Bring Nadine Smith Home to America
Donation protected
Hi, this is Sarah Blasi, a friend of Nadine Smith, trying to help raise enough funds to bring her home to America. Nadine has been trapped in Germany for the past three years and needs our support now more than ever.
I have learned all I can about the situation that is keeping Nadine stuck in Germany and also her deteriorating mental health. Her story has moved me to tears. You may not know that Nadine is a German citizen who was brought to U.S. by her parents when she was 6 years old. Unfortunately, what started off in 2020 as a trip to Germany to spend time with her birth father who was diagnosed with cancer ended in a COVID pandemic that kept her stranded there without the rest of her family or friends.
Here are the details:
- Nadine's permanent resident visa (green card) expired in early 2021 while she was in Germany, and she was not able to renew due to U.S. consulate/visa services being suspended during the COVID pandemic.
- Despite the U.S. Department of State knowing its foreign visa services had been suspended during Nadine's time in Germany, the application she filed on her own to renew the visa was denied b/c she was out of the country for over 12 months.
- She now needs an attorney to help her re-file a legal petition to reenter the U.S. legally. This is the quickest, safest, and most efficient solution, but it will take time and a considerable amount of money.
- Neither Nadine nor her family have the funds to cover both legal and travel fees to return to the U.S.
The goal of $7,500 will cover the following:
- Attorney fees for Nadine's visa. This includes a conservative estimate for both legal support and immigration filing fees.
- Flight from Germany to Arizona to retrieve her belongings in storage
- U-Haul from Arizona to Louisville, Ky to be reunited with her friends
GoFundMe has some slight quirks for international fundraisers. Therefore, I (Sarah) will be the fiduciary for all GoFundMe dollars raised to keep the process moving forward in the U.S. while Nadine is in Germany.
THANK YOU and please feel free to reach out with any questions.
Best,
Sarah
Fundraising team (2)
Sarah Blasi
Organizer
Louisville, KY
Nadine Smith
Team member