Help Vero go to university after medical leave!

My wonderful friend Vero (on the right) is an international student from Ecuador, and they are returning to the states for school!! They had to leave their education after several medical emergencies last spring and are planning on returning for this upcoming spring semester to finish their last three semesters of school. I am so excited to see them again, but they need a lot of support to get them here.

A message from Vero:

“I have been on a long mental health journey for the past couple of years- a very rough journey with many losses along the way. When I had to go on medical leave, I had to leave behind my friends, school, community, and even my cat. Even though it was very hard to leave all of this behind, it was necessary to get better. I was in a very rough place, but I spent these last eight months working on healing, going to therapy, and preparing for the next steps.

Returning to school would be a huge step for my recovery and life, and returning for this semester will mean that I won't lose another whole year of school. My life has not been very easy, and that is why I am hoping to get a social work degree to focus on marginalized people. I am passionate about caring for children in the system and being the person little Vero needed when they were just a kid.

I am going to live with supportive friends and my cat, and I’m excited for this next season of life. I am healthier and stronger than ever, and I just need financial support to make this semester happen.

I am so grateful for any help you can give me. I am so thankful for everyone who has helped me along the way.”

They are financially independent and lack local resources, so this is their primary hope to finance school before they leave. Their past medical emergencies completely drained their bank account (although they are almost debt-free thanks to the past GoFundMe- thank you!!). They used to have five academic scholarships before their medical issues, which made the academic costs more accessible. However, the university took several months to determine if my friend could be readmitted, so they were not granted access to three of their scholarships. They earned two scholarships this semester, but their academic fees have nearly doubled in cost. Hopefully, they will be able to access their original scholarships next year, but this semester will be the most expensive. They are only allowed to work 20 hours a week due to their student visa, and that is not nearly enough to cover the costs.

We talked together and here are our ideal estimates for their financial needs this semester, for full disclosure on how the funds will be used. Any help is appreciated!

School = $8000

Housing = $2100

Food = $900

Medical Care = $600 (includes medication)

Transportation (plane tickets) = $1200

Therapy: $1000

Emergency fund: $1000

Total: $14800

I (Rinnah, pictured on the left) will gather the funds and send them to Vero since I have an American bank account. A huge thank you to everyone who can donate and share this story. We appreciate your help so much.

Love, Vero and Rinnah