Dear friends, family, and kind-hearted strangers,

My lovely friend Emilie and I are reaching out with deep humility and hope. She is an active senior, a practicing Buddhist, and a mother who has known the greatest sorrow a parent can endure.

In 2016, She lost her beloved son, Alex Ghassan (https://www.thefader.com/2016/12/15/director-alex-g-ghassan-oakland-ghost-ship-warehouse-fire), in the tragic Ghost Ship fire in Oakland. He was a radiant soul, an artist, and the light of her life. Since his passing, she felt a calling to move to Oakland to be closer to the place where his spirit still lingers.

But the road here has been unimaginably hard.

She lost her job shortly after the move.

The small savings she had were stolen, leaving her devastated and with nothing to fall back on.

She's faced serious health issues and a recent injury that has made daily life and work even more difficult.

Despite it all, She is working hard every single day to get back on her feet. She believe in compassion, perseverance, and community. She remains sweet in spirit and strong in purpose—but she needs your help.

We're asking, with a full heart, for your support—any donation, large or small, will make a difference. Every dollar helps me afford food, shelter, medical needs, and simply a little breathing room to recover and rebuild.

Thank you for reading, for caring, and for being part of this journey with me. Your kindness means more than words can say.

With deep gratitude,

Kathryn and Emilie