Failure is NOT an Option

The last ten years of my life have been some of the best and worst years I’ve ever experienced. When I was a sophomore in high school, my family lost our home because we didn’t have enough money to pay the rent, eat, and live on a day to day basis. My mom cannot work because she has cancer amongst other medical complications and her medical bills were exhausting any source of funds we did have. Because my mom was going through so much, I had to be the one who took care of her and my younger brother. I had to make sure that my brother was doing his homework, keeping up in school, and not allowing our present situation to destroy him mentally and emotionally. As far as my mom, I had to make sure that she was taking her medications and going to her doctor’s appointments while trying maintain a balance between school and my own individual problems.  Eventually, we were evicted and the only other option we had was to move into a family shelter. Anyone who has ever lived in a shelter knows that it is mentally, physically, and emotionally devastating. And it tore my family apart. During the second semester of my junior year in high school, I was hospitalized because my heart was failing. I had blood clots in my arms, legs, lungs, brain. I was in a coma for almost two months and the doctors didn’t expect me to live. If I did happen to survive, I would be paralyzed or disabled. At 17 years old, I was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy. That’s an old person’s disease, no disrespect. Sort of a miracle story, I came out of the coma with almost all of the functions I had before. No brain damage although the clots still exist. No paralysis although I had to go to physical therapy and occupational therapy for four months. Essentially, I missed one of the most important semesters of my high school career (SAT PREP, SAT TEST TAKING, COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS, ETC). But I did not allow my heart disease or the fact that I missed a semester of school stop me from aiming for success. I graduated with honors and on time. I had to work 3x as hard as the other students but I did it because failure is not an option for me. I went straight to college. I moved on campus and left my brother and mother in a shelter because that was the only way I would be able to focus and do what I NEEDED to do to help my family.

Who am I, you must be wondering? My name is Octavia Thompson. I am a twenty two year old undergraduate student at Hofstra University. I have one more semester to graduate but unfortunately, I do not have the money to pay for tuition or the credit to take out anymore loans. I have to withdraw for this semester but this is not the end. Even as I am presently sitting in a hospital bed with blood clots in my heart and going through early stages of another heart failure, I know that this is one more challenge to overcome. I will not quit because money does not allow me to continue my education nor will I quit because my heart disease causes me to be in and out of the hospital. So, I created this gofundme to help with tuition, hospital bills, and even to help put money towards an apartment for my family. ALL help is wanted whether that be an encouraging message, scholarship opportunities, housing programs, to share your story, 5 cents or $100. Hopefully, I will be able to register in the fall semester.

" I'll rise up. I'll rise like the day. I'll rise up. I'll rise unafraid. I'll rise up and I'll do it a thousand times again. I'll rise up high like the waves. I'll rise up in spite of the ache."  I will not give up so I am asking you to invest in me and my future.