Our beloved Renee Gauthier, mom, sister, friend, and dear, dear community member was recently diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. If you’ve ever met Renee, you know what a light she is: one of the most irrepressibly joyful, loving, and truly kind people on Earth. She’s an inspiration to everyone who meets her and witnesses her steadfastly upbeat attitude in the face of some of life’s toughest challenges. Her warmth, laughter, kindness, and grace have touched so many people, and we are devastated that she has to go through this now as well. She’s let us know she’s ready and determined for the likely grueling medical journey ahead, whatever it asks of her, and we, her friends and family, are going to be there with her. We are also hoping that the many people whose lives she’s touched will rally to offer support during this extremely challenging period for her and her family.

**What to do?** **The greatest need right now is financial support.** As Renee prepares to undergo difficult cancer treatment, she will be unable to continue working and will have significant medical and caregiving expenses, ones that will far outpace the coverage provided by her health insurance. By helping her pay bills and supplement lost income, we hope to mitigate the financial strain her treatment will incur, so she can focus on quality of life. Your support will have an immediate impact on Renee’s life by helping pay for treatments, tests, doctor visits, childcare, rent, insurance, transportation, groceries, and countless unknown expenses that we cannot begin to predict now. This fund will let her devote her attention where it most needs to go, navigating treatment, and spending time with her amazing 10-year-old daughter. Any contribution you can offer will go directly toward Renee’s medical and life expenses and will go even further toward providing maybe the only kind of reassurance anyone can give in such a time: that, regardless of what the coming months hold, we are all here together for Renee, in loving support.