Hi, My name is Jennie and I'm a long-time friend of Bessie Wapp. I'm setting up this Go Fund Me to help support her through an upcoming health challenge - brain surgery, to be exact. Not a walk in the park!

As many of you know, Bessie went back to school last year to become an Educational Assistant. She worked very hard, earned a diploma and has recently had an interview with the School District, so her prospects for work are looking good. The catch is that she has to get this pesky little brain-surgery thing dealt with - and also recover fully before taking on classrooms of high-energy kids! I'll let her share the details (see below).

Bessie is a gift to our community, with her many artistic talents, expansive positive energy, and her loving direction and encouragement of the singers in her choir. I'm sure that with so many friends (and fans), she will be well loved and well supported through this ordeal. We can each do something to help. Please give what you can and/or sign up for the Meal Train (details below) and share this with others who might like to give back to our dear friend, Bessie, so we can soon see her up on her feet again, laughing that infectious laugh, and making music.

Here's Bessie's message:

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Hello, and thank you for reading this.

Over the coming month+ I will be in need of financial support while I recover from, of all things, brain surgery.

The good news is my affliction isn't cancerous, and, though not without risks, surgery should bring complete resolution.

Two and a half years ago I learned I have a wee guest growing under the left side of my brain - a mischievous tangle of veins called a meningioma that's now pressing on important bits.

Since December I've experienced significant numbness and tingling on the left side of my face and scalp, and in recent months, also pain. Without intervention it will continue to grow and lead to more serious issues, so I've elected to have surgery.

The procedure will happen Oct 15 at Vancouver General Hospital. My dad, David, is kindly chauffeuring me down and back. The surgery will take 7-8 hours and I'll spend 5 nights in hospital. After I'm discharged on the 20th, we'll spend a few more nights in the Lower Mainland with friends (thank you Broadheads and Nicola H. :) and then attempt the long drive home.

It is a major surgery, but I'm otherwise quite healthy, so I expect to fully recover in 5-8 weeks. But during that time I won't be able to work in my new capacity as an Education Assistant or manage my normal level of arts activity. As well, I will incur travel and medical expenses. Hence this call for support.

I'm very grateful to Jennie Barron for offering to set this up, and I thank you for any support you're able to offer, however modest.

Another welcome form of support is food!

Sign up here to bring a meal: https://mealtrain.com/q25169

Thanks!!