Andy Illes' Medical Fund
Donation protected
Dear friends,
Many of you know and love Andy Illes. She's touched all of us in one way or another.
My first introduction to Andy was in 2010 when she first shot for us as a freelancer at the magazine. Andy and I were instant friends-her magnetic personality and vibrancy drew me in. In 2011 she came to visit me in PA and photographed my family. Those pictures of when Liv was tiny captured the moments I cherish the most.
Andy has captured many equally important moments for all of you, friends. Some of those moments were with your Morgan horses, some of your children have been photographed by Andy's lens on the eve of entrance to grade school or their graduation from high school. Her ability to capture emotion, namely love, through photography is unprecedented. We have been touched by Andy's enthusiasm for life through her photographs, her friendships, and her good works. She is "Our Andy."
When people in the Morgan industry are in need, Andy has made their lives just a little easier by fundraising for them. I can think of two major campaigns she's completed since I've known her that helped families stricken by cancer.
Andy also rescues dogs. She devotes an enormous portion of her resources to fostering and re homing dogs that have ended up in kill shelters in the South. Her two beloved pups are rescues, themselves. I have always been in awe of her ability to love her fosters so completely, and then give them up for adoption. She’s told me that if she can’t give them up, she can’t help more animals in need. Andy is selfless.
Everything about Andy is bright and upbeat. She radiates positivity and light, and she is unrelenting in her ability to find the best in people.
Something you might not know about Andy is that she lives nearly every moment of life in an extraordinary amount of pain. She is plagued with debilitating headaches that defy treatment and medication. She's had four brain surgeries in her young life.
Earlier this summer Andy met with a panel of doctors in Long Island at the Chiari Institute, the only hospital in the world that specializes in what Andy has, who thought they might be able to help her with her very complicated health issues. They told her that she'd need another brain surgery this fall, or her lifespan would be drastically decreased. But she needed to pay $80,000 to get the ball rolling.
So Andy sold her home and all of her possessions and moved in with her sister, in order to make the payment. She's scheduled photo shoots of all sorts, trying to make enough money to have the necessary operation. She has health insurance, but she has to pay 20% out of pocket.
Last Monday, October 26, Andy had her surgery. She was due to come home this weekend, but her recovery has been agonizing and frightful. She was in the ICU for three days longer than expected and doesn't know how long she'll need to stay in the neuro unit at the hospital. She is in an extraordinary amount of pain and worries about how she'll pay for the additional hospital bills that are accruing.
But through it all she remains Our Andy.
She is smiling through her tears and looking forward to resuming her life amount her Morgan family.
You may not have heard, because she is so modest, but National Geographic has asked her to spend a week next summer shooting grizzly bears and wolves in Alaska for their magazine.
Andy desperately wants to return to good health so she can hold her camera and capture the light she sees in this world.
Her medical bills have become unmanageable. She can't help but think about them when really she should just be focusing on getting well. She has just decided to sell her saddle and all of her riding equipment.
With Andy's permission I've started a GoFundMe. All of the money donated will go directly to pay Andy's astronomical medical bills. Please consider donating what you can to help Our Andy. She, who so willingly helps everyone else, is in need of our help now. This is our chance to give back to her.
Many of you know and love Andy Illes. She's touched all of us in one way or another.
My first introduction to Andy was in 2010 when she first shot for us as a freelancer at the magazine. Andy and I were instant friends-her magnetic personality and vibrancy drew me in. In 2011 she came to visit me in PA and photographed my family. Those pictures of when Liv was tiny captured the moments I cherish the most.
Andy has captured many equally important moments for all of you, friends. Some of those moments were with your Morgan horses, some of your children have been photographed by Andy's lens on the eve of entrance to grade school or their graduation from high school. Her ability to capture emotion, namely love, through photography is unprecedented. We have been touched by Andy's enthusiasm for life through her photographs, her friendships, and her good works. She is "Our Andy."
When people in the Morgan industry are in need, Andy has made their lives just a little easier by fundraising for them. I can think of two major campaigns she's completed since I've known her that helped families stricken by cancer.
Andy also rescues dogs. She devotes an enormous portion of her resources to fostering and re homing dogs that have ended up in kill shelters in the South. Her two beloved pups are rescues, themselves. I have always been in awe of her ability to love her fosters so completely, and then give them up for adoption. She’s told me that if she can’t give them up, she can’t help more animals in need. Andy is selfless.
Everything about Andy is bright and upbeat. She radiates positivity and light, and she is unrelenting in her ability to find the best in people.
Something you might not know about Andy is that she lives nearly every moment of life in an extraordinary amount of pain. She is plagued with debilitating headaches that defy treatment and medication. She's had four brain surgeries in her young life.
Earlier this summer Andy met with a panel of doctors in Long Island at the Chiari Institute, the only hospital in the world that specializes in what Andy has, who thought they might be able to help her with her very complicated health issues. They told her that she'd need another brain surgery this fall, or her lifespan would be drastically decreased. But she needed to pay $80,000 to get the ball rolling.
So Andy sold her home and all of her possessions and moved in with her sister, in order to make the payment. She's scheduled photo shoots of all sorts, trying to make enough money to have the necessary operation. She has health insurance, but she has to pay 20% out of pocket.
Last Monday, October 26, Andy had her surgery. She was due to come home this weekend, but her recovery has been agonizing and frightful. She was in the ICU for three days longer than expected and doesn't know how long she'll need to stay in the neuro unit at the hospital. She is in an extraordinary amount of pain and worries about how she'll pay for the additional hospital bills that are accruing.
But through it all she remains Our Andy.
She is smiling through her tears and looking forward to resuming her life amount her Morgan family.
You may not have heard, because she is so modest, but National Geographic has asked her to spend a week next summer shooting grizzly bears and wolves in Alaska for their magazine.
Andy desperately wants to return to good health so she can hold her camera and capture the light she sees in this world.
Her medical bills have become unmanageable. She can't help but think about them when really she should just be focusing on getting well. She has just decided to sell her saddle and all of her riding equipment.
With Andy's permission I've started a GoFundMe. All of the money donated will go directly to pay Andy's astronomical medical bills. Please consider donating what you can to help Our Andy. She, who so willingly helps everyone else, is in need of our help now. This is our chance to give back to her.
Organizer and beneficiary
Abbie Trexler
Organizer
Pembroke, MA
Andy Illes
Beneficiary