Building a bridge of support for the next 12 months, providing for essential needs, care, specialised nutrition, pain relief, and stability during a season of significant health decline.

Introduction

“For many years, Andō has quietly supported others through spiritual guidance, writing, and deep listening. Today, she and her wife Willow are facing a profound health and financial crisis — and they need the support of their community to navigate the difficult months ahead.”

— Jyoti Graziano.

A message from Andō & Willow

Dear friends, Sangha, readers, clients, students, and supporters,

For years, my life has been dedicated to serving others through silence and contemplation. Today, with a heavy heart but an open spirit, I find myself in a position where I must learn to be served.

As some of you may know, since my breast cancer diagnosis in early 2022, my wife Willow and I have been quietly navigating a complex and increasingly serious health journey. We did our best to face these challenges privately and with gratitude, but we have now reached a point where we need the support of our wider community.

My first chemotherapy treatment caused severe toxicity, leaving me hospitalised for 11 days with neutropenic sepsis and organ complications. Because of the extreme reaction of my body, all further chemotherapy and targeted cancer treatments had to be permanently suspended, meaning that if the cancer returns, those treatments will no longer be available to me.

After three major surgeries between 2022 and 2023, my health has continued to decline. The toxicity and sepsis caused lasting organ damage and neurological complications, leaving me with chronic pain, visceral neuropathy, and severe neurological hypersensitivity.

Over the past year and a half, my cognitive abilities have also deteriorated. After years of neurological testing, doctors have now identified cognitive decline and small vessel disease, and are investigating the possibility of early-onset dementia or another rare neurological condition.

Complications from a failed surgery have also left me with serious swallowing difficulties, meaning I must transition to a soft and eventually liquid diet. I am currently under the care of eight different consultants and attend hospital or GP appointments two to four times each week.

Daily life has become increasingly difficult, and tasks that once came naturally now require enormous effort. Even creating this crowdfunding campaign has only been possible with the support and encouragement of dear friends, as the past year has been overwhelming in many ways.

The need for a 12 month bridge

My wife Willow, 64, works three 12 hour shifts each week as a care assistant in a nursing home supporting residents with severe dementia. Despite her dedication, her minimum wage income alone cannot cover our living costs, mounting medical expenses, and the debt accumulated during the past four years of illness.

As my health declines, I increasingly rely on Willow to drive me to appointments, advocate for me in medical settings, and support daily life — especially when cognitive difficulties make communication or memory unreliable.

How your support will help

With the encouragement of dear friends, we are asking for help to create a 12-month bridge of stability while we navigate these health challenges.

Your donations will support:

Financial stability — covering essential living costs while we reapply for disability support (a process that can take up to a year), and clearing urgent arrears and accumulated debt from years of illness.

Medical care and nutrition — specialised superfood-based nutrition for the transition to a liquid diet, and pain management therapies that my body can tolerate but which are not covered by healthcare.

Travel to appointments — transport and parking costs for frequent hospital visits.

Supporting Willow in supporting me — enabling her, over time, to reduce her shifts (taking Thursdays off) so she can provide essential weekday support and attend medical appointments with me.

Legal preparation — setting up Lasting Power of Attorney so Willow can manage health and financial matters if needed.

Stability and security — having led a somewhat peripatetic life for many years until my cancer led us to sink our roots, your support will enable us to feel more secure when new financial pressures arise. Our rented home is currently our greatest security, as we have never owned a home, and have no buffer, nothing to cash in, even in an emergency.

Therapeutic practices — tuition in Tai Chi and Qi Gong, and contemplative music practice to help maintain mobility, mental wellbeing, and a sense of calm presence during this time.

Donors, please note that GoFundMe has set an opening goal of £9,000, which will see us through the first 4 to 6 months, depending on what unfolds, with the overall goal is set to £25,000 to see us beyond the first year. GoFundMe will automatically update it once donations pass the opening goal.

Walking together

For over 15 years, my life has been dedicated to service through contemplative practice and spiritual accompaniment, including the online community gathered around my work at Silentium and through Quiet Sessions.

Now I find myself in a position where I must learn to receive the support of the community that has grown around this work.

Any support — whether through a donation, sharing this page, or simply holding us in your prayers — means more to us than words can express.

Thank you for walking alongside us during this time.

With deep gratitude and love,

Andō & Willow