Hello! My name is Etalia and I'm organizing this GoFundMe for my dear dear friend, or actually more like soul sister, Meg Vellejos McCoy.

The short of it is that Meg needs to have surgery on 6/11/24 to have her uterus and one of her ovaries removed. I know! It is a BIG deal! I will share more details below, but what it comes down to is that Meg's womb is SO full of fibroids that the whole thing IS basically a mass of fibroids. A recent MRI showed there is no uterine tissue, muscle, or lining left because it has all been taken over (the womb/fibroid mass is the size of a 7 month pregnancy and stretches 6 inches above her navel). Meg's right ovary also has a 7cm (the size of a BASEBALL!!!) cyst on it and therefore will also have to be removed.

Meg is so many things to so many of us....friend, teacher, soul sister, artist, singer, spiritual companion, daughter, sister, wife, and all around radiant BEING are just some of the words one can use to describe the ways we are connected to her. Meg gives and she gives A LOT, because she believes in sharing what we know with each other and because it is who she IS. This is a time that Meg could use our support in a way that she hasn't had to or asked to receive before. The practice of her far reaching community offering her our support, financially as well as emotionally and spiritually, as well Meg opening herself up in a vulnerable way to receive this kind of support will, I believe, be something that we as a collective will feel the power and connection of in a truly deep way. What a beautiful thing to ask and to receive and to truly BE there for each other.

Meg has dreamed of bringing a biological child of her own into this world for a very long time. This is why, after her first miscarriage in 2014 and the subsequent discovery of the uterine fibroids, she has tried to heal her body without surgery and with natural and alternative modalities for years since then. In some meaningful ways, Meg's symptoms have improved with these treatments, but in the end Meg arrived at a knowing that something more had to be done. She was and is tired of being in pain. Sometimes enough is enough. Meg is ready for radical change and to actually feel GOOD!

Meg will be having surgery in Seattle, at Swedish Medical, where she ended up finding a great team of doctors after enduring years of less than stellar treatment, to put it mildly, from the medical establishment. Her current doctor has told Meg that she has never seen a womb like hers and will never forget it. What a compliment (insert ironic and also heartfelt laughter....because all is connected)!!!!

After surgery, Meg will stay at a friend's house in the area for a chunk of time before returning to her home in Eastern Washington. Meg and her husband Charley live remotely and pretty off grid, so she'll only be able to return home to him and their pups when it feels in alignment with her post-surgery recovery. The biggest financial need Meg and her family will have will be to cover living expenses for both of them (Meg is the primary financial earner and will need to take a month off to focus on recovery). Some funds will also be used to cover the out of pocket expenses for the actual surgery and any needed follow up appointments. The rest of the funds raised will be used to go toward finishing the bathhouse on their property in Eastern Washington so that bathing can be done with ease when Meg does return home.

Meg is ready to say, "Later, womb!" to the organ formerly known as uterus and, she says, "after many years of infertility, I’ve arrived at knowing that my maternal love and archetypal Mother years are for nurturing community. This life did not include birthing a child, and though I have had and continue to feel tender about it, I am no less a mother."

Thank you so much for supporting our dearest Meg through this threshold into a less pain-full and therefore more joy-full and ease-full next chapter of her beautiful life!!!