Help Our Friend Rev. Deb Berman

Hi Everyone! This is Deb Berman with an update:

The cancer journey continues. I still need your help. Will you help me?

I have a pretty good attitude that 2024 is the year of lost organs. Gah!

This October will mark 1 year of my cancer diagnosis date. The cancer surgery was successful so far, as far as we know (fingers crossed!) but relapse is a possible so we are monitoring it.

The recovery process has been long and painful and fraught and I developed a dangerous infection and blood clot. Then, with my ovaries removed, I went into immediate severe medical menopause which was debhilitating for months and for which there was no treatment. I am in physical therapy and recovery activities daily and at the oncology hospital 2-5 times per month for symptom management and tests.

I am feeling much better in the last 3 weeks thanks to an amazing new drug. But I do not sleep because I am super stressed about having gone though most of my savings in the last year of illness. I need help to dig out. I am not married, I do not have a partner here to help, I have no available immediate family to help). I had to quickly leave my marriage in 2020 and had to leave everything I own behind. I was rebuilding my life well and then I got cancer and have to start over yet again. My oncology social work team is amazing, and they have encouraged to me ask you for help again to rebuild and to ask for what I need. They pointed out that I have lived a life of service, not money, and that maybe it is OK to let other people know that I really, seriously need their help right now.

As the one who ministers and counsels, care takes and comforts, organizer and fundraisers for others, I am embarrassed to ask for help, but I do not see another way to even begin to dig my way out of this.

With love,

Deb

UPDATE: Deb is recovering slowly from the big cancer surgery and from the dangerous abscess and blot clot that happened a few weeks later. She is slowly feeling better every day. But these many months of being sick and on medical leave have been rough on her.

SHE STILL NEEDS OUR HELP.

WE ARE $4000 SHY OF OUR GOAL.

WILL YOU HELP?

Hi! We are Rev. Wendy Oxenhorn and Rev. Andrea Pierce (formerly Andrea Haynes). This GoFundMe page has been put together by us and the Friends of Rev. Deb Berman.

You may know Deb as the feisty founder of PrideMinistry, an affirming spiritual community for LGBTQAI2+, Kink, Poly, Alt Relationship folx, and beloved Allies. ️‍️‍️‍️‍️‍️‍️‍️‍️‍️‍️‍

Our beautiful Rev. Deb has been diagnosed with cancer of the reproductive region.

We had Deb be the "organizer" of this page so the money would go directly to her account and not her friends doing this for her. We also wanted her to be able to receive the loving messages as well as the money contributions set up to help her get through one of the most challenging times one can have in this life.

Deb is one of the most innovative and courageous people we know, having done what we all secretly wish to do, to go and live in Europe and follow our hearts to new lands and new Life. She did this without a partner and without family, without a shred of family money or inheritance, knowing no one, and she built a practice and a business and was flying along beautifully until she began feeling ill a few months ago and found she was able to work less and less. She has been increasingly unable to do even simple tasks due to pain and exhaustion.

Deb needs us now more than ever.

She had her cancer surgery recently. In a three-and-a half hour very big procedure they removed organs and lymph glands. Recover has been difficult and she has had a blood clot and abscess. Deb will be healing for several weeks if not months.

For those of us who know and love Deb, she is someone who has always been there for everyone in their times of crisis. She has committed to live a life of service.

In the World, Rev. Deb is best known as the Founder of PrideMinistry, a groundbreaking, spiritual community to support the journeys of LGBTQ, Kink, Poly , and Ethically Non Monogamous communities. A doctoral-level theologian, Deb is well-known for her scholarship and Affirming counseling practice at the intersection of diverse relationships and spirit.

She has dedicated her life to providing psychotherapy, spiritual, counseling, and social supports to people from diverse identities and is a walking example of love. She has dedicated herself to a life of service and often does pro bono work and donates her time without ever attracting attention to herself.

Deb has created communities and chosen family all around the world.

Her entire Life's work has been about giving and becoming family by helping others.

Now we must be a Family to her!

We also know Deb doesn't love to ask for help (to put it mildly), in fact, she didn't tell many people she was even going through this till recently.

As Deb recouperates at home, please help us surprise her so she can not have the financial worries of bills, rent, and necessities swirling around in her head so that her body can be free just to heal, because we all know that this world needs her to be well!

There are so many who depend on her to get them through this life. But now she needs US!

Please help us reach this goal of 15,000 EUR.

Let's let her know she is NOT alone!

Bless you for caring and helping Our Deb to get through this.

May all the Good you do come back to you in Ways Divine.

With love and deep appreciation,

Rev. Wendy Oxenhorn and Rev. Andrea Pierce (formerly Andrea Haynes) and all of us who love Deb!