Tina's Prague Study Abroad Fund
Donation protected
http://usac.unr.edu/study-abroad-programs/czech-republic/prague
When I was just six years old – my brother four – my mother gave birth to a third child. The doctors told my parents to abort my sister very early because they found she had a complicated heart defect. My parents, being faithful and loving parents, chose to ignore those suggestions. Within the first two months of my sister Sarah’s life she had four open-heart surgeries out of a five-surgery step process called Fontan Surgery at UCSF. Just after the forth-invasive surgery doctors found that one of Sarah’s lungs was no longer functioning.
For those two months, our family moved from weekly spot rental to the next is San Francisco. The kids waiting room full of toys, computers, books, and playmates had become my home. But, the day before we left I could tell something was wrong. Sarah, my family and I were sent home before her last needed surgery because the doctors could no longer help her. My parents were told, “Take her home and love her while you still can. She won’t make it, but she deserves a happy bit of life outside the hospital.”
Via some miracle, Sarah survived life at home and she became our “Angel Baby.” She is 15-years-old today. She has a list of medical issues that put weight on her life including: her single ventricle heart defect, right-sided hemiplegia, a single working lung, a gastrointestinal tube with which she is given medication and fed through, scar tissue and damage on her chest that makes children nervous around her as well as on her heart stopping it from growing correctly.
Sarah cannot go to school because she cannot run the risk of catching an illness from all the germs. She limps due to her right-sided hemiplegia. Sarah still can’t do basic math, and all her friends are above the age of 35 because kids her age, or that look her age, don’t understand her. But, she has the vocabulary of a 45 year old and every day she wears a happier smile on her face than anyone I know. Sarah Ann Riccio is the most positive soul I have seen on the planet, despite what she overcomes daily. Every person she meets is drawn to her beautiful strength.
I proudly wear a tattoo on my right foot that says, “strength of an Angel,” which acts as a daily reminder that I do not live my life just for me but for my little sister as well and if she can live every day happy despite her challenges, none of my challenge should hold me back either. She may never be able to go to college, or live on her own or hold a job like the average American. But, I can; and for her, I will live the best life I can.
Since I came to CSU, Chico I have been a hugely involved student in all aspects of my life. My freshmen year I lived in the honors student dorms (specifically the sustainability house), I have been a hall council representative, a resident advisor at University Village, a volunteer at a senior living facility via Community Action Volunteers in Education (CAVE), an outreach intern at CAVE, Gift Mart Chair for Alpha Delta Pi sorority, I continue to be an honors student, I am a content intern for EPIC Productions, and I have been doing portait photography for many graduating seniors. On top of all these things, I have supported myself through school these three and a half years and worked up to three jobs simultaniously.
I have wanted to study abraod since the moment I began my college experience. But I fell in love with this beautiful city of trees, nice people always holding the door for me, amazing interactive classes and professors, and great friends. I kept pushing it back until this semester. I looked into it late and found that I would get no financial support my 5th year at CSU, Chico and that next semester is my last oppotunity to go.
So I did it! I applied and began the paperwork process to go to school at Charles Unitversity in Prague, Czech Republic starting this Janurary. Unfortunately, I found that most of my financial aid will not be transferable through USAC, the program I will be studying abroad with, and while I will be taking plenty of loans they still leave me a little short. Also, I decided to go abroad after most Spring 2016 study abroad scholarship deadlines had passed.
So here I am coming to you: my family, friends, mentors, and peers asking you to please invest in me and to support me in my new adventure. I want to gather the best parts of multiple cultures and to fuze them together within myself, so I can carry the most positive version of myself back to Sarah, my family, my friends and each of you.
Any gift no matter how small would be truly appreciated. If you would like to make a larger donation I would love to send you a post card from abroad. If you would like to send a donation outside of GoFundMe, please contact me at [email redacted]chico.edu.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Thank you for being a true friend.
Love always -- Tina
When I was just six years old – my brother four – my mother gave birth to a third child. The doctors told my parents to abort my sister very early because they found she had a complicated heart defect. My parents, being faithful and loving parents, chose to ignore those suggestions. Within the first two months of my sister Sarah’s life she had four open-heart surgeries out of a five-surgery step process called Fontan Surgery at UCSF. Just after the forth-invasive surgery doctors found that one of Sarah’s lungs was no longer functioning.
For those two months, our family moved from weekly spot rental to the next is San Francisco. The kids waiting room full of toys, computers, books, and playmates had become my home. But, the day before we left I could tell something was wrong. Sarah, my family and I were sent home before her last needed surgery because the doctors could no longer help her. My parents were told, “Take her home and love her while you still can. She won’t make it, but she deserves a happy bit of life outside the hospital.”
Via some miracle, Sarah survived life at home and she became our “Angel Baby.” She is 15-years-old today. She has a list of medical issues that put weight on her life including: her single ventricle heart defect, right-sided hemiplegia, a single working lung, a gastrointestinal tube with which she is given medication and fed through, scar tissue and damage on her chest that makes children nervous around her as well as on her heart stopping it from growing correctly.
Sarah cannot go to school because she cannot run the risk of catching an illness from all the germs. She limps due to her right-sided hemiplegia. Sarah still can’t do basic math, and all her friends are above the age of 35 because kids her age, or that look her age, don’t understand her. But, she has the vocabulary of a 45 year old and every day she wears a happier smile on her face than anyone I know. Sarah Ann Riccio is the most positive soul I have seen on the planet, despite what she overcomes daily. Every person she meets is drawn to her beautiful strength.
I proudly wear a tattoo on my right foot that says, “strength of an Angel,” which acts as a daily reminder that I do not live my life just for me but for my little sister as well and if she can live every day happy despite her challenges, none of my challenge should hold me back either. She may never be able to go to college, or live on her own or hold a job like the average American. But, I can; and for her, I will live the best life I can.
Since I came to CSU, Chico I have been a hugely involved student in all aspects of my life. My freshmen year I lived in the honors student dorms (specifically the sustainability house), I have been a hall council representative, a resident advisor at University Village, a volunteer at a senior living facility via Community Action Volunteers in Education (CAVE), an outreach intern at CAVE, Gift Mart Chair for Alpha Delta Pi sorority, I continue to be an honors student, I am a content intern for EPIC Productions, and I have been doing portait photography for many graduating seniors. On top of all these things, I have supported myself through school these three and a half years and worked up to three jobs simultaniously.
I have wanted to study abraod since the moment I began my college experience. But I fell in love with this beautiful city of trees, nice people always holding the door for me, amazing interactive classes and professors, and great friends. I kept pushing it back until this semester. I looked into it late and found that I would get no financial support my 5th year at CSU, Chico and that next semester is my last oppotunity to go.
So I did it! I applied and began the paperwork process to go to school at Charles Unitversity in Prague, Czech Republic starting this Janurary. Unfortunately, I found that most of my financial aid will not be transferable through USAC, the program I will be studying abroad with, and while I will be taking plenty of loans they still leave me a little short. Also, I decided to go abroad after most Spring 2016 study abroad scholarship deadlines had passed.
So here I am coming to you: my family, friends, mentors, and peers asking you to please invest in me and to support me in my new adventure. I want to gather the best parts of multiple cultures and to fuze them together within myself, so I can carry the most positive version of myself back to Sarah, my family, my friends and each of you.
Any gift no matter how small would be truly appreciated. If you would like to make a larger donation I would love to send you a post card from abroad. If you would like to send a donation outside of GoFundMe, please contact me at [email redacted]chico.edu.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Thank you for being a true friend.
Love always -- Tina
Organizer
Tina Riccio
Organizer
Chico, CA