My name is Abby Dixon and I am raising funds for my longtime friend, Erin Conner, who was recently diagnosed with ALS. Erin and I have worked together (in some capacity) for over 20 years, and she has always been the planner, no, an actual meeting planner, who somehow keeps everything and everyone moving with kindness, humor, and her calm nature.

Over the last year, Erin started noticing she couldn’t physically do the things that once came so naturally: sprinting through airports, working 18-hour days on her feet, and standing for hours to make events run seamlessly. While Erin is still the magic behind the scenes, she’s now struggling with her balance, muscular strength, and endurance. My heart breaks knowing that after finally buying her new home (after years of renting), the space that should be her sanctuary is not yet safe for her changing needs. Erin would never want to be taken down by a bathtub or a few stairs to her front door—she’s way too tough for that.

We are hoping to raise $50,000 to help Erin cover urgent home modifications and mobility equipment so she can live as safely and independently as possible at home. ALS is a brutal disease, and it’s already overwhelming to cope with the diagnosis, treatment, and constant doctor’s visits. I don’t want her to also carry the burden of worrying how she will find the funds to make her home safe.

Right now, the most urgent needs are bathroom renovations and safe access to her home. This will require taking down a wall and installing an accessible shower, so she doesn’t have to step in and out of a bathtub, which is a serious fall risk. She also needs ramps, and a motorized wheelchair so she can enter and exit her home without fear of falling. These changes are needed as soon as possible to protect her day-to-day safety.

If you don’t know Erin personally, she is the person who listens, mentors, cracks the perfect joke at the perfect time, and shows up for others in big and small ways. She has done countless fundraisers to raise money for so many organizations, always putting others first.

For me, Erin is the friend who would fly to Chicago and bring me home Garrett’s Popcorn just because. She’s also the one who, when we were at the Eventi Hotel in New York, somehow tracked down a piece of artwork I fell in love with—a glorious green glass egg with chicken legs—and surprised me with it as a wedding gift. That silly, wonderful egg was in my engagement photos, at my wedding, and has quietly “coached” me through the last 20 years, just like Erin has.

Now it’s our turn to show up for her.

If you could please consider donating and sharing as if you are doing it for your best friend, sister, GG, or aunt, I would be so grateful. A few dollars would help so very much, and sharing this fundraiser with your network would be amazing. Thank you for taking the time to read this. It means so much to Erin, who is far too selfless to ask for herself—but I’m not. I want to show her how much people care, even complete strangers who are kind enough to share this post.

Thank you, Erin, for always being the ones that had our back. Now I want you to know we have yours.