I see you’ve committed to sharing her story. That’s terrific, thank you. Is it conditional on her removal of your name from this post? Because - I think it would be very brave to preface your share by saying how saddened you were to see this, and you realized you could easily help a colleague, wished you did it sooner, and you’re doing it now. Aren’t you a little bit annoyed that people have to live in cardboard boxes and cars in *our country*, and that most bankruptcy filings are for emergency health situations/medical care?

It seems like you do a lot of good things, and as if you’re someone who truly respects and understands what Shannon is doing: everything she can think of to provide for her child and achieve better health. Medical care, and all the ancillary non-medical but related things that go with it (OMG have you ever taken care of someone or had pre & post-surgical treatments? You spend a fortune on gas, travel, special pillows, ice packs, meals if you can’t stand long enough to cook/aren’t weight bearing, special bandages/wraps, durable medical equipment, etc) is so costly, and she’s the only adult in the home. She may need to pay for assistance in her home/childcare.

I’m sure you’ve noticed (writers are observant) people don’t swarm around to help young women the way they do injured men or the elderly. I think it’s because usually it’s the younger women who are the caretakers.

I’m not a follower of your work, but it sounds to me as if you have a huge platform and a large following. Why not challenge yourself and use your tried & true techniques for success to see how much you can raise on Shannon’s behalf in a week? Attract the outcome you claim to support: help a fellow writer have surgery to regain use of her legs by actively encouraging fundraising efforts.