Eileen Carson and Mark Schatz: news update

A year ago it was reported that Eileen Carson, leader of the Footworks dance team and wife of award-winning bassist Mark Schatz, had been diagnosed with aggressive pancreatic cancer. To help the couple against medical expenses and loss of performing income, a GoFundMe site with an initial target of $50,000 (later raised to $75,000) was set up.

Last week it was announced that surgery and chemotherapy have been unable to stop the cancer's progress, and that the medical goal now is to alleviate the symptoms. The response of Mark and Eileen to this news has been more positive than many of us could imagine; details can be read on Laura Ruth Lewis's GoFundme update. With continuing and mounting expenses, the GoFundMe target has been raised to $100,000, of which nearly $90,000 has already been donated.

Update 6 June: Donations have now exceeded $100,000.