Dear Friends of Dawn

Dear Friends of Dawn,

As you probably know by now, Dawn's health has been of great concern. She was finally able to secure a diagnosis. I'm afraid the news is not good. She has cancer in its fourth stage. Its origin is unknown, but has spread to occupy her lungs and liver. This means she is in for a difficult time over the coming months.

Dawn's approach is that she is ready for the fight! I am too. But how can I help? It's been hard for me to know how best to help her wonderful parents, sisters and brother during this time. I know each of you wants to help somehow too. So, with Dawn and her family, I've worked on a list of a variety of ways that we can assist. Of course, Dawn is equally grateful if you are able to send any prayers, good thoughts, cosmic energy - whatever you happen to have to offer.

In addition to all the work ahead for Dawn's recovery, there is also the matter of Dawn's financial survival. Dawn is one of America's gifted artists who, because the cost is totally prohibitive, is uninsured. The American health care system has completely let her down. It let her down several years ago, when she first noticed some sensitivities in her stomach - but couldn't afford to go to the doctor. It let her down again and again as she talked herself out of needing the help of a costly physician, even though her symptoms were troubling. And, it's letting her down now as she waits too long to see an oncologist and is asked to do mountains of paperwork at a time when she is scarcely able to make herself a sandwich.

So...(excuse me while I step down from my soapbox), I believe, we can work together to help Dawn in the immediate future with an online auction of some of Dawn's artwork (more details to follow). We can help with a Prayer Circle (see details at right). And we can help with warm meals, with rides, with good wishes. I will be emailing you the list of ways we can take some of the burden off her family.

Furthermore, I believe we can work together to help change this broken system - Let's start by contacting our senators and letting them know how we feel about this issue. Addresses, phone numbers and web links are on this page.

If you would like to contact Dawn, feel free to do so! She would love to hear from you. She will be monitoring (and even contributing) to this blog. So, send your wishes here or to her email at pdbuffalo@juno.com

Many thanks,
Kristin Kelly
kkellyknits@gmail.com