My name is Laura, and I am fundraising to help cover emergency medical costs for my friend, Anastasia and her dog, Buddy. They are both in a dire state, currently residing in Bulgaria, and are reaching out to the community for assistance.

Anastasia is asking for help so she and Buddy can break free from isolation, pain, and abuse—with grace.

In 2014, Anastasia was introduced to Buddy—a large golden doodle who subtly grounded her lost ways. By 2017, they were lost and in love in Italy, two courageous souls navigating “fate” together. Buddy helped Anastasia reclaim a sense of self while seeking individuality outside of abusive, narcissistic family systems. He’s not just an animal—he’s been her longest relationship and her sole source of unconditional love.

But today, both their health has become alarmingly conditional. Their physical and emotional stability are under threat, in an environment that normalizes (and even promotes) suppression. She returned to Bulgaria, the country her entire family comes from, hoping to experience stability and safety and lead a meaningful life. Instead, she has been met with triangulation, isolation, and the resurfacing of deep, unresolved wounds.

After years of internalizing and gaslighting herself out of her own mental, emotional, and physical needs, Anastasia and Buddy’s bodies are no longer silent about the cost of chronic neglect.

Watching Buddy struggle to move from point A to point B without being able to relieve his pain (while also being unable to fully care for herself) is what finally pushed her to share this story, no matter how much she resisted this very “fate.”

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Buddy’s Health

Buddy is currently living with:

• An enlarged heart and chronic cough

• Liver abnormalities

• Kidney issues / bed-wetting during sleep

• Severe difficulty with mobility and comfort at home

He urgently needs to visit the vet for updated diagnostics, maintain a strict organ-support diet (which Anastasia financially struggles to keep up with alone), and access mobility and incontinence supplies. Without updated tests, he’s not eligible for arthritis relief.

One-time costs:

• Blood work, urine analysis, ultrasound & other tests: ~700€

• Orthopedic bedding, padding, soft stairs: 200€

• Mobility gear (harness, paw protection, lift aids): 150€

Total: ~1,000€

Monthly costs:

• Holistic supplements: 150–200€

• Glucosamine for arthritis: 100€

• Liver support: 125€

• Food + medicinal broths: 350€

• Incontinence care: 125€

Total: ~800€/month

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Unmet Needs. Unseen Pain.

Anastasia has complex trauma (CPTSD)—a prolonged form of PTSD. One of her core symptoms is emotional flashbacks: sudden regressions into states of helplessness and fear from childhood. Though she’s actively working to become more aware of these triggers, her nervous system often reacts to present day situations as if reliving the original trauma.

The tension in her current environment is overwhelming and harmful. Staying in her apartment, where she’s tethered to unsafe dynamics, has become unbearable. Even though it’s “home,” it’s not a place of healing.

Anastasia urgently needs:

• To treat Buddy’s conditions and care for her three other rescue animals

• Medical attention for chronic pelvic pain, IBS, and other digestive issues

• Temporary monthly help with groceries, gut-friendly food, utilities, phone, and work subscriptions (700–900/month)

• Access to CPTSD support, developmental trauma therapy, and healing modalities

• Relocation to a safe, healing space—physically and emotionally removed from abusive patterns

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Another pressing need right now is a reliable vehicle. A Vehicle = Autonomy, Safety, and the First Step to Healing

Public transport (buses, trains, taxis) are no longer safe or feasible for Buddy due to his age, pain, and fragility. Without a vehicle, they’re stuck. Help is likely elsewhere—but she has no way to get there.

Anastasia dreams of traveling somewhere with less environmental and emotional stress, even if it means living simply in a tent or converted vehicle. It might not look conventional—but neither of them ever have been. What matters is starting their healing journey in a space where she can breathe, sleep, and plan without fear.

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How You Can Help

You can:

• Donate to support Anastasia, Buddy, and their move to safety

• Share this story with others who might resonate or want to help

• Reach out with resources, emotional support, or possible vehicle connections

• Engage with her platforms as she rebuilds financial independence through healing-focused creative work

Nobody can do this alone.

Anastasia is asking for the chance to make decisions with dignity and grace—to find others who deeply understand what it means to carry unspeakable distress, silently. She dreams—every waking and non-waking moment—of a life where choice feels possible, where dignity is restored, and where her story helps others survive and transform.

Every person who reads this has the power to help change their direction.

Anastasia will be documenting her journey, raw and real, on Instagram at @why.is.anastasia.in.pain. Because healing, like life, is meant to be shared. You can also support her work at: www.anastasiaikigai.com

*please note that as this fundraiser is being done in Australia, all donations are in Australian dollars.*