Rachel asked me not to do this. She said she would figure it out and that she didn't want to ask people for help. It made me sad, it made me mad, and I decided to do it anyway. Because if you know Rachel like I do, then you know that she would do it for me, she would do it for you... Simply put, she would help anyone that needed help.

Rachel is battling her third round of cancer. This time, stage 4. It has taken so much out of her and because she did not want her mom to worry, she has only recently started to talk about what she has gone through. She has no family in the US and while she has great friends here, she has tried not to burden them with her struggle.

She has worked nearly the entire time, with a great deal of effort and strength, but she needs a break. She is afraid that the industry she has worked so hard in will think she is weak, but I know we can all agree that she has been stronger than anyone would have been.

The sad truth is that Rachel has spent most of her life helping others before she has helped herself. This the time, we as friends, come together and tell her to take the break she so desperately needs and deserves.

It is ok to take time to heal but with that time comes a burden that Rachel, a single mother with no financial support other than herself, is struggling to do.

Please give what you can. Some friends may elect to give directly to allow Rachel to receive the full amount without the GFM fees. If you choose to do this, please contact me and I will find a way to get you her details.

Thank you! Dana