy, is extremely rare. It affects the nervous system, slowly robbing children of their ability to walk, speak, and even swallow. Despite the heartbreaking reality of her illness, Andrea’s family has never given up hope. Her father built the haunted house years ago as a creative way to pay for her mounting medical costs — from therapies to specialized equipment to home hospice care. What started as a few plastic skeletons and fog machines soon grew into a full-scale community event, one that became a beloved local tradition.
Neighbors and visitors came not only for the scares but also for the story behind them. They knew that every ticket sold, every donation collected, went directly toward keeping Andrea comfortable and safe. The laughter and screams echoing through the haunted house masked something deeper — a father’s desperate love, his determination to turn fear into hope.
The recent closure has hit Augie hard. “I feel like I failed her,” he said through tears. “All I wanted was to keep doing what I love to make her life better.” Supporters online have rallied behind the family, calling for city officials to reconsider the decision. Many argue that what Cowan created wasn’t just entertainment — it was community service, a grassroots effort that turned seasonal joy into real-world compassion.
Despite the setback, Augie hasn’t given up. He’s exploring new ways to continue raising funds, whether through smaller-scale events or online campaigns. His family remains united in their fight, holding on to hope that the haunted house will one day reopen — not just as an attraction, but as a legacy of love.
Andrea, now 17, continues to battle her illness with the same quiet strength she’s shown all her life. Her family describes her as the heart of their home — a girl who can’t always express herself in words but radiates peace and warmth through her presence. And while the haunted house may have gone dark, the love that built it burns brighter than ever.
For Augie, Halloween will never be the same. But neither will the countless lives his haunted house touched. Through every scream, every ghostly laugh, and every dollar raised, he proved something extraordinary — that even in the face of tragedy, love can build something unforgettable.
