Help a dream come true!

Hello to the world out there!

My name is Marija, and I am a medical student, studying rehabilitation and orthopedics, from Latvia. My home city Riga is quite small for a European capital city, I attend a local University and live with my parents. I believe I am a very hardworking and creative person with a very wide area of interests. I also have a lovely girlfriend, whom I met at my first lecture at a University, we were inseparable ever since.

It brings me a lot of pain to say that my parents come from a very conservative background. Since my childhood, I was raised in a very homophobic environment. At the age of 14, I was constantly bullied by my parents for my passion for modern literature, particularly science fiction. It seemed as if all the choices I’d make in my life would inevitably turn my parents against me. They would yell, punish, and even physically abuse me for the choice of my hair colour, cloth style and even a degree choice. The physical and psychological abuse only exacerbated since my parents found out I am a lesbian and am in a relationship with a woman.

Ever since my parents found out I had “chosen to be a lesbian” life at their place has become unbearable. My anxiety has never been so bad and with constant panic attacks, my grades and my creativity have gone down. In the past, I would often use visual art to boost my mental well-being. However, with limited resources and a hateful atmosphere at home, which has only worsened since remote studies were implemented at my university, my creativity has also suffered a lot.

Since our first date, my girlfriend and I have dreamed of moving in together and live a life of social freedom and safety. Recently we found out there is a small one-bedroom flat on sale. The flat is in slightly poor condition and requires some general refurbishment, but we believe it could become our dream home. The flat also comes with a small garage which we would want to turn into an art studio. At my parent's place, I am also quite limited with the choice of paint and other materials for my drawings due to their hazardous effects on health. Unfortunately, I have learned it the hard way and once developed a very bad episode of migraine when used new paint for a drawing in my bedroom.

Over the years we have managed to save enough money to cover half the cost of the flat. However, since the beginning of the COVID pandemic and an inflicted safety limitation, neither of us can find a part-time job anymore. Local banks don’t offer any support to students and my parents have no intention to help us at all.

As such I have no choice left, but to search for some help in the outer world. I strongly believe in the future I will become a medical professional and will help a lot of people. However, right now I need a little help and support myself.

Thank you very much for taking the time and reading my story, and I would be very grateful for any support provided!

Sincerely yours,
Marija