It might sound like a cliche, but it’s true: We here at Submerge are a family. It’s just a small group of us who put out each issue every other week, and long before we started working on this publication, we were friends first. Contributing Editor Mandy Johnston has been with Submerge from almost the very beginning. She’s not only one of the best line/copy editors I’ve ever worked with, but her sense of humor has been the main reason why we haven’t cracked under deadline pressure. In addition to helping us edit every other weekend, she also contributes the occasional interview, most notably this one with celebrity chef/writer Anthony Bourdain, which Bourdain himself shared the link to over Twitter.

Recently, Mandy was diagnosed with stage 2B cervical cancer. It came as quite a shock to all of us, but in typical Mandy fashion, her sense of humor and positive outlook hasn’t wavered from day one. We’re happy to report that she has finished up her chemo therapy and is currently undergoing the last rounds of radiation.

Though she’s just about done kicking cancer’s ass, she could still use our help. Hospital bills and incidental costs (traveling, missed work and whatnot) are starting to pile up. A good friend of Mandy’s set up a donation page for her >>here<<. The fundraising goal is close to being met, but the deadline for donations is Friday, Sept. 14. We wanted to put the word out to Submerge readers to see if we can make that goal a reality. Anything you can give would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! You’re the best readership in the WORLD (we’re totally not trying to butter you up…it’s true)!