Mike's Camera and Equipment
Donation protected
Some of you may know that my older sibling has a talent for photography. He’s shown that his hobby has helped him so much mentally and throughout his veterinary journey.
In one of his posts, he mentions the following, “I’ve been so busy with school, work, etc. that I had realized I had lost who I was and what I cared about. It is so easy, especially in professional school, to put everything into exams and learning that you forget to take care of your health. I guess what I realized was that the isolation I felt was not knowing who I was anymore. I had a similar revelation last summer when I saw that I needed a hobby to get my mind off school, at least sometimes. So I chose to dive into photography and I can honestly say it has helped me so much.” As someone who has grown up with Mike, there was such a clear change in his mood and personality once he started using photography as his outlet.
On Monday, my brother's car was stolen and everything of value was taken. By the grace of God, he was able to track his car, but his camera - along with other items - were also gone. Unfortunately, due to financial constraints, he can’t afford to purchase another camera and had to come to the tough decision that he had to stop photography for the foreseeable future. This is an extremely difficult time for him, and as his sister, I want to support him in everything he does.
After some time, I’ve decided to start a GoFundMe to cover the costs of his camera and equipment for the following reason; Mental Health Awareness in the veterinary profession. According to the AVMA, researchers announced that male veterinarians 2.1x as likely and female veterinarians 3.5x as likely to die from suicide. Veterinarians have multiple stressors such as extreme debt burden, compassion fatigue, and burnout.
Photography is something that is really important to Mike’s mental health. It was an outlet for him and it’s so unfortunate that he’s not able to do what he loves given these circumstances. He has expressed that the person who stole his camera and equipment didn’t just steal his equipment, but they also stole his mental health.
Not only is it helpful to Mike but he has expressed so many ideas of how he’s hoping to use his photography to promote mental health. Starting a video series on youtube, a podcast interviewing vets and their hobbies, showing what vet students do besides school and that it’s possible to have a life outside of veterinary school. So please consider giving and any contribution would help him immensely.
In one of his posts, he mentions the following, “I’ve been so busy with school, work, etc. that I had realized I had lost who I was and what I cared about. It is so easy, especially in professional school, to put everything into exams and learning that you forget to take care of your health. I guess what I realized was that the isolation I felt was not knowing who I was anymore. I had a similar revelation last summer when I saw that I needed a hobby to get my mind off school, at least sometimes. So I chose to dive into photography and I can honestly say it has helped me so much.” As someone who has grown up with Mike, there was such a clear change in his mood and personality once he started using photography as his outlet.
On Monday, my brother's car was stolen and everything of value was taken. By the grace of God, he was able to track his car, but his camera - along with other items - were also gone. Unfortunately, due to financial constraints, he can’t afford to purchase another camera and had to come to the tough decision that he had to stop photography for the foreseeable future. This is an extremely difficult time for him, and as his sister, I want to support him in everything he does.
After some time, I’ve decided to start a GoFundMe to cover the costs of his camera and equipment for the following reason; Mental Health Awareness in the veterinary profession. According to the AVMA, researchers announced that male veterinarians 2.1x as likely and female veterinarians 3.5x as likely to die from suicide. Veterinarians have multiple stressors such as extreme debt burden, compassion fatigue, and burnout.
Photography is something that is really important to Mike’s mental health. It was an outlet for him and it’s so unfortunate that he’s not able to do what he loves given these circumstances. He has expressed that the person who stole his camera and equipment didn’t just steal his equipment, but they also stole his mental health.
Not only is it helpful to Mike but he has expressed so many ideas of how he’s hoping to use his photography to promote mental health. Starting a video series on youtube, a podcast interviewing vets and their hobbies, showing what vet students do besides school and that it’s possible to have a life outside of veterinary school. So please consider giving and any contribution would help him immensely.
Organizer and beneficiary
Lisa Botros
Organizer
Monmouth Junction, NJ
Michael Botros
Beneficiary
