Hello all, I'm Arianne. I'm a first-gen immigrant from the Philippines currently based in the United States.

My grandmother, Fe Santos, just passed away. She was the matriarch of the ever-growing, very large(!) Santos clan. With her 64 grandchildren, I was blessed to be among those who have grown up with her-- she would sew me the best-fitting uniform back in high school, cook the most delicious Filipino rice cakes (suman) I've ever had, pretend to scold my older brother just because I wanted her to! :)

The most poignant of all things she's done for me, however, was write to me with all of her heart poured out about how much she wanted me to succeed and that she believed it when nobody else did.

She was a seamstress. And in a sense, she held everything together with her strings.

I am asking for help because I am a low-income student. I have a work-study job that does not even begin to cover the costs living in expensive San Francisco. I also do not rely on family to pay for my food and tuition-- the latter is something that is fully covered by the school. I am also proactive in my career journey, connecting with people left and right to insure my future.

I do not have the same level of head-start that my peers have, so while I hate asking the public for money, I am asking right here right now for your help.

I am trying my goddamn best to break the cycle, and it's all for my mom, my dad, my brother, and my grandmother. Without her strings, I am unraveled, vulnerable...

I want to see her. So, so much.

Donating will help me pay for my airline tickets and funding for funeral expenses. Please help in whatever way you can as soon as you can.

With all the love in the world,

Arianne Santos Omila<3