(On December 12th, I have edited this summary to include the information I received consent to share. When I first made this GFM, I omitted details for privacy's sake. Trigger warning for death of a child.)

Hello, I'm Zye.

The person you see in the photos with the mischievous smile is Alice, one of my oldest and closest friends. On December 6th, after almost a week of excruciating cramps, she drove herself to the ER only to discover the pain was not a result of the new medications she was taking. She was, in fact, in labor.

Alice was pregnant for most of this year and nobody knew, not even her doctor, because her other health issues disguised the symptoms. The chances of her ever getting pregnant in the first place were extremely low.

The baby was delivered on the night of December 6th. It was a full-term stillbirth. The cause of death was an umbilical cord around the neck.

She was named Ashley.

Dago, my other roommate and Alice’s ex-husband, is also distraught. This was truly a shocking, extraordinary, traumatizing blow.

I didn't know if Alice would make it.

It will be a very long journey to learn how to help my friend through this astronomical level of grief; the best I can do right now is ensure money gets where it needs to go and the household is taken care of. She is my roommate, so this affects us financially as well as emotionally. She and Dago will be out of work recovering until December 22nd. This is unpaid time, not PTO.

Can you please help us cover expenses for the month of December?

We need a total of $2,318, rent included. It's okay if we can't reach that specific goal; anything helps. Here is a breakdown of our collective apartment bills this month, give or take a few cents:

Car Payment: $225

Electricity: $200

Mailbox Rental: $18

Gleaners: $45

Internet: $60

Rent: $1,770

I do have income from my jewelry business and a new part-time job, but that is not enough to cover the expenses of three people PLUS whatever supplies and groceries are needed during Alice's recovery. (There are also additional unpredictable bills, such as the laundromat and Alice's follow-up appointment next week at the hospital.) If you could help us pay even just a few of our bills for this month, that would be marvelous.

This is a terrible situation and none of us will ever be the same, but you can help us get through it. I will update you when possible to reassure you your money is going where it needs to go.

Thank you very much for your attention. It's okay if you can't donate much; even a little bit will lift our spirits.

Respectfully,

Zye