The best birthday ever: graduating from Harvard, your gift

Lina Maria Carmona Marin is organizing this fundraiser.

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From my heart — thank you for being here and help me make my goal and dream: Harvard Medical Global scholar Clinical Research training graduate, just 40000DKK or 6000usd away!

I’m Lina, a Colombian doctor and researcher, and I’m reaching out for support to complete my training and rebuild my life in Denmark.

This birthday, I’m not asking for gifts, but for something even more meaningful — your support in helping me complete my

Harvard training (Global Scholars Clinical Research Training) and continue contributing to science and healthcare. I’ve faced major setbacks, but I’ve come this far through hard work, resilience, and passion. With your help, I can keep going, graduate and continue contributing to science, healthcare and improving patient’s lifes.

I’m deeply grateful that you’ve taken a moment to read my story. Whether you’re able to give, share, or simply send encouragement, your support truly means the world to me.

Below is the full story of how I got here, why I’m asking for support, and what this dream means to me.

ESPANñOL (continues in English below)

Gracias de corazón por estar aquí.

Esta campaña es mucho más que un deseo de cumpleaños — es una forma de seguir adelante. He pasado por muchas dificultades, pero he llegado hasta aquí gracias al trabajo duro, la resiliencia y el amor por lo que hago. Con tu ayuda, puedo continuar — seguir aprendiendo, investigando y aportando a la salud y al conocimiento.

Agradezco profundamente que te tomes el tiempo de leer mi historia. Ya sea que puedas donar, compartir o simplemente enviarme tu buena energía, tu apoyo significa mucho para mí.

Encuentra la descripción de toda la historia a continuación, en inglés.

…………………………………………………………

Dear friends, colleagues, and kind souls,

I’m already a researcher and a clinician. I’m an odontologist specialized in Stomatology, passionate about the connection between oral and systemic health, DNA repair, aging, longevity, and precision medicine. I’ve worked in both clinical and research environments in Colombia and Denmark, and I want to keep contributing — not only to patients one-on-one, but to science, policy, and innovation that can reach many.

Why this campaign and dream matter

I’ve always believed in medicine because it saved my life. As a child, I would not have survived without it. That gratitude has stayed with me forever.

That thankfulness — and the awe I’ve always felt for the human body, from the complexity of our DNA to the delicate balance of our cells and systems — has guided me ever since. It pushed me through my education at two of Colombia’s best public universities, Universidad del Valle and Universidad Nacional, where I received academic scholarships for my dedication and performance.

I was born and raised in Cartago, a mid-sized town in the north of Valle del Cauca — better known during my childhood for violence, instability, and the presence of the Cartel del Norte than for opportunity or progress. But even in that environment, I was lucky to have a family that valued knowledge, and I’ve always been determined to use education as my way forward.

I also received the gift of something rare: knowledge I could carry across the Atlantic, in pursuit of my passion for research. Coming from a working middle-class family in Colombia, I knew early on that becoming a researcher would be way too hard back home — not for lack of passion or commitment, but because research is deeply underfunded. Still, I dreamed of becoming a clinical researcher with strong foundations in preclinical science, someone who could teach, inspire, and create real solutions to improve lives.

And just when I was filled with self-doubt — at perhaps the lowest point I’ve faced since moving abroad — Harvard accepted me for this program, the best of its kind.

It wasn’t just the childhood dream of a girl from Cartago, Colombia, who once saw Harvard as something unreachable. It became a beacon of light in the midst of very real struggles — as an immigrant with a chronic condition, trying to gain her authorization, fighting to belong, and to contribute.

Hard work hasn’t been enough. High academic performance hasn’t opened the right doors — yet. Despite many applications and interviews, I still haven’t secured a job. I believe Harvard — and this training — could be what changes that.

I want to progress. I want to celebrate my birthday and my life. I want to master these difficult circumstances and continue giving my best — with full commitment and heart.

And so, I’m here — kindly and humbly — asking for your support to this campaign as a birthday gift I will always carry in my hearth.

This would make a whole difference in my life. I carry educational debt and currently cannot access loans or grants. Your support will not only allow me to attend the Harvard workshop and finish my training — it will give me space to keep learning, healing, and preparing to contribute again as a clinician and researcher, in Denmark and beyond.

How your support helps

Here’s how your contributions will be used:

- Harvard Tuition (monthly payment): ~$1,000 USD ~6570 DKK

- Flight to Boston:~$600–800 USD or 3940–5260 DKK

- Accommodation (approx. 2 weeks): ~$2,150 USD (~15,000 DKK )

- Laptop replacement: ~$1,200 USD or ~7890 DKK (after failed repair)

- Danish Dental Authorization Fee: ~540 EUR. (~4,000 DKK)

- Local costs during the workshop/conference week: food, transport, meds

If enough is collected, I will also use it to help cover debt from earlier Harvard tuition payments — to relieve some of the weight I’ve been carrying and start the next chapter with peace of mind.

Ways to support me

- Donate: Every amount helps — even a symbolic one

- Share: Please help spread the word. Sharing this is an act of care

- Send a kind message: what is a birthday without messages?! Your encouragement motivates me when I feel low.

(I would like to share a small gesture of gratitude: I want to offer a couple of short Yoga or Yoga Nidra videos as a thank-you — something peaceful, from my heart to yours. Let me know in your message if this sounds good.)

In case is easier to donate from Colombia

If you’re in Colombia or prefer to donate in pesos, you can also support me via Vaki, a platform that works with local payment methods:

I am currently working on setting this option and will paste the link here once is done.

Español: Si deseas donar desde Colombia, pronto compartiré acá el link para Vaki. Gracias.

Thank you from my heart

This is not an easy ask for me. I am usually more than content with just the birthday wishes. I know this is the most important birthday gift I have ever wished for. And yet, It’s not easy to ask for help — but it’s something I’m learning to do with openness and trust in my community. I’ve gotten this far through dedication, sacrifice, and a deep desire to help others. With your support, I can keep going and keep giving.

Thank you for making this birthday meaningful — for standing beside me not just to celebrate, but to help me reach this dream and building my future with me.