Below is Conner’s story lovingly written by her dear friend Lily Angelle.

Conner Makenzie is a friendly face in the community who’s dedicated her time to organizations like Fantastic Fest, Austin Film Society, Fusebox Festival, KUT, and more. Conner is a natural born caregiver, and if you’re fortunate enough to be part of her wide circle of loved ones, you’ll know she’s everyone’s biggest cheerleader and confidant. While advocating selflessly for so many, Conner has been struggling with her own battle quietly.

After experiencing abnormal pain for almost a year and trying to pursue answers, Conner was finally seen by a specialist to address some of the symptoms she’s come to cope with. We unfortunately learned what the specialists thought could be Celiac disease was actually stage 3 colon cancer. While the cancer is treatable and beatable, she faces a long road ahead. In the short term, she recently underwent major surgery to remove the mass, which also revealed an endometriosis diagnosis. Once healed from surgery, she will undergo chemo to rid the cancer from her body and once healed from that, then she can schedule surgery for her endometriosis. Long term, she’ll need to regularly receive follow-up scans and colonoscopies to ensure she remains healthy and cancer free.

We’ve created this fundraiser out of love, to help ease some of the financial stress Conner is facing during this challenging time. All donations will go directly to support Conner’s medical expenses and essential living needs as she focuses on healing. Contributions are being made as personal gifts, and every gesture of support means the world.

One final favor: please encourage loved ones, no matter their age, to seek out medical care. Catching something early can make a world of difference.

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I am Conner's sister, Corisa Smith, and I will ensure the funds go directly into her bank account and that the funds will be used entirely for her medical bills and essential living expenses throughout her cancer journey and her confirmed reality of living with the chronic condition endometriosis.