Hi, my name is Hillary Bonner. I have lived on St. John in the US Virgin Islands for the past 13 years. And for much of that time, my dear friend Erin Hart has been by my side. Through pandemics and CAT 5 storms, through breakdowns, breakthroughs, and breakups, through creative processes and navigating life and these waters...Living, Loving, Growing, if you will...She has been by my side. And I'm willing to bet there are MANY of you out there with similar stories about this beautiful soul. She has helped and uplifted so many people through so many walks of life. And now, she needs our help.

There is never a good time for medical issues to occur. But for those of us living in tourism-driven destinations, right before the holidays is the absolute worst time to develop an unexpected condition that will both cost an insane sum of money and ALSO prevent us from earning during one of the busiest times of year. On November 9, Erin learned that she had a 16 cm complex cyst on her right ovary. Basically, that's the size of a grapefruit! She made it safely to her parents in Virginia on November 12 and went into open surgery with her Gynecologic Oncologist (surgeon) on Wednesday, November 19. Due to the size and complexity of the cyst, they were unable to operate laparoscopically.

Erin's surgery was successful and, after two days in the hospital, she is back at her parents' home for a six-to-eight-week recovery period. The surgeon discovered it was a mucinous ovarian cyst, which prompted him to remove her appendix in addition to the cyst, right ovary, and tube. The doctor feels confident that it will likely be benign, but the final pathology report will take about two weeks. And the results of that could change the path for her recovery time and further medical treatment (and bills!). Keep sending those thoughts, prayers, and positivity!!! All of your healing energy has worked so far to get her to this point. She told me that being on this side of the surgery feels much better mentally!

This has all been very sudden and, obviously, very frightening for Erin and all of those close to her that love her. Another fear and potential stressor for her are the financials of all of this. She will likely be out of work and in recovery until after the New Year. During this time, due to physical restrictions, she will not be able to perform gigs...Her primary source of income. Currently, she is barely able to move at all. In addition to the obvious overhead of rent, bills, loss of income, etc., she is likely going to owe over $12,000 in medical bills.

Erin HATES asking anyone for help. But with her blessing, we are here, her tribe, asking for your help. Every dollar helps alleviate financial woes that could lead to potential stressors that could inhibit a swift and safe recovery for our girl. And, let's face it, we all want that uplifting music, smile, and friendship of hers back in our lives as soon as possible! Consider a dollar, five, two hundred...whatever you can swing. Because we also know what a difficult time of the year it is to be asking for financial assistance. Thank you to all for considering any kindness you can muster in this season of giving.

We will update you all here and Erin will continue updates on her social media pages. Thank you to everyone who is cheering her on from a distance!