Meet Diego, an amazing, hard-working young man (having just turned 18 this July) from Mexico, who has just been given the incredible opportunity of a lifetime to travel abroad and learn at private school in Spain (Nastic Sports Academy), halfway around the world from Mexico City. His dedication and commitment to basketball, which he plays every minute he has to spare, earned him a spot and the school has offered him an 80% scholarship. But as close as that sounds to a dream come true, for him, his single mother, his sister and myself as his Godmother, that last 20% might as well be a “no”. We cannot afford it. And we need help. Your help. 18.000€/per year still need to be financed privately, and this is where this fundraising comes into place.

Let me paint you a picture why this is something very dear to my heart, why I truly believe that it deserves your attention, and your help.

Diego has overcome so much, given to others where he could, and deserves this more than anyone I know. And hopefully, once you hear Diego’s story, you will understand why your donation can make THE difference in this kid’s life, and lift him up to where he cannot reach by himself.

Diego’s mum, Lupita, has been my friend since we met in Mexico in 2nd grade. That’s 36 years ago. She comes from a broken home and a socioeconomically disadvantaged family, and we were only in the same school for 1 year. But when you find your soulmate at 8, you find a way to make them stay in your life. And even though we had very different paths, we always found a way to stay connected. We made the effort. Lupita was 25 when she became pregnant with Diego. His father left her as soon as he found out Lupita was pregnant and has never been seen again. Lupita stopped her studies to concentrate on getting a job to support herself and her baby boy, despite her family’s objections.

Even though he did not have an ideal start to life, Diego has turned out to be an incredible young man. He is kind, helps his mum with his 13-year-old sister, coaches younger basketball players, all while working towards the high school degree that got him that 80% scholarship. He studied the ENTIRE degree under the concept of “open high school”, meaning that he did all the learning by himself and then excelled at the exams. And then to get such good grades to obtain an 80% scholarship?! His self-drive and motivation comes from within him, and I can just marvel at that every day.

Watching him play basketball, you’d think he’s been playing since he was a little kid. Never would you guess he only started at 16. You would also never think he’s been sick. But Diego started complaining of back ache in the fall of 2022 and in January 2023, an x-ray revealed an orange-sized tumor in his lower back. Walking alone became excruciatingly painful. Lupita’s life savings (and some of her sibling’s) went to pay Diego’s medical treatment.

After 5 worrisome months, the benign tumor was gone and the doctor’s cleared him, making Diego only more determined to catch-up on all the training he had missed. He endured hardships, and still stayed positive, lifted up those around him, and always moved forward.

This kid’s skill and focus is something truly admirable. Of course it doesn’t hurt that he has an obvious talent for the sport. But as Ronaldo said: “Talent without hard work is nothing” and Diego works hard for what he wants. He’s always been interested in the world , and as I now live in Germany, he started learning German on his own (using both old-school books and Duolingo) and has reached level A2. Again, all from the curiosity and drive to learn and move forward stronger.

Financially, it’s always been tough for Lupita and her two children. Only recently, Lupita, after not being paid by her former boss for nearly a year, decided to become an independent real estate agent. The medical expenses in 2023, her mother’s hospital stay in 2021 and her terrible work situation since 2024, have left no room to finance this once-in-a-lifetime jump to the private school in Spain.

Mexico is a country I love with all my heart, but if you don’t come from money, the chances of realizing your full potential are smothered by the daily “how will I feed my children and pay rent” thoughts. I moved away long ago, and now live in Germany with my husband and three kids, and just wish I could do more for Lupita, Diego and their chances.

Lupita is like my sister, my support, both financial and emotional, can never compare to her empathy and care. What she did for me is incredible: As my mum was dying, she took time out of her busy schedule to be with her, as Covid and my newborn made it impossible for me to travel to Mexico. She and her family deserve every good thing in this world, especially with the cards they have been dealt and the challenges they faced.

Please help me. Please help Lupita and most of all, let us lift Diego up, reward his dedication and hard work and give him the support and push to be able to make the most of his chance to study abroad, learn about everything the world has to offer, and bring home to his mother a treasure chest of experiences, opportunities and hopefully a brighter future for all of them.

What is in it for you, you might think? And my answer is simple. You make the world a better place. Not by changing politics in a country, or inventing unlimited clean energy. But by caring for the person next to you. By helping where you can. By supporting your mother, your little sister, your godson. By giving a little, and moving mountains for one person. Even if the person next to you is half the planet away.

Thank you for your attention to Diego’s story and my way of helping him. If you want to support us financially, please donate any amount you can.

And as my "abuela" always said to me: "Chiquitita, no hay peor intento, que el que no se hace" (Little one, there is no worse attempt than the one that is not made."

Thank you.