Hello, my name is Melissa, and I am raising funds for my father.

When I was 12 years old, I lost my brother in an accident. He was born with a disability, and throughout his life, my father did everything he could to care for him, protect him, and help him. But nothing could ever prepare a parent for losing their child.

I believe that the day my brother died, a part of my father died with him.

My father rarely spoke about his grief. Instead, he worked day and night to provide a better future for my younger sister and me. He kept going, as so many people do after losing someone they love, simply trying to survive.

But while taking care of everyone else, he slowly stopped taking care of himself.

Years later, my father suffered a severe stroke. Since then, one side of his body has been paralyzed, and our lives have changed completely.

After his stroke, I went with him to visit my brother’s grave for the first time. There is one sentence from that day that I will never forget.

“Hello, my son. Daddy will be with you soon.”

It is difficult to put into words what it feels like to see your own father like this, not only physically paralyzed, but emotionally exhausted after carrying so much pain for so many years.

My younger sister never had the chance to know our brother or experience his disability the way I did. But today, she is experiencing something similar through our father.

And I want a different future for her.

For me.

And most importantly, for my father.

My father needs an intensive rehabilitation program that could help him regain some of his physical independence and, hopefully, give him a reason to believe in life again. Unfortunately, the rehabilitation he needs is not fully covered in Germany, and the costs are more than we can manage alone as a family.

That is why I am asking for your help.

Every donation, no matter how small, brings us one step closer to giving my father this opportunity. The money raised will go toward his rehabilitation and the necessary costs associated with his recovery.

More than anything, I have one wish:

I want the words “I want to be with my son” to one day become “I want to live for my daughters.”

I know my brother would never want our father to lose his life because he lost his son. He would want him to keep living, for us, and also for him.

If you are unable to donate, simply sharing our story would mean just as much to us. I want my voice and my father’s story to reach as many people as possible, even if that means telling it in five different languages.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to every person who donates, shares our story, or simply keeps my father in their thoughts. ❤️