Dear friends, family, and community,

We are reaching out to you today because our dear friends, Jane and Patrick are facing a severe, multi-layered crisis due to his terminal cancer diagnosis and urgently need our help. Jane has been a fierce advocate for over a decade fighting for the chronic illness community. She has been there for so many of us in our darkest times. I plead that we can come together and provide her and Patrick some greatly needed support.

As they received the devastating news that Patrick’s bladder cancer has become highly aggressive and metastasized heavily into his bones and lungs, their financial safety net has completely collapsed. Patrick is 58 and entirely unable to work due to excruciating bone pain, fatigue, weakness and a host of disabling symptoms. Being the hard worker he’s always been, Patrick thought he’d be able to work part time and extend his paid leave. Unfortunately, he’s been too sick to work so the Massachusetts paid medical leave completely runs out in less than a month. To make matters worse, a systemic glitch prematurely submitted his SSDI application before it was finished, causing severe delays. While they’ve reached out to their congressman's office to help, bureaucracy takes time—time that Patrick and Jane simply do not have.

For 30 years, Patrick and Jane have been an inseparable team. Their love is deep and beyond measure. Patrick has always been Jane’s primary caregiver, as she has been severely disabled for the past 12 years living with Chronic Migraine, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS), Fibromyalgia, and severe Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) which make it impossible for her to tolerate fragrances or access public spaces safely. Now, the roles have tragically reversed. Jane is trying to manage heavy medical advocacy, coordinate oncology appointments between local doctors and oncologists in Boston as well as to navigate complex social services, all while her own fragile health rapidly deteriorates from the sheer physical, emotional and cognitive exhaustion.

They are currently shifting to a palliative care plan to manage Patrick's intense pain, beginning with two weeks of radiation so he can comfortably sit and eat. Because Patrick used his energy to take care of Jane, his biggest worry right now is making sure she and their beloved 2 kitties (their family/kids) are safe and provided for. He wants to ensure their home has a working heating system before winter, as their old wood boiler is unusable and a single woodstove is their only source of heat.

Jane is running on empty, experiencing profound isolation, and navigating her worst nightmare. She cannot do this alone. While Patrick’s siblings and co-workers have shown up with their love, support and practical assistance, Jane’s blood family has not, leaving her with a very small number of friends/chosen family to rely on.

They need immediate financial relief to cover basic living expenses, health insurance, property taxes, specialized disability home modifications and adjustments, and the mounting costs of transit and medical care as Patrick begins heavier treatments.

Please consider donating to ease Patrick’s mind and give Jane the financial breathing room she desperately needs to focus on loving and caring for her husband. Every single dollar goes directly to Jane and Patrick as beneficiaries to help keep them afloat during this living nightmare.

Jane has brought so much light into our lives by sharing her beautiful art, taking us on virtual tours of her and Patrick’s lovely Cascading Woods gardens, and sharing the pure joy of their "Monkey Brothers," Rikki and Tavi (their beloved cats).

Now, Jane and Patrick are facing an incredibly challenging time and need our help. Let’s come together to show them our deep love and gratitude by providing the financial support they need to get through this sudden crisis.

If you cannot donate, please share this link widely. Thank you for your immense love and support.