Hello,

I would like to appeal for my friend Suzanne Ballard and to ask you to donate to help her out financially to lower her burden. I have known Suzanne for over 9 years. She is a wonderful, kindhearted and intelligent woman.

This is Suzanne’s story in her own words and, how your kind donation would make a huge difference to her situation.

"In 2010, my husband died of cancer and I became a widow. We made our living as organic farmers but after he died, I could not do it alone. Because of our financial situation, most all of 12 years of savings was taken by medical expenses and I had very little dollars to fall back on.

My relationship with my mother in law was not particularly cordial and after my husband died, she decided she didn't think I belonged on the family property, so I was asked to leave.

It took me several years to find my way again but I did. I was offered a job, doing what I had done previously but it was 3000 miles from my family but I took the job. It was the right decision for me at that time. Three years later, my elderly parents started to suffer from ill health and I decided I was just too far away from them and needed to help my brother with their care. I quit my job and moved back to my hometown to do that, living in my parents’ home so that I can be available for them if needed.

The town I live in is very small and jobs are not plentiful. Even though I had had a career in finance and then in farming, my skills were just not employable here. My age was also a factor and after two years of searching and getting nowhere, I just gave up trying to find a job. My sole income comes from my social security payment. Ordinarily, I could live on this money but in 2017, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer and am no longer able I am on my 3rd type of treatment. I have experienced several other significant health issues, which are ongoing, that have nothing to do with the cancer, but are rather auto-immune conditions, triggered by the medications I was given for the cancer. I have medical expenses that are not always covered by my insurance. Because of that, I live month to month without a financial cushion to fall back on.

I lost my husband, my home and my livelihood all as a result of the event of his death.

I am so grateful to all the people who reach out to help me. The love and support I get is humbling and it restores my faith in humanity, which is so often fragile these days, given the state of the world. I believe in the power of love and I always will.”