Hi everyone, my name is Aseel and I'm fundraising for my dear, dear friend Stefan. Stefan is the most wonderful, loyal, kind friend one could ever ask for or have the pleasure of knowing.

Recently, things have become difficult for him financially, and I'm trying everything in my power - with the help of other friends in our circle - to alleviate some of his financial stresses and burdens. Stefan has had to shoulder so much responsibility for his household from a young age. I've known him for more than half my life, and for as long as I've known him, some of his family members have had mental health issues, and that meant much turmoil for them and for him throughout his childhood. His family has always struggled financially, but despite this, Stefan was the first in his family to go to college, earning a full-ride scholarship to Georgetown University. He's also the first in his family to achieve a Master's degree, having graduated from Northwestern University's Speech Language Pathology program in June 2023. He's always continued to strive for better for him and his family no matter the obstacles. Throughout this entire time, he has always been the person his family relied on to take care of emergencies at home. He's never complained and he's never asked for anything. He always puts everyone's needs above his, whether his family, friends, patients, etc.

Last year, one of his family members' health took a severe turn for the worse, and Stefan has taken on the role of helping with appointments, coordinating with social services, and managing the larger situation with the rest of his family, even as he works full time speech pathologist in another state. Last month, his car broke down, and the costs continue to mount to be able to fix it. He cannot afford to buy a new car, even used, but the costs to maintain the old car are an expensive bandaid on the problem and coupled with the student loans he will soon have to begin paying back, draining his already extremely limited resources.

All of this has put Stefan in a deep depression, and as his friends, we want to show him that there are people out there who can and will support him. Please help us take care of Stefan and lighten his emotional and financial load! Thank you so much!