Fundraiser for Sarah Rice

As many of you know, Sarah has been battling a brain tumor for what has now been 11 years. Sarah has faced this tumor with incredible, persistent courage, in spite of its harrowing toll, devastating reiterations and debilitating effects.

As much as she wishes she didn’t need to ask for it, those of us close to Sarah know that she pressingly needs our help for some medical costs and other financial essentials she cannot do without.

We would be so grateful if you could contribute whatever you can to help alleviate Sarah’s financial burden. In particular, her medical insurance has stopped covering essential doctor visits without which she stops being able to see or walk, and her computer, without which she cannot edit photos or take on assignments, has broken down.

Sarah cringes at sharing too much of what the last few years have actually been like for her, but for those wondering, this is just a tiny glimpse of what our badass, super talented, brave friend has gone through.

For over a decade, fighting to be alive and as functional as possible has involved Sarah undergoing two brain surgeries, hundreds of doctor visits, participation in a grueling clinical trial, and daily medication and injections most of us would wince at the very idea of.

Two years ago, in one of the latest efforts to combat this tumor, Sarah underwent radiation that involved the physical clamping of her neck and doctors drilling three holes into her head. As so often happens in these situations, the effects of treatment on Sarah’s functioning have been on a par with the effects of the tumor itself.

Among many other side effects she has had to find ways to live with, for the last two years, Sarah has experienced the chronic seizing up of her neck, blinding migraines, an extreme sensitivity to light and a persistent loss of vision that have had her lying in a basement, mask on, unable to go outside for weeks – sometimes months – on end.

Throughout, and as usual, Sarah has remained devoted to photography. On the days she could carve out the ability to see and walk, she took on assignments for outlets like the New York Times and worked on a grant she won from the National Geographic, making the most beautiful of images and fighting to create empathy through her work for others.

But work, and making ends meet, have inevitably taken a backseat to fighting for a base level of health. As a freelancer, Sarah is not entitled to proper governmental support through disability payments. Sarah’s biggest source of support is her community. It’s us.

Please do chip in with anything you can, so we can alleviate some of Sarah’s burden. We are so grateful for your support!