Sara's End of Life Fundraiser

As many of you know, Sara Nemecek has battled multiple complex health issues for quite some time. There have been lots of ups and downs with Sara’s health over the years, and there have been more downs than ups recently. Still, the hope was that some healthier times would come along once Sara got through the current series of challenges. Unfortunately, that is not turning out to be the case.

Sara learned recently that not only is the mass on her bladder a rare and very aggressive cancer, but that she has two types of cancer and it has rapidly spread to many other areas in her body. The cancer is incurable and far too advanced for treatment without significant impact on her quality of life, so the focus is now on pain management and comfort care. Sara’s doctor estimates she has six months - at most - left with us here.

While Sara is one of the lucky ones who has health insurance that actually covers most of her medical and hospice costs, there are still many, many end-of-life expenses that are not covered by insurance. Some of these expenses are direct medical needs such as prescription costs, copays, insurance premiums, and medically necessary supplies. Other expenses are related to the loss of income due to the likelihood that Kim will need to miss more work than she has PTO to cover. There are expenses for things that are necessary to make these next few months more manageable - funds to cover house cleaning and yard maintenance expenses, food delivery for days when cooking is just too much, and doggy daycare to ensure the pups are staying active while giving the humans some rest (and quiet time!). Kim and Sara have also hired a death doula who will be a critical support as she guides and coaches Kim and Sara through Sara’s final months. And, Kim and Sara are hoping to go on one last vacation together - to visit Sara’s favorite childhood vacation spot on a beach.

Whether you know Kim and Sara from decades ago or have met one or both of them more recently, your contribution to this campaign will not only show them they have a community that loves them, but it will also provide them the practical support they need to make it through this extremely difficult time. If you’re unable to contribute directly, sharing this link is another great way to help.