Hello,

My name is Bruna. I have lived in the United States for the last 10 years, where I built an entire life around the things I love the most — especially soccer, playing and being able to teach kids how to grow, get better, and fall in love with the sport the same way I did. Those years were the happiest of my life. I truly felt like I was living my purpose. I was surrounded by friendships that became family and a future I believed in with my whole heart.

I was finishing my MBA and building the future I always dreamed of.

But everything changed when I came to Brazil last December to renew my visa. It was denied — not once, but twice. And with that, I was forced to give up my American dream and stay in Brazil.

I watched the life I built for 10 years fall apart overnight.

I lost everything — not gradually, not with goodbyes or closure — but suddenly, without control, without choice. The relationships I built, the plans, the sense of home, the future I was working for… it all slipped through my fingers.

For months I tried to fight it. While applying for new visas, I continued paying bills in the US, trying to hold my place so I could go back. In that process, I burned through all my savings. And now I find myself in a painful reality: I can no longer re-enter the country, and at the same time, a huge part of me is still there.

All my belongings — the life I built over a decade — are still in the U.S.:

• my clothes

• my diplomas

• my computer and work materials

• and personal items that carry stories and emotional value from 10 years of my journey

I wish I had the financial capacity to help me bring everything back, but unfortunately I don’t. My entire experience in the U.S. was built by my own effort, sacrifices, and determination — and now I am trying to rely on that same determination to bring my belongings home.

This is why I created this fundraising.

Not to chase a dream anymore, but to recover what’s left of it — so I can start over with dignity, and not lose every single piece of the life I worked so hard to build.

If you’re reading this, it probably means that in some way, you were part of the most beautiful chapter of my life. I know time and distance happen, and people grow apart — that’s just life. But there is one feeling I cherish deeply and will carry forever: gratitude.

Gratitude to God for giving me the opportunity to meet so many incredible people during the 10 years I lived abroad on my own. People who, each in their own unique way, made me feel like I was never truly alone. People who taught me lessons, supported me, believed in me, and became part of my journey in ways they might not even realize.

I know times are difficult for everyone, and asking for help is incredibly hard. But any contribution — big or small — means the world to me. If you cannot donate, simply sharing this fundraiser already helps more than you know.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart,

With love and gratitude,

Bruna