My friend asked me to post this on their behalf.

My daughter Mary Elizabeth is a bright, joyful, and fiercely determined girl who has filled my life with pride. She is my champion — overcoming so many obstacles and adversity. Since entering school, Mary Elizabeth has strived to be herself and express her individuality. In pursuing her true self, she was teased and bullied by other kids for no other reason than she was not like them in dress, intelligence, interests, and outlook on life. She faced this challenge with maturity beyond her years and has quietly endured while maintaining her dignity. It is not easy in today's youth culture dominated by social media and ever-increasing peer pressure. She does her best to keep positive and remain herself.

Under a year ago, my world was shaken when she was diagnosed with idiopathic adolescent scoliosis. Despite my hopes and efforts to slow its progression, her spine has curved to a devastating 60+ degrees, leaving her with only one option: life-changing surgery to protect her organs and her future.

Time was not on her side. With agonizing NHS and private hospital delays, I made the difficult decision to take her to a mid-west metropolitan center, 3 hours drive from our small town for immediate treatment. While I am grateful that insurance covers most of the surgery, I am facing overwhelming additional costs—transportation, accommodation, a recovery brace, equipment, and physiotherapy.

As a single parent, I'm doing all I can—taking unpaid leave, stretching every penny, eventually leaving my job because there was no one else to care for her post-surgery. Not even her other parent could assist with monetary funds. I've reached the end of my rope, having asked family and friends and still coming up short to maintain my apartment, my car, and basic necessities (water, electricity, food, functioning vehicle). Your kindness, no matter how small, will ease the financial burden and give Mary Elizabeth the comfort, care, and hope she needs to fight through this.

Please, if you can, help us give my brave girl the chance to stand tall again, to return to school, her friends, and her marching band without pain holding her back.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for standing with Mary Elizabeth in her toughest battle yet.