Hello friends! I’m raising money for a friend of mine who is experiencing some health problems, and this one feels super personal for me.

Stace is a pillar of our community. She is a potent combination of a kind, heart-centered, compassionate, loving woman who is also the brightest, boldest, funniest and most energized person you may ever meet.

She gives so much with her mere presence and deep wisdom, in addition to that which she offers to our community, through her workshops and creative endeavors. To have Stace as friend is a privilege.

But lately, Stace’s light has grown dim. She’s been physically sick, with body aches, no energy, extremely depressed, and keeping scary thoughts at bay.

This was me, last year. Stace and I are the same age, and we are both women who have hustled HARD in life to make ends meet and take care of our family and friends. Stress is taxing on anyone’s health, but especially women.

Women have specific hormones that are made for rest and nurturing, so that we can take care of babies. We are biologically designed to receive support, and in this modern world, as we figure out independence and careers, wether we have kids or not, we often lack the support necessary for normal hormone function and immune health.

Stace’s immune system is suppressed, and her hormones are tanked. This may not seem like a big deal, but hormones run the show. They are responsible for our mental and emotional health, our ability as humans to move, feel, and live healthy and productive lives, and when women lack the hormones they need, it can often send us into early perimenopause.

Suicide rates in women age 40-55 have risen 6 percent in the last 20 years, and this is likely because of hormone imbalances, which means these were deaths that were avoidable, in addition to the countless lives, partnerships and relationships that are shattered from this totally treatable and preventable issue.

I woke up every day for almost a year fantasizing about ending my life, just to end the pain and suffering. I knew there had to be something very wrong if someone like me was having these thoughts. I know the kind of private hell Stace is in. It feels like there’s no escape.

I found relief through a gut and endocrine specialist, a doctor here in LA, who tested my urine and blood, and told me I was producing zero estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, or cortisol, the hormone responsible for managing stress, and my adrenal glands were completely shot. He gave me supplements to get me producing these hormones again, some light therapy, suggested other treatments, and told me I need to chill out, because as he put it, “my brain is tired.”

The problem was that in order to afford this these treatments, not covered by mainstream medicine, I had to keep working and hustling. It was a terrible catch 22. I reached out for support, and some people who love me very much were able to provide enough support for me to heal. I started feeling better a month later, and by 3 months I felt happy and healthy, my menstrual cycle was back to normal, and my kids got their mom back.

Stace needs the kind of support I received, so I’m asking for whatever you can give to help us reach a goal of $3K for doctors visits, blood tests, urine tests, light therapy, supplements, and whatever other treatments are necessary for Stace over the next 6 months.

No amount is too small (or too big!) and I will post updates on our progress towards this goal, as well as Stace’s progress on her road to healing.

Thank you ♥️

-Sarah