Hello, and thank you so much for taking the time to read this. I’m fundraising for my good friend Heather; her and her daughter are facing an overwhelming health crisis that is turning into a financial crisis. She would never ask for help herself, but right now she urgently needs it to keep her daughter safe, keep a roof over their heads, and survive what's coming next.

Here’s what Heather is facing:

• 18 months ago, Heather survived a ruptured brain aneurysm that required emergency brain surgery and months of rehabilitation to relearn how to talk and walk. Recently, doctors discovered another blood vessel that is dangerously unstable, and she is awaiting a second brain surgery in the coming weeks.

• 15 months ago, Heather’s 15-year-old daughter, Emma, became critically ill with a severe eating disorder. She has already required a month-long hospitalization and intensive medical intervention, including a feeding tube to stabilize her. Unfortunately, without ongoing professional support, she relapsed shortly after returning home. The publicly funded outpatient treatment options are scarce and overwhelmed, with wait lists exceeding a year. Emma is too sick to wait for treatment; eating disorders have the highest rate or mortality of all mental health disorders and she’s so, so sick. To keep Emma from sinking deeper into her disorder, Heather has had to seek private treatment costing nearly $1,800 per month. Her treatment cannot stop without serious risk to Emma’s health, and she will likely need to continue therapy for 12-18mos.

Right now, Emma is still incredibly fragile. She hasn’t been able to attend school, requires round-the-clock support and supervision, and Heather has had to take a leave from her nursing career to care for her full-time. As a single mother, this has left her with almost no income while facing enormous medical and living expenses.

This situation is urgent; there is no safety net left. Heather has depleted every source of savings available to her to pay for Emma’s treatment. Without immediate support this mom and her daughter will lose the stability of their home while fighting for their lives.

Her daughter’s treatment is essential. Her own life-saving brain surgery cannot be delayed. Their mortgage still needs to be paid. She is an incredibly strong and loving mother doing everything she can to keep her daughter alive while fighting her own health battle at the same time, but she is overwhelmed by the financial and emotional stress and simply cannot do it alone any longer.

She is a kind, thoughtful human, and has spent her entire adult life caring for others. Every dollar truly makes a difference. Your support will help them keep their home, ensure Emma continues to receive the treatment she needs, and give Heather the ability to focus on healing and caring for her child without losing everything.

If you are able to contribute—no matter how small—please know your kindness is deeply appreciated. If you cannot donate, sharing this fundraiser would mean the world and is also a powerful gift.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading, caring, and helping give Heather and Emma hope during the hardest time of their lives.

(To protect Emma's privacy I have only uploaded a picture of Heather shortly after her first brain surgery).