New York Times readers this week met our friend and Columbia University classmate, the writer Jennifer Steil, through her moving essay: “Dress Rehearsal for a Wedding I’ll Never Attend,” in the Modern Love column.

In it, Jennifer shared the story of taking her 15-year-old daughter, Theadora (aka Theo), wedding dress shopping in London — not because a wedding is imminent, but because Jennifer is battling late-stage ovarian cancer. Theo asked for this experience now, while her mother is still here, so that she will always have the memory.

They found a dress. A luminous gown that made Theo’s eyes sparkle and her mother’s heart ache with joy and longing. But it was far beyond their means — £2,767 or about $3,800 US Dollars.

Jennifer wrote:

“When she emerged, my eyes filled. She was radiant, a vision of youthful loveliness…. She loved the dress so much I fantasized about buying it, despite the financial impossibility. She has stopped growing, after all. Chances are it will still fit in 15 years.”

As Jennifer’s classmates from Columbia Journalism School — and as friends who have been inspired by her words, her courage, and her love for Theo, who we've watched grow up from afar — we want to make this dream possible. This GoFundMe will cover the cost of the dress and ensure that Theo has it for the day in the future that Jennifer will likely miss.

Every contribution helps. Whether you were touched by her story as a reader or know Jennifer personally, your gift will help preserve a piece of her legacy: a dress that embodies hope, memory, and a mother’s enduring love.

Let’s help Jennifer keep this promise to her daughter.

To read more of Jennifer's thoughts on life in the boundaries of our world — "this fertile space between countries, cultures, illness and health, identities, sexualities, religions, languages, and homes" — you can find her newsletter, Liminal with Jennifer Steil, on Substack.

She has also published three books:

Exile Music (2020), a novel

The Ambassador's Wife (2015), a novel, and

The Woman Who Fell From the Sky (2010) a memoir.

I'm based in the U.S. and am an informal representative/point person for our graduate school class. We shared Jennifer's piece via email and quickly decided we wanted to help. All funds will be sent directly to Jennifer in France via international wire transfer.