My name is Christy and I am writing this on behalf of my sister Alice. Together, we have weathered many storms. We didn’t grow up in safety. We were raised in an abusive home, surrounded by violence and instability, and the harsh realities of poverty long before we were old enough to understand them. We spent years in foster care being moved from home to home, never knowing where we belonged or who would take care of us. As teenagers and young adults we experienced homelessness, addiction, and trauma that could’ve easily destroyed us. Instead, we fought side-by-side to get clean, to rebuild and to reclaim our lives . Through it all we have always just had each other. And now my sister is facing one of the hardest moments of her life and its going to require more support than I can give her.

After weeks of testing and imaging, her doctors have recommended the removal of one – and most likely – both of her breasts. This is not just a surgery, this is a profound and physical and emotional loss. It will take her out of work for a long time and rebuilding her career afterward may take years.

She lives in LA with a high deductible insurance plan and has already been required to pay upfront for all of the testing and special visits so far. Every donation contributed will help with medical bills that are not covered by her insurance and keep her rent paid while she is laid up in recovery and unable to work after the surgery. The financial pressure is immediate and heavy.

Alice has spent her whole life contributing to art, music and culture. She has appeared in numerous music videos, small films, creative projects and photography. Her image has been used to advertise products and to help other people’s creative careers take off, but despite all of this visibility, she was often doing the work without compensation, out of the kindness of her heart, for the love of creativity, a little exposure, and getting to be a part of something bigger than herself. She has given her time, her creativity, her image, her body and her talent to countless projects that brought attention and in some cases profit to other people. And now I am calling on that community who sees her as an inspiration and as their muse to let her know how much she means to you and to let her know that she is held by this community and that she is cared for and that we have her back. Over the years, my sister and I have buried more friends than we can count. We stood at funerals where people poured out love, memories, and kindness. All after the person was gone. And it always made me realize how important it is to show up for people while they’re still here, while they still need support, while the kindness can actually reach them. Your support will go toward helping her stay grounded, housed, and safe during this life altering time.