Supporting Vera As She Moves Forward

On February 5, our dear friend Rob Fishel died of a hemorrhage in his brain stem. His passing was sudden and completely unexpected, with only eight days between his ER admittance and his last breath. He is survived by his family, an enormous collection of friends who cared for him, two very fluffy cats, and his loving wife Vera Alcorn.

His spouse — now widow — Vera is in the position of figuring out what life looks like without Rob by her side, and beyond the emotional upheaval of it, what practical adjustments she needs to make to her career and living situation. Many of us were present with her (in real space or virtually) in those final days, and witnessed her strength and grace as she honored Rob's wishes and made space for his friends and loved ones to say goodbye. This GoFundMe is meant to make this transition period a little easier for her.

This fundraising campaign is meant to provide Vera with a bit more breathing room as she restructures her life without her partner. Vera (a naturopathic physician) is on bereavement leave at the moment and is not seeing any of her usual patients; it's not clear when she will be able to resume work full time. The goal set by this campaign is a calculation of what is needed to pay some of Rob's final medical costs, work through probate and unfinished financial business, and help compensate for lost income (both hers and Rob's) during this difficult time.