Site Update

Hi, everyone!

I want to thank you all for the messages and comments, and I want to give you a quick update.

I'm feeling mostly better (finally!), but we just moved to a new house and we still don't have internet. Also, our wedding is in less than three weeks, so we're insanely busy right now

I will be back posting regularly sometime in late May, after our wedding and mini-honeymoon, when we finally get our internet back. Please stay tuned!

xo

Dana

Dishing for Dana - Please Help!

First, a quick note: I'm still sick as a dog and very busy, so I'll be on a blogging hiatus for a few more weeks. Thanks so much for your emails and well wishes; I promise I'll be back as soon as I can.

But enough about me. I am making a quick appearance here on the blog to talk about another Dana. Many of you know that every Saturday, I blog for The Broke-Ass Bride, the fabulous wedding inspiration blog for brides on a budget. Dana and her husband Hunter work their asses off to create this amazing website. She's an amazing, talented, intelligent woman, full of spirit!

Unfortunately, Dana needs our help.


When Dana was 19, she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called uveitis. This means that her immune system doggedly attacks her eyes causing dangerous inflammation, visual disturbances and blurriness. It is incurable and will cause blindness if left untreated.

She also has a very rare deep-tissue form of a disease called granuloma annulare, causing a different type of inflammation in her foot, for which she had surgery last year. It is so rare, she is unable to find a doctor who knows how to treat it moving forward.

She has endured 11 surgeries, at least one, each year, for the past 5 years, to control her diseases and their side effects.

And sadly, just last month, her left eye came out of remission and she learned the devastating news that she will need a 12th surgery to manage the inflammation.

Her surgeries and ongoing care (even with health insurance) have left them in debt, and she is now at a point where, without help, she cannot pay for her medical care. And without the ability to pay for her health-related bills, Dana cannot run The Broke-Ass Bride full-time.  And the end of BAB would be a tragedy.

Dana and Hunter have decided to run an online fundraiser, but they don't just want to take - they want to give back!

So here's the plan:

The Fundraiser

♥ We’re compiling beloved comfort food recipes and the stories behind them from the most bad-ass bloggers and beyond… available in varying forms, in exchange for donations to Dana's medical care.

♥ There are incentives for varying levels of donation, which you can learn about here.

♥ The recipes, photos and stories will be teased on our Dishing for Dana blog, and once a donation is processed, a password to access the full recipes will be released to each donor.

The Goal

♥ $13,000 to cover current medical bills

♥ $6,032 to cover health insurance premiums for the remainder of 2011

♥ $2,000 to donate to the American Autoimmune Related Disease Association toward helping others with autoimmune disease

For a minimum total of $22,000.

The Details

♥ People can donate any amount they choose, no minimum, no rules. Because every quarter is a quarter more than we had yesterday. It all adds up.

♥ We will donate 10% of all proceeds up to our goal, to the American Autoimmune Related Disease Association, so that every dollar contributed not only goes toward my medical care, but also to benefit everyone with autoimmune disease.

♥ Anything raised in excess of the goal will be split 50/50 with the AARDA – our portion of which will be saved in a dedicated, interest-bearing account toward future surgeries and ongoing medical care.

A message from Dana:

"Having this autoimmune disease has formed me into the creative, ambitious and irrepressible woman I am today, and it inspired the birth of The Broke-Ass Bride (and thus, is probably how we came into each other's lives). While no one can yet cure me, the idea that my online community could rally up to ease my condition’s painful and limiting financial side effects… well that gives me hope beyond expression."

If you're able and willing to help, please email dana@brokeassbride.com for more information.

Ready to donate a recipe or $$$?  Then visit Dana's fundraising site: Dishing For Dana for more details.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.  Your generosity is very much appreciated.