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Hi, thank you for stopping by!

My name is Alex. I’m 12 years old. I have a condition called Spondylo Peripheral

Dysplasia. I enjoy playing out with my friends. I also like biking, gaming, and

travelling. In 2023, I received the Ellie Simmonds and Matt Whorwood

Sportsmanship Award at the Dwarf Sports Association after competing in their

annual games, and I also earned silver and gold medals in cycling, curling, and

swimming in 2023, 2024, and 2025.

It’s the summer holidays now, but in September it’ll be time to go back to school.

Attending a mainstream high school would not work out for me - it’s not realistic

and it’s not safe for me. I have been very lucky to find a school I REALLY like. I’ve

been attending it since January 2025, and I am now ready to go into a higher year.

But unfortunately, it is very expensive and my mum can’t afford it on her own, so I

decided to try crowdfunding to raise the money to be able to continue my

education.

We did try very hard to apply for funding from our Local Authority, but sadly, that

didn’t go well. The outcome was that they proposed placing me in a class with

children who are learning at the year two level. I find this very difficult to understand

or accept because I have finished Year Seven in English, Physics, Chemistry, and

Biology and Y6 in Mathematics. I am doing well in my school and love learning. I like

science lessons and I am considering becoming a doctor when I grow up. I will never

be able to achieve my goals, dreams, or potential in the sort of environment that my

LA wants to park me in. So I have to find another way.

My mum has been advocating for me, protecting me, and fighting for me as long as I

can remember. It has been a lot, and it is definitely not easy. I can see how hard it

is, and it is now affecting her health. I had to ask her to stop fighting for me and

let me try to advocate for myself now with your help. I’m asking for your help to

raise the money needed to pay for me to continue studying at the school that is

good for me and that is meeting my needs.

I really like my school because the classes are online, so I can participate and learn

even on days when I would not be able to physically attend classes because of my

health. I can do it because these classes are accessible on my computer. Going to

the virtual school also helps me to manage my health as I have enough time and

energy left to do my health routines and all my weekly appointments, which are vital

for me. I get fatigued a lot, and learning from home hugely helps me cope better

with my energy levels. If I don’t have to go to physical school, I have enough time

and strength left for studying, appointments, and doing things I enjoy.

Another important thing is that I don’t want to get bullied or stared at in high

school because I look different. The children and teachers in my virtual school

have been really kind, inclusive, and understanding.

I love learning and I would really like to learn History and Art. I would also like to

try some short course subjects like coding, entrepreneurship, and business to see if

medicine is the best option for me. Sadly, my mum can’t afford it. She is

heartbroken that we also can not afford live classes anymore (they are more

expensive than recorded ones), but I am not giving up – I really like that I can work

hard and achieve my goals when my ability is not being limited or excluded. It

works for me and I love the virtual school because I can learn at my own pace, I feel

good, smart, and independent; I feel that I can do it. I can socialise with my friends

and teachers. They have been part of my journey, and I don’t want to lose this or

be forced to stop.

With my condition, I might need a lot of support and adaptations when I grow up,

and I want to be able to afford them. I would also like to be able to help my mum when

she is old, so I need a very good job. If you can, it would mean so much to me if you

could please consider donating and sharing this wherever you can?

A Letter from Mum

Hello,

My name is Marija Spalina. I thought it would be good if I wrote something to support my child’s request for help. Please help my child achieve his dreams and reach his full potential by donating towards his education.

Alex has an Education and Health Care Plan, but unfortunately, years of underfunding within our educational system resulted in the very system that was meant to help my child now fighting against him. The physical, emotional, mental, and financial strain of this all-consuming and soul-destroying fight is huge. Too huge for a single parent to fight alone.

Like any other child, Alex deserves to study in an environment that works for him, not against him. Just in the last two years, he had 6 surgeries on his eyes, with ongoing complications. He has medical appointments, including private ones, every week. He also has a health routine and medical needs that are making it hard for him to access education at the same level as healthy children can. Subsequently, he gets isolated at home and loses out on childhood experiences due to being exhausted after the daily fight, which has become a norm for him.

At the moment, Alex is learning with UK Virtual School and is making very good progress despite the fact that the Local Authority wants him in a special school in a class with children falling 3-5 years behind with their education. Alex is considering studying medicine, health permitting, and I don’t see it as possible for him to achieve his dreams in the setting provided by the LA.

Alex had a full scholarship for core academic subjects for the 2024-2025 academic year, which has now expired. This coming year, he would also like to study History, Arts, Spanish, and Geography. He is interested in short courses like Business, Entrepreneurship, and Coding. He has done very well so far, and he has proven himself capable of achieving a lot with the right support in place.

UK Virtual School is an online school that has a very good degree of flexibility and adaptability. It has great access to the recorded resources and also live classes, which Alex enjoyed the most as they make him feel alive, happy, able, and thriving. Sadly, without your help, he will have to lose this interactive option and also will have to reduce the number of subjects he will be learning. I’m fearing he will become isolated and depressed again, just like he was before we found this online school.

So, if this resonates with you, please consider sharing and/or donating for the

child, failed but not defeated, very hurt but hopeful. Maybe you can not change this world, but you can help to change this one child’s life. Every donation, no matter the size, brings us one step closer to giving Alex a brighter, more hopeful future.

Thank you for being part of his journey!

How the funds raised will be used:

£7,000 - year 8 tuition fees.

£7,000 - year 9 tuition fees.

Y8 and Y9 yearly enrolment will include: Maths, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, World Views, Arts, and 3 short courses of Alex’s choice. Also: end of year party tickets, social clubs, assembly, coaching tutorials, parent meetings, homework support, 39 classes a month, 24/7 resources and video access, summer/winter camps (10 hours total between August and December),

enrolment certificate.

£8,000 - year 10 tuition fees

£8,000 - year 11 tuition fees

Y10 and Y11 yearly enrolment will include: Maths, English, Biology, Chemistry, Physics,

And any two additional subjects from: Latin, Computer Science, Geography, History, and English Literature. Also: end of year party tickets, social clubs, assembly, coaching tutorials, parent meetings, homework support, 45 classes a month, 24/7 resources and video access, summer/winter camps (10 hours total between August and December),

enrolment certificate.

In order for Alex to fully experience UKVS and participate in a range of subjects, including science week and end of year residential parties (some of them may be abroad, therefore flight and hotel costs are included in the estimate), the approximate costs predicted by the UK Virtual School are:

£3,000 for year 8

£3,950 for year 9

£6,500 for year 10

£6,950 for year 11 + external examination fees.

Total = £49,950