Meet My Friend Kate

Hi. My name is Vicky, and my friend Kate needs your help.

Kate and I were roommates in the 1990s, in our 20s, when we cavorted around Washington, DC, getting our lives and careers under our feet. And we went dancing, alot, with our roomies Cheryl and Sara. We partied our way across Dupont and Adams Morgan (this was before other areas were cool!)

But then we grew up, and Kate moved away to Chicago. She established her career in Marketing and continued her love of world travel, with stints in Ukraine, Russia, and Lithuania. In 2014, love found Kate, and she married and settled back in Chicago.

But then, things got bad. In 2020, Kate suffered a hemorrhagic stroke. She has never fully recovered, and is compromised on her right side. She uses a wheelchair and requires assistance for basic life functions.

Her husband was her primary caretaker until December 2023, when, weeks before their 9th anniversary, he told her that he needed help taking care of her. He no longer wanted to be the primary caretaker. Understandable! It's a tough job. Kate agreed to find a home health aid.

However, to her shock, her husband had other plans. A few days after this conversation, he left for the grocery store and did not come home. He hopped a bus to Tennessee, and left Kate behind, alone, without telling her he was leaving.

Kate called, but he did not answer. She got ahold of a friend to stay with her until her brother was able to come and bring her home with him. As if we needed a worse ending to this tale, it turns out the husband had not been paying the rent for their cute Chicago apartment. For months. He had squirrelled away the rent money, and took it with him, leaving her on the hook for the back rent.

We are seeking your financial assistance on several fronts: Kate has hired a lawyer to help sort out the divorce. In addition to the lawyer fees, months of back rent, moving and transitional fees, and the need to find a new place that is accessible and affordable on on a single income, we estimate that about $23,500 will help clear the debts and get Kate on her way to a happier place. We'd appreciate any help you can give.