Mobius Syndrome and Me

Mobius and Me :)

Hi

I am Juan Burger and I am from George, South Africa. I live with Mobius Syndrome. "Mobius Syndrome is a rare neurological disorder that is present at birth. It primarily affects the 6th and 7th cranial nerves, leaving those with the condition unable to move their faces(they can't smile, frown, suck, grimace or blink their eyes) and unable to move their eyes laterally."

I started this campaign for the fact that I need YOUR help. My dream is to further my film studies in The Netherlands this year and become the best film maker that I can be. But to be honest, my dream is not a possibility as I nor my family have the necessary funds to send me to Europe. Why do I want to study film making and why The Netherlands?

Film making is my passion and the medium provides me with an universal voice, a voice to "speak" in and by doing so, reach people no matter their race, sex, creed or "disability." Mobius crafted me into viewing the world differently, it made me focus on matters which we all go through, matters which connects us all, such as birth, life and death. With film I want to highlight the simple truths of humanity and by doing so, examine what makes us "singular". 

The Netherlands is perfect place to study for the films which I want to make, as they are one of the most progressive countries in the world. Their level of artistic focused studies are of an immensely high quality. Therefore their designers and artists are some of the most well respected in the world. And lastly, the Dutch language is very close to my native language which is Afrikaans, which would make my communication with the Dutch, a lot easier. 

Sponsor Me :)

Why should you sponsor me?

• I am extremely hard working, and immensely passionate about what I do, my marks and achievements are a testament to that.
• I received an A-aggregate in Matric, ensuring I could apply to study for film.
• In my 1st, 2nd and 3rd year in University I received an A-aggregate.
• In my second year I received an Certificate of Merit
• In my third year I received the award for Best 3rd year student.
• In my 1st year I was one of four students who's pitch were successful in ensuring that I could make my graduation film.
• In my 3rd year I were one of only three students who's pitch were successful in ensuring that I could make my graduation film.
• Lastly, I want to become the best possible film maker that I can be, and by doing so, inspire others to become the best that they can be.

Why $3000? 

The funds will be used for the following:

• To buy a plane ticket to Europe seeing as ticket prizes are really expensive.
• To rent an apartment in advance, giving me time to find a student job.
• To pay a portion of my tuition fee in advance as that is the correct and smartest thing to do.
• To buy groceries and make sure I do not starve to death :)
• To use the remaining funds as means of buying a cheap city bicycle. This will become my means of transport as I will save money(public transport there is expensive!), it is good for my health and it is eco-friendly. 

Feeling Good? Have a smile :)

Whether you can contribute to my campaign or not, I greatly appreciate the fact that you took your time to read about my campaign. I may have informed you about a syndrome which you have never heard of before. If this is the case, I would want you to inform others about Mobius Syndrome and my campaign. By creating a cloud of awareness, we can place smiles on the faces of thousands of children who lives with Mobius Syndrome. The Smile Train(http://www.smiletrain.org/) and The Mobius Syndrome Foundation(http://www.moebiussyndrome.com/) are incredible initiatives to become a part of. 

Furthermore, I want to show others that you can reach and grab hold of your dreams, whether your dream may be big or small. A dream is a piece of us which makes us gleam of hope, it makes us believe. It is a feeling like no other... It is a feeling which makes me smile from the inside and out.

Thank YOU :)