This is a story of resilience, survival, and hope.

Luna is the youngest of three siblings—and the only girl—raised not by her parents, but by her grandmother after her mother left when she was just 3 years old. From that moment on, there was no emotional or financial support from her parents. Everything depended on her grandmother, who gave everything she had to raise them.

From a very young age, life was about survival.

By age 6, she was already helping run a small family business. By 7, she was cooking, budgeting food, and helping feed her family—sometimes with as little as ₱500 a month. Many days, meals consisted only of instant noodles, sardines, or simple porridge. Despite this, she remained a dedicated student, consistently ranking among the top in her class.

But life continued to bring challenges.

Her grandmother became seriously ill, suffering multiple blood clots in the brain. Family conflict followed. She tried to rebuild a relationship with her mother, hoping for stability—but instead faced neglect, hunger, and instability. There were times she went without food for days, walking long distances to school while sick and exhausted.

Still, she kept going.

At a young age, she began working just to survive—earning barely enough for food and transportation. Eventually, she returned to her grandmother, the one person who never gave up on her.

Then the pandemic hit.

Their small income disappeared. Her grandmother had to stop taking essential medication. Rent went unpaid for years, and they survived only through debt and the kindness of others.

Today, the struggle continues—but so does her determination.

She is currently pursuing her education, working toward a nursing degree so she can build a stable future and care for her family. But the financial burden is overwhelming.

Her grandmother is now battling Type 2 diabetes and psoriasis. She herself is dealing with PCOS, borderline diabetes, and a recent UTI. Medical care, rent, transportation, and school expenses are becoming impossible to manage alone. Transportation has especially become extremely expensive due to a sudden rise in gas prices.

Here is a breakdown of finances needed to be covered:

Rent: ~$500/month

Medical (2 people): ~$150–300/month (estimate)

Food/basic needs: ~$200–300/month

School + transport: ~$100–200/month

Realistic monthly need: ~$900–$1,300

Note: Since Luna is in the Philippines, we are a group of international friends who have worked with and helped Luna for a few years. GoFundMe does not support sending money to the Philippines, but allows us (in the States) to do it for her. We will be using "Remitly" to do this. There are no fees on sending over 500, but if less, we have to pay a "...a markup of 0.5% to 3.0% above the mid-market exchange rate".