Hi, my name is Ariana, and I’m reaching out with deep vulnerability and hope.

In October of last year, while attending university in the UK, I became severely ill. What was initially misdiagnosed by the NHS escalated into acute liver failure and an upper respiratory infection. By November, I had turned jaundiced and required urgent medical intervention.

I had to take an emergency flight home to the U.S. for treatment. During my flight, I lost consciousness and had to undergo an emergency procedure mid-air. I was intercepted and hospitalized at Emory in Atlanta, where my mother met me on arrival.

After recovering, I returned to the UK in January to resume my studies. My university advised me to take a gap year due to the time I had missed, but I was determined not to lose the year. Despite everything, I worked tirelessly to catch up. I met all the academic requirements, passed my courses, and maintained the necessary conditions to progress to my second year — including meeting the requirements for my Tier 4 student visa.

However, a new obstacle has come up. Due to the unavoidable absences during my illness, the UK Home Office is now withholding my student tuition loan for last semester. Despite submitting a full appeal with hospital documentation, my appeal was denied. This decision has left me with an outstanding tuition balance of £10,876 (approximately $14,626 USD) — and without paying it, I won’t be allowed to continue my education.

This situation is heartbreaking. I've worked so hard to stay on track, and now I’m facing the possibility of having to drop everything and return to the U.S., find work, and try to save up — just to return and start over again later. I have a job here in the UK, a life I’ve built, and plans to apply for UK citizenship after graduation. I don’t want to lose all of that because of a financial technicality.

I’m humbly asking for your support to raise the £10,876 I need to cover these tuition fees and continue my studies. Any amount helps — whether it’s $5 or $500 — and every share of this campaign brings me one step closer to staying in school and keeping the life I’ve worked so hard for. Thank you for reading my story. If you have any questions or would like to speak with me directly, please don’t hesitate to reach out.