Support Dara's Emergency Surgeries from Hurricane Helene

Hi, I’m writing on behalf of my dear friend Dara, who has been through an incredibly tough time recently and needs our help.

Dara lives on the beaches of Pinellas County, an area directly hit by both Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. In the chaos after Hurricane Helene, she slipped on mud left from the flooding and shattered her left kneecap. The bottom half of her kneecap broke into 18 pieces, and she’s scheduled for emergency surgery this Tuesday to remove the fragments and reattach the remaining part to her tendons.

As if that wasn’t enough, her surgery was postponed because of the second hurricane, Hurricane Milton, which forced her to evacuate. She lives on the 6th floor of her building, and with the elevators out, just getting around has been a nightmare.

Thankfully, one elevator has been repaired, but the stress of it all has really taken its toll.

To make matters worse, the financial burden from both hurricanes and the surgery is overwhelming. Between hospital copays, surgeon’s fees, anesthesia, physical therapy, and the equipment she’ll need to recover, she’s stretched thin. FEMA is reviewing her claim, but they require final medical records before processing. She’s already spent so much just to survive the hurricanes and now faces the additional costs of surgery.

Dara is one of the most independent and strong people I know, always the first to help others, but now she needs us. She has three wonderful daughters and is determined to recover quickly so she can be there for them, especially with their birthdays coming up over the holidays.

Any help you can give, whether it’s a donation or just sharing this post, would mean the world to her. Let’s rally together and help her get back on her feet—literally and figuratively—after these back-to-back storms.

Thank you so much for your support and generosity.