My dear friend Kelly Mealia , in August, was diagnosed with Brain Cancer. She and her husband, alongside their children, one and three years old, are now navigating the intrusion into their lives of brain surgery and aggressive treatment.  I am confident that the next ten years can bring a cure for Kelly.  In the meantime, there are things we can do to help her and her precious family during this health crisis.   

I am fundraising for my Wishlist for Kelly.  Specifically, I am raising money for:

A New Refrigerator: $1,500
Their current refrigerator is simply not good enough; poorly laid out and broken drawers. 

Critical "Treatment" not covered by Insurance: $10K
Acupuncture, massage, meditation, therapy.  A dinner date.  Gym membership, yoga class, weekend away, etc.   

A Whig: $2K
Kelly has begun to lose her hair and we found a wonderful Whig maker that will visit Kelly and fit her to make a real hair Whig that honors her current hair line, color and style.  The process takes about a month and we are eager to get started.   

Food: $600 per week
I visit Kelly each week by taking Amtrak from the city ($58 round trip) plus Ubers to and from the station to her home in Rhinebeck ($20).  I then cook beautiful healthy and organic food for the family trying to cover at least a few days meals ($400).  I am also hoping to begin sourcing produce and meat locally and perhaps find a Chef locally that can help me make the rest of the week a little easier for them with more key meals.    

Nanny: $800 per week
We are still looking for a nanny for their children but Kelly and Terry need someone to help 35 – 40 hours a week (@$20 per hour).  This will be first time in the children’s lives they will have a nanny.  Kelly has taken great pride and done an incredible job being a full time stay at home Mom.  Now she needs help but this is a very difficult decision for them and super important we find just the right Nanny.

Home Upgrades & Repairs: $10K
Painting in kitchen
Organizing / Upgrading kitchen storage
Organizing / upgrading closets
Winterize sunroom
Landscaping
A king-size bed

Financial Planner: $500
With all the new expenses to navigate we want to provide Kelly & Terry with some financial counseling along with this financial assistance.

Please give generously and help me help them in ways they would never want to ask for but would be so glad that I did.  This challenge is beyond what words can describe but Kelly, even if you do not know her personally, is worth fighting for.  This cause is worth your time, talent and money.  Please, please give generously to this fundraiser.