Medical Aid for Ciarra Black's Fight against MS

Chloe and Ireen are starting this fundraiser for one of our closest friends, musician and DJ Ciarra Black. In October of this past year, after experiencing unexplainable symptoms, she was diagnosed with the debilitating neurological disease Multiple Sclerosis (MS). During the past several months, the disease has progressed, and during this time she has used all of the financial resources available to her. As friends who love her, we want to raise money for Ciarra to afford living expenses and excess medical costs so she can focus on healing while she continues to be unable to work.

An electronic musician from New York City who had been living in Germany as a touring artist and DJ, Ciarra started suffering from a host of unexplained ailments in the spring / summer of 2022: bad falls, dizzy spells, crippling migraines that forced her to cancel gigs at the last minute, and a sprained ankle that never seemed to heal. She went to multiple German doctors who weren't able to detect an underlying cause. Eventually she decided to go back to New York to seek care.

In October of 2023, Ciarra was referred to a neurologist, leading to tests and MRIs that revealed active demyelinating lesions in her brain and spine. After additional testing, high doses of steroids, and a spinal tap, Ciarra’s MS diagnosis was confirmed. She has since begun aggressive treatment, including disease modifying infusion therapy, occupational and physical therapy, as well as many ongoing visits with a team of specialists at NYU Langone Hospital.

Following her diagnosis, Ciarra’s life has been put on hold as the quick progression of the disease has taken a significant toll on her daily life and capabilities. Damage from the disease has impacted her walking and mobility, cognitive and motor functions, use of her hands and dexterity, and many other chronic debilitating symptoms. Although research and treatments for MS have come far over the years, the doctors suspect Ciarra has had this underlying disease for a decade or more resulting in an accumulation of progressive damage. MS is an incredibly unpredictable disease and it is hard to say what symptoms will improve and what symptoms will progress.

The past year has been isolating and scary for her as she's reimagined new ways of navigating through life and coming to terms with an uncertain future. Unable to work, she's spent her time going to doctor's appointments and trying to focus on healing and staying positive. Still, the stress of not having a safety net has really affected her well being, since stress is a major factor in the progression of MS.

Anyone who has had the privilege of meeting Ciarra can attest to what a strong and vibrant force she is; not just a pivotal member of the global experimental and dance music community, she's also a prominent and fierce voice for political justice and human rights, and on a personal level, an unwaveringly loyal friend (and dog mom!). She has DJed and made music in various bands and solo outfits for more than 15 years, and shortly before her diagnosis, was awarded a residency with the esteemed performance arts venue Pioneer Works, where she worked on advancing her knowledge of spatial sound design and passing her skills along to students.

There's so much more Ciarra wants to do with her life and career. Having gone through a painful moment during a flareup with her hands in which she had severe difficulty using her synthesizers, she became interested in exploring new forms of accessibility for disabled musicians. Although she has good days and bad days with her hands—and many of her MS symptoms—she feels hopeful and determined to return to the stage and the studio. She is also interested to continue research and training to promote accessibility tools for other disabled musicians as well.

As friends who love her, we want to raise money for Ciarra to focus on healing while she continues to be unable to work, and eventually pursue her dreams while living with the reality of MS. Please donate any amount you can to help a special person who is making the world a better place. Every cent for Ciarra counts <3