Dear Friends, Family, Poets, Lovers of Life and Words,

Two months ago, our dear friend, beloved author and founder of Bent Writing Insitute, Tara Hardy, went to the emergency room. She was extremely fatigued and red spots were appearing on her legs and face. When doctors told her the platelets in her blood were low, so low it was a miracle she had not suffered a sudden brain hemorrhage, she found herself with a sudden life threatening condition. Being both stubborn and proud, Tara only told close friends and struggled to pay for mounting medical bills on a poet’s salary.

Tara is still without an actual diagnosis (auto-immune issues can take years to properly diagnose) but she is in a dire medical struggle, and her entire savings is gone.

We have put together this donation page to help alleviate the financial burden Tara will inevitably face. Tara’s work as a poet, queer activist, and teacher has strengthened so many hearts across this country and we want more than anything to pay it forward. No contribution is too small. We need to raise $10,000 to provide Tara with one year of medical care. Our overall goal is to fundraise as much as we can to help Tara sustain good medical care.

Tara’s local community in Seattle is also organizing a benefit on
February 23 at the Fremont Abbey called BOOST: Poetry to Uplift Your Spirits.

Please consider donating a book of your poems or artwork to be sold at the Seattle BOOST show on February 23rd. Email BOOSTSeattle@gmail.com for more information or to get our mailing address.

If you know Tara, you know she is a fighter; having her community behind her will be a massive help. She cannot do this alone. Donate what you can, spread this message and leave some love for our fierce friend, Tara! We thank you in advance for your contributions and support.

“...show them your heart is a school of fish / a solar system of all moons.”

Sincerely,
Kristina Armenakis
Daemond Arrindell
Patch Avery
Ela Barton
Greg Bee
Sara Brickman
Debbie Carlsen
Elaina Ellis
Karen Finneyfrock
Andrea Gibson
Maya Hersh
Marc Mazique
Rachel McKibbens
Kathleen Nacozy
Sonya Renee
Casey Tonnelly
and everyone here at Bent

To donate online, share comments and support and to find more information, please visit Tara's BOOST page!