Finances: It's time to ask...
Dear friends of Hanna,
As you might have read in the last update about Hanna, she is in a new phase, and so is the need for caregiving. More paid care means more costs, quickly tapping the reserves we accumulated over the last two years.
We’ve mentioned finances many times in the past. Now we’re letting you know: it’s getting real. If you have the means and this is a way you can express your care, we’re looking for donations to continue quality of life and care for Hanna.
So many have given so much, and continue to give in so many ways. And there is so much need in the world these days, near and far. So please, no pressure!
Anyone can donate here using a credit card, PayPal, Venmo or check.
Outside the US? Our donation site “GiveButter” only accepts US$. Here is a handy tool for converting amounts in your currency to a number that works for GiveButter.
Pass it on?
You may know people who would be touched by Hanna’s story and inspired to give, even if they don’t know her directly. We’ve included some ways to share the story and this request below.
Thank you so much. As always, send a note if you have questions or concerns.
-Marc, and the whole Careforce team
Words to get you started when sharing this with others
Treat these as building blocks to help you communicate Hanna's story and this request to others in your world.
As you might have read in the last update about Hanna (https://okaythen.net/march-2025), she is in a new phase, and so is the need for caregiving. Funds are depleting, so I’m reaching out to let people know. If you can, consider sending some coins via this link: https://givebutter.com/hanna-care
Summarizing the story
In March 2023, Pittsburgh artist, writer, social change facilitator and all around luminous human Hanna du Plessis received a terminal diagnosis. Hanna was diagnosed with bulbar onset ALS, a type of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis that started by affecting her breath and speech and has since rendered her quadriplegic, unable to speak, and dependent on 24/7 care. Hanna was told to expect perhaps two years of life. Even as she feels herself starting to “fade,” Hanna has adhered to an ethos of “stubborn joy”—a decision to live while dying and a commitment to continue writing.
To get a sense of Hanna and her story, look at this site: okaythen.net/hanna. The 2024 retrospective post (https://okaythen.net/2024-retrospective) is a great overview of the story.
You can read more about Hanna’s history and work here: https://okaythen.net/hanna-du-plessis/
. . .
Another version
In March 2023, Hanna du Plessis, a Pittsburgh-based artist, writer, social change facilitator and all around luminous human, received a terminal ALS diagnosis. She was given two years to live. Today, Hanna feels herself “fading” but she continues to write, and to yearn for, “only one thing—to be held by my beloveds. But I am held hostage by gravity.”
Giving people the donation link
The costs associated with end of life care are overwhelming. You can contribute to Hanna’s Careforce community by donating directly: http://www.givebutter.com/hanna-care
The story in photographs
Over the last six months, photographer Maranie Rae has become an integral part of life at “The Oasis”—the house where Hanna lives. Maranie shares her photographs on Instagram and Facebook, paired with quotes from Hanna’s writing. Her posts are a wonderful glimpse into Hanna’s life and the life of the “Careforce” community, and a vivid way to communicate what this support means to so many.
Hanna’s book: the impact of support extends far and wide
Hanna’s first book, “Bedsores and Bliss,” has reached many hundreds of readers. It is being used in university courses, gifted, and passed around. The audiobook will be available in the next few weeks, further extending Hanna’s touch. Through the last months Hanna has continued to work on her next book, to be published later this year. And there is more from her in the pipeline.
Which is to say: supporting Hanna’s care is also supporting her ability to continue creating, to continue speaking about authentic wholehearted engagement with life, about the possibility of brave caring relationship and community, facing the past and present harms of our cultures and living into new loving patterns together. She is continuing her work. Others in Careforce are continuing her work in their own way, as Hanna influences us all. There’s high “social return on investment” here. <smile>
Learn more and purchase the book here: https://okaythen.net/bedsores