My sister Lisa is facing a serious medical and housing crisis, and I created this fundraiser to help her.

Lisa has lived in her Studio City apartment for more than 20 years. As the oldest of three sisters, she was the one who opened my eyes to a bigger world while I was growing up by introducing me to new foods, diverse experiences, and a more open-minded way of seeing people and life. Lisa has always been deeply empathetic, intelligent, and creative. Years ago, when my own mental health was struggling, she was the person who truly recognized how much I needed help and advocated for me with our parents, even while living 3,000 miles away. Now it’s my turn to try to advocate for her.

For the past nine months, Lisa has been living with an increasingly debilitating, chronic skin condition. Although it was initially diagnosed as eczema, the severity, duration, and level of impairment suggest something more complex—possibly autoimmune, hormonal, or systemic. She experiences constant burning, itching, and pain across her entire body, making it difficult to sleep, sit still, or function comfortably day to day.

She struggles to tolerate any friction against her skin or wearing most clothing fabrics, with the exception of 100% organic cotton, loose-fitting, sweats and shirts. She also relies on ice packs throughout the day and night just to manage her symptoms. This has led to Lisa being isolated from many of the activities and community connections that once brought her joy, including aerial dance and social gatherings.

Standard dermatology treatments, prescribed steroids, hypoallergenic products, and strict dietary changes have not brought relief. The constant discomfort and sleep deprivation have also affected her concentration, mental clarity, and ability to focus for long periods of time.

Like many people living with chronic or invisible illness, Lisa has tried to hold onto small pieces of normalcy where she can. As a fitness enthusiast, movement and exercise are often the only times she experiences temporary relief from her symptoms—but those moments do not reflect the reality of what she is enduring every day.

After previously working as a professional house manager, she transitioned to nannying, which has allowed her more flexibility while coping with her symptoms. She recently lost her position when the family she worked for no longer needed childcare. Despite continuing to search for work that accommodates her chronic condition, Lisa is currently unemployed with no unemployment benefits and struggling to stay financially afloat while managing her health.

At the same time, Lisa’s housing situation has become increasingly unstable. Her roommate stopped paying rent in April and May, leaving Lisa legally responsible for their shared lease and utilities balance, despite having paid her own share on time.

Our family had originally planned to use their limited financial resources to help Lisa begin specialized medical testing, evaluation, and treatment with a functional medicine doctor, which is not covered by insurance. Instead, that money had to be used to pay the outstanding rent balance to prevent immediate eviction this month.

Without access to meaningful medical treatment, Lisa’s quality of life, mental health, and functioning will continue to decline.

And without financial stability or additional support, Lisa now faces the possibility of this same eviction crisis repeating in June and July. Moving out would not resolve the financial burden and Lisa cannot simply replace the roommate—the landlord will not allow that change until the lease term ends.

We are raising funds to provide Lisa with:

Financial stability for June + one-month buffer:

Six months of medical care not covered by insurance:



Lisa is a deeply private person and never imagined needing help in this way. Our immediate family has contributed financially but cannot cover the growing expenses involved.

If you are able to donate, we will be profoundly grateful. And if you cannot donate, simply sharing this fundraiser would mean so much to us.

Thank you for reading, for caring, and for any support you can offer to help my sister find stability, heal, and rebuild her life.

With gratitude,

Blair