Greetings and Salutations!

My name is Joni, but I'm writing today on behalf of a small group of people who adore Niki McQueen and her outstanding art. Those of you who have seen her work will know, but if you don't, feel welcome to explore her repertoire on her website here. You may know her as long time artistic collaborator with the Dresden Dolls, but that is simply the tip of the iceberg.

I can't say it any better than has already been said by others:

"Niki’s work expresses powerful and emotive personal symbolism and worlds of magical realism, exploring realities beyond reason and the familiarity of everyday existence. Themes include anatomy, psychology, archetypal interplay, eroticism, mythology, innocence, joy, decay, and rebirth"

And as much as I'm not entirely sure she's NOT magic, she assures us that she really is just as human as the rest of us... Which unfortunately leaves her open to the same frailties and concerns. Niki was born and lives in South African and, as with many countries, there are some serious flaws in their healthcare system. That said, she’s been able to manage her health and her work successfully until recently. In 2024, changes to Federal medical aid benefits (designed to cover gaps after private insurance has been exhausted) introduced annual caps on out-of-hospital expenses. Once that medical savings account is exhausted, (in Niki's case, it's taken about three months to deplete the account since the legislation was introduced) the remaining available benefits are limited to approximately CAD$3,500 per year. This means that all appointments, treatments and medicines will need to be paid out of pocket once that cap is reached.

To say that Niki's health has been less than ideal is a gross understatement. I won't recount the whole litany here, but in short, in addition the better understood Long COVID and PTSD; she's also navigating a number of Stenoses, a condition characterized by "abnormal narrowing of a passageway, duct, or blood vessel in the body". In Niki's case, her conditions are focused primarily in her spine, which has a significant impact on her mobility. This culminated in a three-year period during which Niki was unable to stand or walk for more than a minute or two at a time. After three spinal procedures, and on the advice of her doctors, she began to seek long term treatment options, and was recommended bariatric surgery. She pursued it fully, exhausting all medical benefits and over $5,000 out of pocket only to have the treatment cancelled due to high risk and lack of additional funding.

This left her in a very difficult position, and ultimately, lead to her having to sell her home last year in order to continue accessing medical care she needed. After expenses and fees, the sale left her with just enough to support herself and pursue to aforementioned long term medical solution. Sadly, the practical ramifications are that after pursuing this unsuccessful option, Niki’s been left essentially no better than she started, having completely depleted both her insurance and private funds in the attempt to actively pursue treatment which was ultimately an inapplicable in her case. In an almost Sisyphean torture, she's found herself in the position of needing to work to pay for medical treatment (make and sell her art), but unable to work due to her lack of medical treatment.

We who love her brow-beat her (lovingly of course) into letting us know approximately how much she would need to get through the rest of 2026 (as her benefits reset January 1, 2027). All in all, it came to just under R109,000 (or just under CAD$9,250*).

*NB. Go Fund Me does not operate in South Africa, so we are running the fundraiser on her behalf in Canada/$CAD and will transfer funds to her directly. If you would rather donate directly to her (and skip some of the fees), please send us a message and we can provide you with a direct link.

She is currently managing her health care through weight management, using a prescription medication, Watsu and hydrotherapy. And even so, here we are in June and once again, her benefits have been capped for the remainder of the calendar year. As anyone with complex medical conditions will know, there's very rarely an easy treatment plan and never an inexpensive one.

We've set the fundraiser at CAD$10,000, to ensure that:

a) Niki's medical expenses are funded for the rest of the year

b) Any and all banking fees are covered*

c) A little buffer to account for any changes in currency exchange.

Any funds raised will be used for medical expenses, including ongoing treatment that has already proven essential in helping Niki regain mobility and maintain her independence. She is adamant about not wanting to raise more than she "needs", but if we do go over goal, it will be rolled over into a 2027 medical fund.

Thank you for anything you can do to help!!

Joni (o.b.o Friends of Niki)

Other ways to help:

We know (!) not everyone who wants to is in a position to donate, and that's just fine. Spreading the word about Niki, her art and this GoFundMe is just as important to our efforts!! Any help you can lend in any form is greatly appreciated. We also encourage you to check out Niki's prints for sale HERE, or her Instagram account HERE.

You can also keep up with Niki through her newsletter HERE, or her Patreon HERE (membership is free and premium content starts at US$1/ month).