Our 16-year-old daughter, Pandora, is currently in a stabilization program receiving treatment for disordered eating and her mental health.

As her parents, there is nothing more important to us right now than making sure she has access to the care, safety, and support she needs.

Pandora has been through more in her sixteen years than I ever wanted her to have to carry. From a young age, we have worked to support her through ADHD and anxiety with therapy, workshops, and other resources. Then, in November 2018, our family lost our home and beloved pets in California’s Camp Fire. At the same time, her dad and I were going through a separation.

It was an enormous amount of loss and change for a child to experience.

Today, her dad and I are incredibly close friends and completely united when it comes to our children. Pandora has an entire family standing beside her: the two of us, her stepfather, her two brothers, and so many people who love her fiercely.

Right now, loving her also means getting her the level of professional care she needs.

Pandora is expected to remain in her current stabilization program for at least a week, possibly longer. From there, her treatment team is recommending continued care, which may include a residential treatment program or a hybrid program that allows her to transition gradually while still receiving intensive support.

And that is where we need help.

Even with insurance coverage between our family, the out-of-pocket cost for her current hospitalization alone is expected to exceed $20,000. We do not yet know what the next phase of residential or hybrid treatment will cost, but we know that continued care will be essential.

We don’t want financial limitations to determine how long our daughter is able to receive the treatment she needs.

So, as difficult as it is to ask, we are asking for help.

Funds raised will go directly toward Pandora’s medical and treatment expenses, including her current stabilization stay, follow-up treatment, residential or hybrid care, therapy, and other costs associated with helping her recover and transition safely back into everyday life.

If you are able to donate, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Every amount helps us keep our focus where it belongs: on Pandora and her recovery.

And if donating isn’t possible, sharing this fundraiser means just as much. Every share helps us reach someone who may be able to help.

I know many of you don’t know Pandora personally. Some of you may only know me through my work, social media, or the communities I’ve been lucky enough to be part of over the years. Our family has been carried through some incredibly difficult chapters by the kindness of other people, and I will never take that for granted.

We aren’t asking anyone to fix this for us.

We’re simply asking for help making sure that when Pandora needs treatment, the answer can be yes.

Thank you for helping us give our daughter that chance.