Help my sister recover from the flood and move forward

Flooded, stranded, and trying to stay afloat

A year after a devastating flood, my sister in rural France is still rebuilding her life — and now her old car is breaking down too. She's out of savings, out of options, and urgently needs help to stay mobile and independent.

→ Her house was under 65 cm (2 feet) of water

A year ago, my sister’s home was hit by a rare and devastating flood. At its peak, there were 65 cm (over two feet) of muddy river water inside her home. Walls, furniture, appliances, books, memories — everything was under water. The fridge was floating, and the electricity and heating were cut off. During that cold, dark (and very lonely) night, she tried to save as much as she could, but she couldn’t beat the fast-rising water. The damage was immense.

The insurance only reimbursed what she could prove with receipts — which turned out to be almost nothing, because she had bought the house without receiving invoices for what was already in it.

To rebuild and replace essentials, she had to use her entire private pension savings — money she had counted on to support her now that she’s on the verge of retirement.

My sister is a resourceful, independent woman who has taught herself DIY skills over the years. She did everything she possibly could herself to save on professional labour. It took her six long months before her house was dry and liveable again — and today, a year later, she’s still not finished repairing the damage.

And then there’s the stress of having to live with the constant danger of another flood. Her house is near a river, and every period of heavy rainfall fills her with anxiety. Selling the house and moving elsewhere isn’t an option — the flood risk has made it essentially unsellable.

→ And now her car is dying too

My sister lives on a small state pension, which barely covers basic living expenses. She tries to continue working as a freelance translator — something she’s done for over two decades — but translation work has all but dried up due to the rise of AI. She remains available for work, but she barely receives any assignments.

And now, to make matters worse, her car is giving up. Old and on its last legs, it’s going from one repair to the next, and it’s only a matter of time before it breaks down completely.

This is a huge problem: she lives deep in the French countryside, where shops, the pharmacy, and the doctor’s surgery are often tens of kilometres away. There’s no public transport — a car isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. But with her savings drained by the flood, she simply cannot afford to replace it.

→ Why this fundraiser?

My sister is a proud, independent woman who doesn’t ask for help easily. That’s why I’m starting this fundraiser: to help her buy a reliable second-hand car and, if possible, to replenish a portion of the pension fund she had to sacrifice.

She’s doing her best to stay strong, but I know her well enough to see the mental impact this life-changing event and the ongoing insecurity have on her.

After a lifetime of hard work, her sense of (financial) security was quite literally swept away. And now her last shred of independence — her transport — is also in danger of disappearing.

→ Would you consider helping?

Any donation — large or small — will make a difference.

Thank you for reading, and thank you so much for your kindness and support.

If you're unable to contribute financially, sharing my sister's story with others would mean a lot.

I will withdraw the funds myself and deliver them to the beneficiary outside of GoFundMe — to make sure this proud, independent woman doesn’t feel the need to refuse the help she so deeply deserves.