Help for Erin: Medical Crisis

November 28th, 2023

by Deb Fink, Organizer

Hello wonderful people, it has been a while since we have updated you on what is going on. On this Giving Tuesday, it is time to let you know that things have changed in many ways. Most importantly, Erin's disease has progressed quickly. She is now almost completely paralyzed and requires specialized 24-hour care, so we are reactivating this call for financial support. It is very important that we refill this gofundme as it is extremely necessary, immediately. Please help if you can.

On the bright side, Erin was able to complete her part of the work putting together the finishing touches on the video version of her production of Tea Party, which you will be able to view very soon, for free. We are excited that many of you who were not able to join us live will have an opportunity to see this incredible piece. Wé hope you will enjoy it! We will be posting the link by the end of this week. Or next.

Once again, we thank you for your generous support.

Erin

ORIGINAL POST ~

Hi All,

Deb Fink here. I am writing to ask for your help and support for a dear friend who is facing a medical crisis. Erin is a brilliant woman: a theater maker, a director, a teacher, a grant writer, a community builder, and most importantly a mother. Erin has always been ready to step up and rise to the occasion for any of us, her work, her community, and many organizations and causes. Now we have the opportunity to help Erin during this extremely difficult time. She and her children need us to step up and donate what we can.

Thanks to generous non-GoFundMe gifts from the Theatre Bay Area Lemonade Fund ($3000) and Steve Lew and Denise Tukenmez ($1000), we believe we can reach the starting goal of $50,000. Erin will need this support to care for herself and her 16-year-old twins until they graduate from high school in 2024.

Erin was recently diagnosed with ALS, a progressive, terminal motor neuron disease. People with ALS have varying prognoses and progressions of the disease. Here is a good link to start with if you want to know more about this illness.

As of now, Erin has mostly lost the ability to speak. She is still as mentally sharp as ever and can communicate through typing and (soon) through a voice assistant (thanks to services generously donated by Paul Lancour and Anne Hallinan and a grant from Team Gleason). However, her condition has progressed to the point where she’s had to go on disability because it’s impossible for her to work a day job (though we are holding out hope that she will have an opportunity to direct again). And because she has been a freelancer all these years, her disability payments make up less than half of what she needs to support herself and the kids.

She has health insurance, but she needs help to cover basic necessities, as well as medical equipment as the disease progresses. Even now, the forms of medical therapy that most help mitigate her symptoms are not covered by insurance. Her kids, in turn, are trying to navigate adolescence while facing the nightmare of losing their primary care-giver way too early.

Our contributions, no matter the amount, will make a significant difference to Erin and to her children as they face this unimaginable challenge. Please give if you can.

If you are a close friend of Erin’s and would like to contact her, email is the best way for now. She just asks that you be patient. With all she is dealing with right now, it might take her a while to get back to you.

Thank you so very much for your generosity and care.

With much gratitude,

Deb Fink