My name is Chan Rin and I am putting together this fundraiser for my friends Karen Vuong and Jeff Kelly. I have contributed to many GoFundMe fundraisers in the past but I never thought I would be the person to be writing something like this now and especially one for people that are very close friends and who I consider family.
What happened.
Karen was very recently diagnosed with cancer. It's a rarer form of breast cancer that has now spread through to other parts of her body, which makes it an aggressive form of cancer that is now at stage four.
Why am I putting this fundraiser together?
The reality is that it is expensive to be ill. It's even more expensive if you have a long-term, life impacting illness. When you have the cold or flu, you may have to take a day or two off work, but you know that everything will be fine.
If you have cancer, there's alot more unknowns. In addition to your well-being and not knowing if everything will be okay, having cancer will have a significant impact your finances. The bills don't stop coming because you have cancer.
There's only so many vacation days you can take to cover time off for treatments, doctor appointments, exams etc. before those run out. And then there will be days, weeks or months where you won't feel well enough to work or your doctor has ordered you not to work. Medical EI only covers a small portion of your pay and that remains in effect for a limited period of time.
This situation not only impacts Karen, but also Jeff - her partner, as he will be by her side to support her in taking her to appointments, treatments and exams. He also only has so many vacation days he can take off before they turn into unpaid days.
This fundraiser is for the financial expenses that are yet to be seen due to her diagnosis and to help cover those costs that don't stop because she has an illness. This could include things such as rent, groceries, utilities, insurance and more. The funds could also be used to purchase items that provide a better quality of life or comfort during the treatment phase and when she's not able to work.
I need your help on their behalf.
They didn't ask me to put this together. I offered to do it because I know and have seen what a devastating illness can do to finances. It's a scary time because there's so many variables and unknowns. They're already dealing with the news emotionally and physically so as a friend, if I can help alleviate some stress that will undoubtedly come from the impact to their finances, then that's what I will do.
About Karen and Jeff
In 2015, I started a group in Edmonton called urbanyeg that aimed to build a supportive community for photographers and creatives. This was a passion project and done purely out of wanting to give back to our community and supporting others. I needed help to run this community group so I asked Jeff to help lead it with me. Over the course of 8 years, Jeff, along with many other incredible volunteer leaders, helped put together in-person events, educational workshops and larger scale events. Karen also supported urbanyeg through leading a team and helping to plan one of our large scale events. We raised money for the Edmonton Food Bank multiple times, collected warm clothing for the Hope Mission, essential hygiene products for the Mustard Seed, and raised money for mental health.
They have given countless hours of their time to support others in our community and I hope you will join in supporting them in their time of need during this difficult time.
Chan