ANSLEY, Neb. — In a Nebraska village of fewer than 500 people, one family’s haunted house is helping another family face a far scarier reality.


Every October, Andy and Cassandra Gibbons transform their Ansley home into the "Gibbons Grotto," a walk-through Halloween display filled with skeletons, witches, fog, and more.


“It started off with just a few skeletons in the yard with some pumpkins, and it’s just snowballed into this,” said Cassandra. “I love it when I hear people walking through.”


This year, the family decided to turn their Halloween tradition into a fundraiser. Every dollar dropped in their donation bucket or sent through Venmo goes to help Adley Riggins, a local girl diagnosed with a rare brain condition.


“We decided we’d take donations, but we wanted to put them toward something that wasn’t us — something community-focused,” Andy said. “Now we just want to help people whenever we can.”


Adley’s family says doctors discovered a colloid cyst and a Chiari malformation after weeks of worsening symptoms. Her surgery is scheduled for October 27.


The Gibbons say the story hit close to home.


“On Halloween in 1999, I lost my little brother to cancer,” Andy said. “Eight years later, we had a son born on Halloween. So it’s a bittersweet holiday — and if we can make it a little more positive, that’s what we’re trying to do.”


Gibbons Grotto is open nightly through Halloween. The family says the walkthrough is free, family-friendly, and without jump scares — though donations are welcome.


Those who want to support Adley’s family can donate in person or through Venmo.