Just two months ago, Lila Williams was running the business she built over a lifetime.
Then everything changed.
After months of unexplained symptoms—rapid weight loss, seizures, loss of speech, and difficulty walking—Lila was rushed by ambulance to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. There, doctors discovered a large brain tumor requiring immediate surgery.
She underwent a five-hour operation and spent weeks in ICU and a nursing care facility. She is now home, but under strict medical orders not to work, with healing still very much in progress.
At the same time, her business—her source of income—was forced to shut down.
With no one available to manage daily operations during her hospitalization, her website was eventually closed after routine expenses could no longer be covered. Since March, there has been no income.
For someone who has spent her life working, building, and standing on her own, this has been a profound and sudden shift.
More than 40 years ago, Lila started her business with just $880. She went on to become a pioneer in online retail—among the first to sell intimate apparel on the internet and an early innovator in subscription-based shopping. Her work has been profiled by national media, including CNN and The Wall Street Journal.
She has always been the one others could count on.
Now, she is the one who needs support.
Lila is currently facing:
• Over $9,000 in medical out-of-pocket costs
• Multiple months of unpaid residential and business rent
• Ongoing living expenses while she is unable to work
• The challenge of rebuilding her business after a complete shutdown
This fundraiser is not about long-term dependence—it is about getting through an extraordinary and unexpected moment.
It is about giving Lila the stability she needs to recover, regroup, and begin again.
On a personal note, Lila gave me my start many years ago by hiring me as a software engineer—an opportunity that changed my life. Supporting her now is a way to honor the generosity and determination she has shown to so many over the years.
If you’re able to contribute or share, your support will make a real and immediate difference.