EDITED: I'm starting this over. I'm shocked to say that Jeannine passed away, November 11th. I thought I should just close this and give any money here to her family because, of course, there will be medical bills and other costs for them to deal with. It's terrible to deal with grief and money, but perhaps you can help. Jeannine was a great supporter of my art and a terrific friend to me. Help if you can. Thank you.

Pictured: Jeannine and me, November 9, 2016, in Salem, Mass.

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Below is the original message. I'm keeping here for transparency reasons.

Hello! Thanks for reading, and I hope you can help. This note is from Marta, Jeannine's friend for over a decade. I realized I should let you know why I started this Go Fund Me. Well, because I can't save the world, but I can help a friend. (My favorite memory of Jeannine? After the 2016 election, she and I walking around Salem, Mass., from cemetery to bar, cemetery to bar. What a walk!) And we all know the madness of health care in this country. It's ludicrous that we have to ask friends and strangers for help, but here we are. So, if you can, help me help a friend. Share and like. Donate if possible--every bit makes a difference! And thank you again.

From Jeannine:

Medical bills are a major problem. I am a diabetic of 48 years who has been hospitalized 4 times in the past 2 years (twice for high blood sugar and twice for low blood sugar, including a possible concussion). The hospital bills have cost me over $5,000, and I usually make less than $20,000 per year. (I edit books. Some years have more books than others.)

I have a 1 in-a-1,000,000 person disease called Stiff Person Syndrome. The medication I use no longer works for me, and there is no other medication out that treats it. I now can barely walk a mile without a cane, whereas I was walking uphill 5+ miles a day just a year ago. Physical therapy would be a great help to me, but this requires not only the expense of the therapy but the expense of transportation (I don’t drive) and time away from getting any work done.

I have asthma. The medication (which is included with my health insurance) costs $105 on an as-needed basis.

And then, I burned my back on a radiator several years ago, and due to my other health issues, the burn will not heal. The burn is about 5” long and requires burn spray. The spray is around $8 a bottle, which I go through in about 2 days. Plastic surgery to help with healing would cost around $2,500 out-of-pocket after insurance.

Finally, I already have $6,000 in medical debt for previous hospital stays and procedures. It’s impossible to work enough to pay these bills and take care of ongoing medical issues without help. It’s hard to ask, but any help is appreciated. Thank you!

--Jeannine