Steve Heffner

Our dear friend and colleague Steve Heffner needs our help. Anyone who knows Steve knows he is the last person to ask for help but the first to offer it. After weeks of agonizing pain, hospitalization, and a myriad of tests including two spinal taps and two biopsy procedures, Steve was diagnosed with non hodgkin's lymphoma. Steve's doctors are very hopeful that with aggressive chemotherapy he will beat this cancer into remission and quite possibly be cured. He has already begun treatment at Columbia Presbyterian's Cornell Weill Medical Center in NYC (led by one of the foremost medical experts in this kind of cancer) and locally in Cornwall, NY.

Steve is looking at at least 5 months of regular chemotherapy treatments that will make it impossible to  do much of anything but rest, eat, and remain as calm and stress-free as possible. The first rounds of chemo are already taking their toll as he has suffered from double-vision, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea and more.

Steve is that friend who will drop everything to be there for you, that colleague who will work for free or deferred when he believes in you and your project, and that incredibly empathic human being  any of us would be so fortunate to have by their side if we were in his position. 

We are creating this GoFundMe page because we believe it is crucial for Steve's recovery that he has some financial stability during this time when he cannot work as a freelance editor. While he thankfully has good health insurance, there are also many costs associated with his treatment that fall outside of that coverage.

All of this is to say how essential we believe it is that we remove worry about money so Steve can focus all of his energy on fighting this battle. Every amount, small or large, will help Steve beat this diagnosis. Please do what you can to help, and if you speak to him, please refrain from mentioning this fundraiser for the time being. Your support will mean everything to him.

Thank you,

Toby Shimin & Ivy Meeropol