Please Help Support My Mom’s Surgery

Hi there, I'm Natalia. For privacy reasons I have used a photo of myself and not my family.

I'm an award-winning Irish student currently running for Cork Rose, and in just 30 days, my family and I will lose our home. In the middle of all this, my mom has a major hip surgery scheduled in less than two weeks — one we can no longer afford. We have done everything we can. We do not qualify for most government assistance.

My mom works for the HSE and is a single parent to two children. She’s been living with chronic hip pain for years, and was recently diagnosed with hip dysplasia — making her one of the youngest recorded cases in the country. We have insurance but need to pay a remaining ~€2,800 to do the surgery (they have not given us the final amount).

I've dedicated my life to college — working with the Student Union, representing my class at countless events, leading society committees, and advocating for student welfare and campus improvements. I’ve been nominated for and won awards for my work, and my photo is even on the walls of my campus. Even while working two part-time jobs and now interviewing for a third, it’s not enough.

Our time is running out. We’re losing our home, and we may be forced to split up — couch-hopping with friends and family. We can survive that. But what we can’t afford to lose is my mom’s chance to get the surgery she urgently needs.

The Irish housing crisis has taken a devastating toll on my family. Every single euro helps. Even if we don’t meet the full goal, anything at all toward her surgery would mean the world. If we exceed the target, any extra funds will go toward food and rent while we try to find a new place to live.

We know we’re not the only family in crisis — but we hope our story will spark some change, so no one else has to go through what we are right now.

Go raibh míle maith agat. <3