In Nadya Tarasova`s loving memory

Dear friends and family!

Many of you have been following Nadezhda Tarasova’s cancer journey throughout the last year.

I'm heartbroken to say that our beloved Nadezhda passed away on October 10, 2023.

Nadya is survived by her husband Evgeny Tarasov and her two young daughters - Aleksandra 9 and Uliana 6.

Perhaps many of you have reached out to help, but haven’t heard back. Please know this is due to Nadya’s family being overwhelmed. We, Nadya’s friends, are creating this fundraiser now so that everyone who wants to help can do so while we give space and privacy to Evgeny and his daughters to grieve their loss. All funds will be transferred directly to support Nadya’s family.

As you consider helping Nadya’s family, please read a few words from Olga Simonova, family friend from Stamford, CT:

“Many of you already know about Nadya’s illness. How she has desperately fought this terrible disease for the last year. Many of you did your best to find the right words of support and encourage her through her unequal battle, as you empathized with her and her family.

Many of you brought fresh home-made food, and bought bright-colored scarves for Nadya to help hide the consequences of chemotherapy and perhaps picked up her children from the school bus. You have helped a lot.

Now it's time for all of us to come together and help again.

Lost battles with cancer are always devastating. They hollow out family resources and make it really tough for those who remain to forge a new path. We as a community can help Evgeny, and his daughters at this time of tragedy. Please consider donating here or help in any way you can. That may sound so official but I’ve never imagined that I would need to write a text like this one.

Nadya touched so many hearts. I think that we should share our stories about her here to preserve our memories about her: a girl who always chose to see the bright side of the world.

I will start and tell you how I met Nadya for the very first time. It was 2018, and I had just moved to the US. We, a post-soviet union community here in CT, celebrated Halloween in one of the public parks in Greenwich. I barely knew any people there and was feeling awful; perplexed, stressed out, and about to puke from anxiety. Suddenly, I caught sight of a young blonde girl in a superhero costume. She was laughing out loud, she was in ten places simultaneously, and she filled the space around her with infectious energy. She was like a portable, multicolored volcano infused with positive vibes. To be honest, I’m not completely sure if she was really wearing a superhero costume – y'all know that Nadya could save the world wearing old pajamas and furry slippers. I stared at her, fascinated, and went through a hundred options in my head as to how to say hi. Eventually at the top level of my creativity I just ran to her and said “I want to be your friend”.

And we became friends.

During the next five years she helped me to reimagine my life and build it up in a whole new way. Every time new challenges entered my life – new business, new scientific field, a divorce, and tons of other day-to-day issues – pushed me towards giving up - she would tell me: “You can do it. Put yourself together and carry on!” I became a better version of myself because Nadya always believed in me and supported me.

Thank you, my little kitten. I love you».