My older sister, Taylor, is my favorite person. She taught me how to read and gave me my first walkman. As adults, even with her living in Amsterdam and me in Los Angeles, we are each other’s support system.

At the beginning of October, Taylor was diagnosed with grade 3 DCIS — ductal carcinoma in situ — an early form of breast cancer where abnormal cells remain inside the milk ducts but require serious treatment to prevent invasive disease. Grade 3 DCIS is especially concerning because it is the classification of DCIS (sometimes called ‘stage 0 cancer’ or ‘pre-cancer’) where the abnormal cells are multiplying the fastest. The time to act is now.

After many difficult conversations with her medical team, Taylor has chosen to pursue a mastectomy and reconstruction, using the support of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic therapies to recover and prevent further complications. Her Chinese and Ayurvedic protocols are already underway, and surgery is scheduled for the first week of January.

Because of the nature of this illness and the recovery it demands, she will be unable to work for roughly three months. In Amsterdam, a significant portion of her healthcare is covered, but there are still several essential parts of her treatment and recovery that are not insured.

With a goal of €16K (~$18.7K), here is what we plan to use these funds for over the next 3 months:

Taylor is a freelance writer and educator, and her livelihood depends on in-person contracts, exhibitions, and teaching work. Losing three months of income will create a real financial strain at the exact moment she needs stability and support the most.

I’m setting up this GoFundMe to help cover her uninsured medical expenses and to give her the ability to focus fully on healing without the added worry of lost income. Anything you can contribute — whether it’s a donation or simply sharing this page — will make a meaningful difference during an incredibly vulnerable time for her.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for supporting my sister through her recovery. Your kindness truly matters and our family does not take it for granted!