Support Brando "Benji" & Jennie "Shivani"

Here is what's going on, but first, a little background:

Almost thirteen years ago, my family experienced a devastating, traumatic loss that left us reeling and unable to work. All the while, the bills kept pouring in. Our support community kept asking what they could do to help, and all I could say was, “Nothing.” I thought there was nothing anyone could do.

To my amazement, my dear friend and sister of my heart, Shivani (Jennie Saunders), organized a Go Fund Me campaign to allow our community of family, friends, and even strangers who had been moved by the event to step in and do something for which I am eternally grateful.

Now, I am honored and privileged to step up and do the same for her and her beloved life partner.

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Our dear Jennie (Shivani) Saunders and her partner Brando (affectionately known as Benji) Bronzino have been quietly and spiritually managing a debilitating, rare illness and subsequent complications that Benji has been bravely battling for a very long time now. Recently, the illness has progressed significantly.

The costs of the many medical treatments Benji has needed over the past few years, combined with the expense of laying Shivani’s mother to rest earlier this year, have resulted in the exhaustion of their credit lines. In addition, Shivani has lost work, needing to stay home in order to provide the loving caretaking he has required. All of this has led to the unique, unforeseen current moment in their almost 22-year journey together in which they simply need support from others, though they prayed to be able to resolve this without the need to ask for help from anyone, in the same way that even now they are striving to handle all of this within the protection of privacy.

Shivani and Benji realize this news may come as a surprise to many of you. A devoted, solid couple, they have faced this world together as a loving unit and have been quietly shouldering this burden alone. They chose to handle this painful situation in the light of the guiding spiritual principle: to handle the worst in life, and the best in life, with equal meditative attitude and equanimity. That said, this illness has been their deepest challenge in this lifetime. They are doing their best to practice this teaching.

The loving support of the wonderful community of which you are a part can easily mitigate the daunting expenses – if not the existential crisis – confronting our friends at this time. Rest assured that, given who Shivani and Benji are, all donations shall be met with an abundance of GRATITUDE and profound THANKS.

Please join me and my family in supporting them in this moment of crisis.

Click on the Donate Now button to contribute and send a message

OR

if you prefer to send funds directly to her account without the Go Fund Me service fee ...

Venmo payment can be sent to: @Shivani-Saunders with GFM contribution in the notes.

Thank you for your time and generosity!

~ Laurie Rivard