My name is Salma, and I’m reaching out to you with both a heavy heart and a hopeful one.

In October 2020, my world changed forever when I lost my beautiful son to heaven after his painful battle with mental health challenges. Despite every effort and love poured into him, he struggled to get the counselling and support he desperately needed. Losing him left me, his siblings, my family and his friends with a grief that words can’t capture — but it also lit a fire in me to make a difference for others.

As a nurse, I have spent my career caring for people through physical pain, illness, and recovery. But my own journey through loss opened my eyes to a truth I can no longer ignore: so many people are suffering silently, and emotional wounds need just as much care as physical ones.

Now, I want to dedicate the rest of my life to helping others who are struggling — those who may be fighting battles no one can see, or families who are watching someone they love fade away. To do this, I am undertaking a two-year Diploma in Counselling Studies, which will allow me to become a qualified therapist.

This course will give me the tools to listen, support, and guide people who are facing mental health challenges — helping them find hope, healing, and the strength to stay connected to their friends and families.

But I need your help to make this dream a reality.

The total cost of my two-year counselling course is £9,740.

As a working mother and nurse, I am doing all I can to balance work, study, and family life. Unfortunately, there are no funding options or grants available for this course, and my current financial situation means I simply can’t afford the full fees on my own.

Every donation — no matter how small — will bring me one step closer to becoming the counsellor I aspire to be. Your support will not only change my life but will also help me change the lives of others who are struggling with grief, trauma, or mental health challenges.

Your kindness will help me turn heartbreak into healing — not just for myself, but for many others who need someone to listen, to care, and to understand.

Thank you for believing in me and for helping me honour my son’s memory by being there for others when they need it most.

With all my heart,

Salma