Friends In Deed is a non-profit organization headquartered in New York City, founded in 1991 by Cynthia O'Neal and Mike Nichols as a response to the growing[needs update] AIDS crisis[where?].
According to Nichols and O'Neal, Friends In Deed's purpose is to promote the idea that the quality of life does not depend on the circumstances.
[3] In order to help its clients cope with the idea of death, Friends In Deed focuses on being "present-minded": giving people a sense of perspective about their illness, discouraging them from living in a state of rage or negativity.
[4][5] Jonathan Larson, the author and composer of the Pulitzer Prize winning musical RENT, attended several Friends In Deed meetings shortly after the group's founding in 1991.
The "Life Support" group in the RENT musical is based on Larson's experiences with Friends In Deed, including explicit references to the Friends In Deed philosophy (e.g. "no day but today," the question of losing one's dignity, etc.)