her story
Izzy had a gift for lighting up every room she walked into. She was warm, generous, and endlessly devoted to the people she loved. Always the first to offer a hug and the last to put herself first.
Around 2022, Izzy began experiencing persistent stomach issues and was losing more weight than she realized. At the time, she was a young woman building her career in social media in Los Angeles, and she attributed the changes to a cleaner diet and the demands of a busy lifestyle. When anxiety and depression surfaced for the first time, she assumed it was simply the cost of being a young adult in a stressful world. None of it ever pointed her toward a doctor.
After roughly a year of these symptoms, Izzy woke up on March 27, 2023, with what seemed like a stomach bug her roommates had also come down with. She spent most of the day resting, but was still fully herself: texting family and friends, being silly, looking forward to what was ahead. That night, her small intestine perforated, sending her into immediate cardiac arrest. Emergency responders kept her alive until she reached the hospital, but she never regained consciousness. She passed away on March 29, 2023.
Her cause of death was septic shock. Doctors determined she had likely been living with an undiagnosed chronic condition, such as Crohn's disease, that had quietly caused an infection in her small intestine, ultimately taking her life.
Had Izzy known in 2022 what we know now, she would have sought medical care immediately. In all likelihood, it would have saved her life.
Hug Ur Friends Foundation exists because of Izzy, and for every young person who deserves the chance to grow old. We are here to help young adults take their health seriously, understand that serious illness does not discriminate by age, and connect them with the resources they need. Being young is not a shield from life-threatening conditions; it is an opportunity. We want to help everyone protect it.
