Hi, my name is Iwalani and I'm fundraising with good friends to support Kristina Shumsky's recovery journey. This outreach is to other friends, family and people who are part of Kristina's vast and wide wellness and movement community in the Boston area and beyond.

At the end of December, our friend and colleague Kristina learned that she had a cancerous tumor on her intestines. She was brought in for an emergency surgery at Beth Israel. It was successful and she is now resting at home and moving into the next phases of her treatment plan.

We are writing to you now as a group of concerned friends who want to make sure she is covered for the next two months and doesn't feel pressure to jump back into her old routine too soon…which is always fast paced and includes living on a fifth floor walk up!

We would like to raise the funds of about $10,000 to help cover all her usual living expenses for 2 months. If you cannot contribute but would like to help in other ways, many of us are dropping off soups and small requests while often grabbing her mail on the first floor to deliver up to her! You are also welcome to just do a drop off at the studio in Brookline (Smartbody Movement)…and one of us is happy to bring it to her after we finish work.

The amount raised will be put towards rent, utilities, food that follows her new dietary requirements and transportation (to and from the hospital and follow up appointments.)

Kristina is incredibly strong, resourceful and resilient. It’s not in her nature to expect a helping hand or to go a day without working. As people who care about her well-being, we are encouraging her to embrace this time of rest to heal and accept the support in order to do so without worry.