Hours after two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch died Thursday at 41, hundreds of fans directed their grief toward his infertility charity.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Within hours of NASCAR learning it had lost one of its greatest champions, fans of Kyle Busch found a way to honor him.
By Thursday evening, the Samantha and Kyle Busch Bundle of Joy Fund — the charity Busch and his wife founded to help couples afford fertility treatments — had received hundreds of new donations.
Donations on the charity’s page bore messages like “In Memory of Kyle Busch,” “In Honor of Kyle Busch” and “In Memory of Rowdy,” submitted by fans from across the country. Many gave exactly $18.08, a nod to the two car numbers Busch carried across his storied career. Busch drove the No. 18 during his championship years at Joe Gibbs Racing and wore the No. 8 for Richard Childress Racing in his final seasons.
Busch, 41, was hospitalized Thursday due to an undisclosed but “severe illness,” according to a statement put out by the Busch family. NASCAR, the Busch family and Richard Childress Racing announced his death Thursday evening but did not offer a cause of death.
A fan posted on X to encourage people to donate to the charity after Busch’s death was announced.
“Absolutely think it would be great if NASCAR fans supported the @bundleofjoyfund it’s a charity created by Samantha and kyle busch and provides monetary grants for in-need couples struggling with infertility and the costs associated with IVF treatment,” said the post from user @samh8876, which had more than 1,000 likes as of Thursday evening. They later shared a screenshot of donations pouring in.
The Bundle of Joy Fund began with a deeply personal experience. Samantha and Kyle Busch faced the challenges of infertility, overcoming multiple IVF cycles and miscarriages, emotional setbacks and the heavy financial toll that comes with fertility treatments. Their son Brexton was born through IVF, and the experience moved them to found the charity in 2015 to help eliminate the financial barriers preventing access to fertility treatments.
To date, the Bundle of Joy Fund has awarded more than $2 million in financial grants to more than 150 grant recipients, resulting in the birth of 100 babies. The fund is dedicated to advancing access to IVF care and coverage, increasing awareness and providing support so others don’t have to navigate infertility alone.
Donations to the Bundle of Joy Fund can be made at bundleofjoyfund.org.