Gracie's College Dream
Donation protected
My little sister Grace was always a fighter. She was a reckless kid, breaking two bones before she was four. She grew up strong and always stuck up for others. She didn't take any crap from anyone and never let anyone put her down.
Then when she was eleven, she was diagnosed with an auto immune skin disease called dermatomyositis along with arthritis. This meant that her immune system attacked her skin and her muscles and joints as if they are a foreign invader that her immune system tries to get rid of by burning them out. Her skin would bubble up, especially if she was in the sun along with her joints and muscles constantly inflamed. When you're sick, you get a fever because your immune system is burning the germs out but her own immune system was attacking her own body. The doctos still don't know what caused it and there's no cure. She was supposed to outgrow it within two years and since she didn't, it's lifelong now. The same year, our father suffered two strokes and had to re-learn how to walk and talk. Then our grandfather died months later. My family went a really dark time but we came out pretty strong. I joined the Navy, my brother found his passion and talent of building cars, and Gracie dreamed of going to San Diego State.
There's a memory I would like to share with you that truly shows you my sister's strength. Grace was thirteen and I was eighteen and I got a phone call at work from the school nurse asking me to come pick her up. I asked if she was okay and started panicking since she was really deep into her treatments and medication. The nurse said that Grace had thrown up in the hallway in between classes and my heart sank. Her medicine was making her sick and I couldn't help her; no one could. I was in tears all the way to her school but then to my surprise, she comes bouncing out of the nurse's office. I asked if she was okay and she looked up at me and said "I have a disease. What are the kids really going to say?". Since that day, I have been totally awe in my sister. She became my hero that day and she has never failed me.
Grace has just wanted to be normal, to feel normal, for the last seven years. My parents wanted to give her her dream of going to San Diego State so they sold their house in Florida and everyone moved to California so she could recieve in state tuition the next year. They paid the $40,000 for the first year but then got rejected this year for in state tuition since it took a few months for them to find jobs.
Grace truly blossomed the past year. She joined a soriority and met her best friends in this world. Every time I talked to her, she was all smiles and just bubbly happy. Her grades didn't slack either. She finished the years with all As and Bs. She did everything she could to make sure she lived her first year bc she always knew that she might not return. A child shouldn't have to feel that way about their college education.
We have pooled together as much money as we can but we're still extremely short. Any amount of money would help, even if we could pay for one semester and then re-apply for in state. This means everything to Grace and it is breaking everyone's heart that Grace is going to lose her dream if we can't come up with the money.
Grace literally has thousands of friends between California and Florida. If all of the people she impacted or made smile just gace $10 or $20, we would have enough.
Times are hard so we completely understand but if you could please say a prayer instead, we could really use the help.
Thank you your time and consideration.
Then when she was eleven, she was diagnosed with an auto immune skin disease called dermatomyositis along with arthritis. This meant that her immune system attacked her skin and her muscles and joints as if they are a foreign invader that her immune system tries to get rid of by burning them out. Her skin would bubble up, especially if she was in the sun along with her joints and muscles constantly inflamed. When you're sick, you get a fever because your immune system is burning the germs out but her own immune system was attacking her own body. The doctos still don't know what caused it and there's no cure. She was supposed to outgrow it within two years and since she didn't, it's lifelong now. The same year, our father suffered two strokes and had to re-learn how to walk and talk. Then our grandfather died months later. My family went a really dark time but we came out pretty strong. I joined the Navy, my brother found his passion and talent of building cars, and Gracie dreamed of going to San Diego State.
There's a memory I would like to share with you that truly shows you my sister's strength. Grace was thirteen and I was eighteen and I got a phone call at work from the school nurse asking me to come pick her up. I asked if she was okay and started panicking since she was really deep into her treatments and medication. The nurse said that Grace had thrown up in the hallway in between classes and my heart sank. Her medicine was making her sick and I couldn't help her; no one could. I was in tears all the way to her school but then to my surprise, she comes bouncing out of the nurse's office. I asked if she was okay and she looked up at me and said "I have a disease. What are the kids really going to say?". Since that day, I have been totally awe in my sister. She became my hero that day and she has never failed me.
Grace has just wanted to be normal, to feel normal, for the last seven years. My parents wanted to give her her dream of going to San Diego State so they sold their house in Florida and everyone moved to California so she could recieve in state tuition the next year. They paid the $40,000 for the first year but then got rejected this year for in state tuition since it took a few months for them to find jobs.
Grace truly blossomed the past year. She joined a soriority and met her best friends in this world. Every time I talked to her, she was all smiles and just bubbly happy. Her grades didn't slack either. She finished the years with all As and Bs. She did everything she could to make sure she lived her first year bc she always knew that she might not return. A child shouldn't have to feel that way about their college education.
We have pooled together as much money as we can but we're still extremely short. Any amount of money would help, even if we could pay for one semester and then re-apply for in state. This means everything to Grace and it is breaking everyone's heart that Grace is going to lose her dream if we can't come up with the money.
Grace literally has thousands of friends between California and Florida. If all of the people she impacted or made smile just gace $10 or $20, we would have enough.
Times are hard so we completely understand but if you could please say a prayer instead, we could really use the help.
Thank you your time and consideration.
Organizer and beneficiary
Cozette Groccia
Organizer
San Diego, CA
Grace Groccia
Beneficiary
