My Story

Hi, my name is Roberto and I live in the ZEN neighborhood of Palermo, a place where imagining a different future is often very difficult. Life here can be heavy, repetitive, and sometimes it feels like you are stuck in a reality you didn’t choose.

Over the past few years, I have also been dealing with depression.

There are days when getting out of bed feels impossible, days when you feel useless, invisible, like you’re not enough. It’s not something you can always see from the outside, but inside it weighs a lot.

In the middle of all this, one of the few things that helped me not give up was 3D printing.

What 3D Printing Means to Me

With many sacrifices, I managed to buy a used Ender 3, because I simply couldn’t afford a good or new 3D printer. Even though it was old and imperfect, for me it was more than just a machine — it was a lifeline.

When I was printing, my mind would slow down. I had a goal. A purpose.

Learning on my own, making mistakes, fixing them, and seeing something take shape from nothing made me feel capable, useful, and alive.

Unfortunately, today that printer barely works anymore. I’ve tried everything I could to repair it, but it’s reached its limit. And right now, I don’t have the financial means to buy a new one on my own.

What hurts the most is not just losing a printer, but losing one of the few things that helped me fight the darkness.

Why I’m Asking for Help

Asking for help is not easy, especially when you grow up learning to just “endure.”

But today I’m doing it because I don’t want to give up on myself or let depression win.

A new 3D printer would mean:

having a reason to keep going

continuing to learn and create

trying, one day, to turn this passion into a small opportunity for income

proving to myself that I am not only my struggles or the place I come from

How the Funds Will Be Used

The funds raised will be used to:

purchase a reliable new 3D printer

buy basic materials and filament

cover shipping or essential accessories

Every contribution, even a small one, truly makes a difference.

And if you can’t donate, sharing this campaign already helps more than you can imagine.

Thank You From the Heart

Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read my story.

Thank you to those who choose to help, even just by sharing or sending support.

This is not just about a machine — it’s about hope, about not giving up, and about believing that even from a difficult place, something meaningful can still be built.

I want to keep trying. Even on the hardest days. ❤️