Support my treatment in a Rehabilitation Center

My name is Christina-Areti Karagianni-Chalavazi and I am a 27-year-old disabled woman with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 2. I graduated from the Department of Psychology, University of Crete and I am currently a postgraduate student in the Department of Sociology, University of Crete. During the last three years I have been bedridden due to the deterioration of my health. Therefore, I face serious difficulties in my daily life and I need carers to assist me round the clock, even for the simplest daily tasks. Unfortunately and mistakenly, in Greece, care providers are usually family members, as the state does not fund job positions for carers and people with health conditions and disabilities need to pay their carers themselves. This situation is very restrictive both for families that are forced to carry this burden, and for us, as the potential and the needs of disabled people are not fulfilled and our rights are not respected. I strongly believe that freedom, independent living and self-determination are fundamental rights for all human beings. However, when disabled people are not supported by caring family members the situation becomes more complex. Being an unemployed student with SMA type 2 and without any family support, my rights have been violated several times. I have struggled to make ends meet and to pay my carers for years. My pride and my dignity have been breached, and many times I have been forced to look for the solution of philanthropy, as the disability benefits and financial support are not enough to cover neither the wages of my carers nor my daily expenses, whilst it is difficult to find grants or scholarships. Moreover, after discussing these issues with my doctor, we agreed that it is necessary for me to move into a Rehabilitation Center in order to prevent the deterioration of my condition and regain my health, as much as it is feasible. The services that are provided in this rehabilitation center include regular monitoring by neurologist, general practitioner, pneumonologist, physiatrist and nursing staff, as well as the provision of an individualized treatment plan, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy. The hospitalization in this center will cost approximately 12.000€. However, as it was mentioned above, my disability financial support is insufficient, as it is used for the payment of my carers and does not suffice for my medical expenses. Due to the aforementioned situation, I decided to search for alternative ways of financial support in order to pay my expenses in the rehabilitation center and to improve the quality of my life. Any amount you can donate will be much-appreciated. Free access to health services should not be a privilege of the few. I fight for my right to live at liberty as an independent human being. Independent living is not a personal favor, it is a right.