Starting over in LA, I was ecstatic to be in a new place with a fresh start...

But on night one, I became increasingly frustrated at my upstairs neighbor.

I couldn't understand how one person could possibly make that much noise. Some days, it genuinely sounded like someone was bowling!

And then one day, I saw her.

An incredibly frail, almost-87-year-old woman shakily making her way down the stairs, struggling just to take out her recycling.

Her name is Carole.

And suddenly, every noise I'd been complaining about sounded completely different.

I took it upon myself to learn my neighbor's story. Carole lives alone and has Parkinson's Disease; come to find out, the sounds I had initially interpreted as an inconsiderate neighbor was an elderly woman simply trying to navigate her home & her life independently.

Talk about being humbled!

So instead of complaining about the noise, I started listening.

I started taking out Carole's trash twice a week. Once a week, I cook for her and we spend some time together. And somewhere between trash bags, meals, & conversations, the 85-year-old woman upstairs stopped being "my loud neighbor."

She became Carole.

And then something happened that neither of us could have anticipated.

I shared our story online.

In a matter of days, millions of people watched it... and thousands of complete strangers began asking me the exact same question:

"How can we help Carole?"

At first, I didn't have an answer.

Now I do.

This is where my story ends and Carole's begins.

Because the more I've gotten to know the woman living above me, the more I've learned about the life she's lived, what she's survived, & what life looks like for her today.

Carole currently survives on Social Security & SNAP benefits while also receiving Medicaid coverage. And despite the assistance available to her, there are very real needs in her home & daily life that simply aren't being met.

When I shared that reality, thousands of you didn't just leave kind comments.

You asked if you could buy make her meals.

You asked if you could clean her apartment.

You offered groceries, consultations, weekly visits, special self-care treatments, financial assistance... & more kindness than either of us knew what to do with.

So after taking time to figure out how to do this responsibly, this fundraiser is our answer.

Maybe the woman upstairs didn't need me to complain less… maybe she just needed someone downstairs to look up.

**Note: a full itemized list of good & services with prices will be listed here as I purchase them for my girl so that y’all know exactly what your donations are going to! Updates will of course be provided on Instagram @omgitsheidiii ✨