Food writer Michele Anna Jordan, battling oral shingles, asks for help
Food writer Michele Anna Jordan, battling oral shingles, asks for help
The Press Democrat's longtime food writer has started a GoFundMe campaign to help her deal with the financial fallout from the illness.
Longtime Sebastopol resident and Press Democrat food writer Michele Anna Jordan has been very public about her struggle with oral and facial shingles, which came on in late June and is only now (just barely) showing signs of subsiding.
Shingles is an intensely painful condition, and having it in one's mouth is doubly problematic because it makes it almost impossible to eat without searing pain.
"A painful irony," Jordan said, given that she makes her living as a food writer.
Jordan could barely eat for months; sipping whole milk or watermelon juice through a straw was all she could manage for the first six weeks of the ordeal.
And it shows - she's a wisp of her former self.
"I lost weight from head to toe," she said.
Because of her illness, she also hasn't been able to work very much over the last several months and that means, alas, that her bank account is also a wisp of its former self.
Facing a rent rise in January and bills piling up, she did something that doesn't come naturally to her: she asked for financial help.
Three days ago, Jordan began a GoFundMe, asking for $9,000, which she thinks will see her through until late winter, when she plans to launch a new business offering editorial services. (Editor’s note: Since this article was published, she raised her request to $13,500. As of the morning of November 11, her GoFundMe had raised over $10,300.)
"I did a test run about 10 days ago, asking people what they thought and letting them know that I was going to be doing this," she said. "I got an overwhelmingly positive response."
So she took the plunge.
She mentioned the GoFundMe on her Facebook - where she has 4,000+ friends - and much to her suprise, money came pouring in from friends and supporters who've appreciated her work over the years.
In addition to her work for the Press Democrat, Jordan has written cookbooks and had a radio program called "Mouthful" at KRCB for over 20 years. (She began her career writing for an earlier incarnation of The Sebastopol Times.)
Just last night, her GoFundMe got a $1,000 contribution from an old friend from elementary school - someone she hadn’t seen in decades. Most donations are smaller than that, of course, and Jordan says she's grateful for every single one.
And speaking of taking the plunge, Jordan has some advice for those who've been putting off getting the Shingles vaccine.
"Get the vaccination!" she said. "If your insurance doesn’t cover it, check several pharmacies, as there are sometimes deals. Stress is the primary trigger and anyone living in the US right now is living with a lot of stress."
If you would like to donate to her GoFundMe, go here. You can also follow her progress on Facebook or at her website.