Seeking Gifts for ‘the Giver’

Relatives of Fran Silipo, the former Springs School District clerk who had a stroke in October, have set up a fund-raising page via the website GoFundMe.com to help her with medical costs and day-to-day expenses.

Ms. Silipo has been on an unpaid leave of absence from her job at the Springs School for several months, during which time she has also been unable to pay her mortgage because she was her immediate family’s main breadwinner, according to her niece, Alyson Follenius.

Ms. Follenius said in an interview this week that her aunt is “the giver” in their family, and “now it’s time for us to help her.” Ms. Silipo, she said, has been very involved in the community, including planning and participating in many fund-raisers for other families in need over the years.

“Neither she nor my uncle is the type who would have asked for help like this,” Ms. Follenius said. “As we saw it progress and saw the stress adding up, we had to do something.”

Her family is concerned that the stress may cause Ms. Silipo to have another stroke. Ms. Follenius cited the National Stroke Association in saying that 24 percent of women who have had one stroke have a high chance of suffering a second one within five years. Ms. Silipo has two children in college and has laid out money recently for an attorney in a lawsuit against the Springs School District. However, Ms. Follenius said, the GoFundMe campaign was set up mainly to help with her aunt’s medical costs and pay for things like groceries and utility bills. About $7,000 was raised in the first seven days of the campaign, which has a goal of $50,000.

“Our vision is that anything that we’re able to raise is going to alleviate some financial stress so that she has the space and the time to focus on herself and on healing,” Ms. Follenius said. “It really is touching knowing that people can be so generous. . . . We’re super grateful.”