Hello,

I am Gwenn Kafka (previously Gwenn Henkel). I started a Go Fund Me back in 2020 during Covid-19 while I was taking care of my husband Richard while he had been diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia in 2018. You may recall that the pandemic really slowed down my work due to zoom only sessions and that made it difficult to have as many frequent new clients because most people want in-person sessions.

Richard's condition left us in a serious financial situation due to his dementia having started at least 5-6 years prior according to the doctors, leaving his business mismanaged and having to go bankrupt also many other things I was unaware of. I was suddenly having to use all of my retirement I had saved from working at Stanford Hospital for 16 years, and to be the sole provider for us. I had never been in a situation like that before. He was in my care solely for 18 months with no assistance due to covid before I had to admit him to a facility for dementia patients. He passed only 6 months later. My mother passed 3 months after Richard.

Due to his condition, I discovered that there was a lot he had not been paying for, such as his life insurance policy and the IRS. When he passed there was no insurance or assets (none from my mom either) to help me get started on life alone at 70 and I'm not even going to talk about the IRS situation. I had only $4,000.00 when he passed. That was all. If not for the Go Fund Me that year I have no idea what would have happened. My goal then was $40,000.00 and I raised $38,00.00! We were so grateful to all of you. You were all a blessing.

Well in 2023, after having Covid for the second time, it left me with an autoimmune condition called Polymyalgia Rheumatica, or better known as PMR. It is a debilitating condition that usually strikes women over 65. If effects all muscles and joints in the body. It came on so quickly, actually within the week I finally tested negative for Covid, I could hardly move. My arms and legs did not want to bend nor did my fingers. The pain was excruciating. To give you and idea, I wasn't able to take the lid off of my chap stick, and I was now alone.

I was fortunate that PMR is a treatable disease, but the treatment was pretty brutal causing a 40-pound weight gain in just a few months on top of the infamous covid-20 I hadn't released yet! It put me over 200 lbs. making it extremely difficulty for me to get around. Most of the time I was in treatment, I wasn't able to walk up all of the stairs to get to my car. The treatment took 18 months and I was lucky to have been PMR free in that period of time according to my doctors.

But the point here is that I missed out on so much work in that 18 months not to mention having covid twice before that, I just couldn't keep the money flowing into my account without new clients continually. I've been trying to recover since 2020 actually and I'm still challenged playing the catch-up round.

I'm reaching out again in order to keep my business afloat so that I can keep helping people. I need to keep my office because I need a place to see people! I also have lived in my apartment in Belmont for 30 years now and certainly don't want to be evicted because my rent has been late so many times. I'm behind on some payments and it's like trying to climb up a hill of sand if you know what I mean. Just keeps sliding backwards.

I have plans with an expert offering to help me with getting an on-line presence in order to help get my name out there by starting a YouTube channel and other social media modalities. I need $$$ to help with getting me on top of things again. My Yelp reviews are amazing and always have been. There are well over 20 reviews. It's not so much that I am not getting clients, it is that I can't get ahead of the past! I also have loans I must pay back.

Your help will not go unrewarded! I will offer my assistance to anyone who needs it. I have been blessed with many gifts as most of you know, with my work and I am here to help. That's what I do. So I hope if you can help just a bit, every penny counts! I am most grateful that you have even taken the time to read my story. Thank you so very much!

Blessings to you all again,

Gwenn Kafka