Jennifer's story is told by some of those friends and family who know her best...

From Liz Spikol

My incredible, brilliant, full of life, thoughtful and sparkling friend, Jennifer Steil, needs help. I've known Jennifer since — well, it's okay, we don't have to say exact dates, but it's been decades — and she's in some trouble now, and I want to help. I want everyone I know to help too!

In brief: Jennifer has incurable cancer and needs financial support to continue treatment and be with her husband and daughter. It's an urgent and desperate situation any one of us could find ourselves in, and even the smallest amount will help.

But if you want the detailed background, read on...

Jennifer is a British-American author of several novels and memoirs, and she also writes essays and short stories. Her husband, Tim, is a retired British diplomat. They have a delightful 16-year-old daughter, Theo, who is academically driven and passionate about theater and writing. She is in her junior year at Lycée Claude Monet in Paris, her ninth school, and will sit for the baccalauréat in 2027. The French educational system will not permit any further change in schools.

In March 2022, Jennifer was diagnosed with stage 3C, high-grade serous ovarian cancer. Initially treated in London, she then had two years of intensive chemotherapy in France. At that point, Jennifer's oncologist ran out of treatment options except for a new clinical trial taking place at the Gustave Roussy Institute, a cancer research and treatment hospital in the southern suburbs of Paris that is the best in Europe (https://rankings.newsweek.com/worlds-best-specialized-hospitals-2026/oncology). It has been tough but, so far, the trial has so far been successful in preventing her cancer from progressing. All our fingers are crossed.

That's the good news.

The bad news is that the family is under severe financial strain due to Jennifer's health crisis. Because she receives weekly treatment and is often hospitalized for several days at a time, she has been unable to return home to Sauve, in the south of France, to recover between treatments. This means the whole family has to live in Paris full-time if they want to be together. Theo can't change schools again, and any future treatment for Jennifer will be in Paris, the center of cancer research—so the family is here for the foreseeable future.

While that may sound dreamy to most of us, it's incredibly expensive, so she's been mostly staying in rooms or apartments borrowed from friends. At this point, the family wants to live together in Paris for the duration of Jennifer's treatment.

Her husband, Tim, writes:

"Jennifer is extraordinary. She is determined to survive, and above all, to see our daughter grow up. But it is possible that she will die sooner than expected. So it has become clear to all of us that our little family needs to be together in Paris during this difficult time."

Tim is unable to work in France due to immigration issues. Jennifer is writing weekly columns on her Substack: (https://jennifersteil.substack.com), working on a new novel, waiting to hear back from publishers about her next book, and working with private clients. They have almost no savings left and not enough income to cover their rent. They are uncomfortable asking for help, but I am not uncomfortable asking for them, because they deserve it.

Anything you donate here will go directly to them for housing and basic appliances. Help this little family stay together!

Note for donors: This fundraiser is in Euros (EUR). Approximate equivalents for non-Euro donors:

EUR 10 ≈ USD 12 ≈ GBP 9

EUR 25 ≈ USD 29 ≈ GBP 22

EUR 50 ≈ USD 58 ≈ GBP 44

Due to Jennifer’s treatment schedule and the idiosyncrasies of GoFundMe, Tim Torlot, Jennifer's husband, is serving as the beneficiary on her behalf. This does not change how the funds will be used, as described in this story. Jennifer will receive the funds directly, as they will be paid into their joint bank account.

Infinite thanks for your contributions!