Set Ellie Free

We are friends of Ellie Rose McKee, mundanely known as Ellie Herron, and we are fundraising to help Ellie establish a new life that is safe and secure.

For as long as we have known Ellie, she has worn many hats. She is a writer and editor who has created original novels such as Full Term; short stories like those collected in Girl, Imperilled; poems published in a variety of places; and a huge collection of joyful fanfiction works that have brought peace and happiness to many readers. She loves to tell stories with positive endings -- though there may be some angst along the way -- and new stories burst from her like Niagara Falls. As an artist, she favors bright mermaid colors, rich textures, and playful whimsy (see the cover image), often offering her work as gifts and hoping to continue her studies and hone her skills at a local university soon. As a friend, she is fiercely loyal and supportive, giving generously of her time and energy to express her love. She adores her pets, loves to manage and organize for anyone who will let her, and sometimes even allows herself a cup of tea.

She has also been living in an environment of horrendous emotional abuse and exploitation for many years. She has been manipulated, terrorized, and physically restrained, and she has had enough.

Ellie is finally striking out on her own, and while she is bringing the same energy, determination, and positivity to her new life as she has always dedicated to others, she is also without significant resources, is hampered by chronic illness, and has three beloved pets (Giles, Gizmo, and Grogu) to provide with a safe home. While she is insistent on finding a path forward in which she is fully independent, she is still in need of starter funds to pay the deposit on a new apartment, support herself and her pets until she can find employment, and replace things she has been forced to leave behind and cannot safely retrieve.

We love Ellie and cannot leave her to take these frightening steps into uncertainty alone. This fundraiser is being shared privately only with those that we ourselves know, love, and trust to support our vision of an Ellie unfettered - a Girl No Longer Imperilled.

We have set a goal based on anticipated expenses and bumped it up to account for unanticipated needs; however we would like nothing better than to double this official goal. The fundraiser will stay open as long as Ellie is establishing herself, and we encourage you to return over time to see how she is doing and perhaps contribute again. While we would love for you to share this fundraiser with individual friends and family that you feel would wish to help, we ask that you also be discreet and not share publicly to ensure Ellie's continued safety.

Ellie is also based in the UK, and while GoFundMe will deposit directly to her, we have been advised that non-UK donors may possibly be charged a foreign bank transfer fee on top of their donation. Please allow for this in your calculations so that you yourself are not caused financial strife. If you have been linked to this fundraiser, we love you, too, and do not wish you any harm for Ellie's sake.

For many, many years, Ellie has grown and blossomed in adversity; we are so excited to see how radiantly she will bloom when she is free.

Thank you!

Gizmo, Grogu, and Giles

Bridget & Holly

and all Ellie's friends who love her