Author Caitlin R. Kiernan keeps a fairly active blog, but has avoided posting about her personal life. Recently, however, she announced that “For several years now, I have been suffering seizures, which have become much more severe since a bad one back in October. At this time, the seizures are believed to be non-epileptic. Probably, I am told, these fits are PNES, or psychogenic non-epileptic seizures. At first, the seizures were believed to be epileptic, and finding out they probably are not was something, at least. They seem to be triggered by periods of extreme stress and exhaustion, and there’s been far too much of both for quite some time now.… There was a particularly bad seizure in October and during it I cracked two upper molars, which have since become infected.” As a freelance writer, she is without health insurance, “so, the reason that I’m finally writing about all this here… is that a) it has had an enormous impact on my ability to work recently, leading to the extension of my deadline on Joey Lafaye, and b) I need to ask readers for just a little assistance with the medical expenses I am presently incurring. Nothing fancy. But if you can bid in our eBay auctions, or if you can afford a subscription to Sirenia Digest, or hell, even if it’s only buying new copies of my novels in a bookshop or from Amazon to help ensure they stay in print, anything of the sort would be enormously appreciated. Truly, every little bit helps.”
Twenty-four hours later, she wrote: “I don’t know where to begin, really. Since my entry yesterday, there have been so many kind comments and offers to help, and suggestions, and eBay bids, and I’m a little flummoxed and humbled. I’m extremely grateful, more than anything else.”
Her current eBay auctions are listed here, and she has set up a PayPal donations box, noting, “All donations to this account will go directly to cover the medical/dental expenses I am presently incurring due to the ongoing PNES seizures.”
Kiernan is still updating her blog regularly, and giving more details on items for sale and the response she’s been receiving. SFScope wishes her well, and hopes this article helps.
Kiernan is the winner of several International Horror Guild awards, and the author of novels such as Daughter of Hounds, The Five of Cups, and Silk.