My name is Inna. I’m 22 years old, Ukrainian, and I’m asking for help at a moment when I never imagined I would have to.
I came to Belgium alone when I was 18 because of the war. I left behind my home, my family, my familiar life - everything I knew - and arrived in a country that wasn’t mine, where I had to learn how to build a life completely from scratch.
I tried very hard not to depend on anyone. I studied to become a web developer, completed my training and internship, and eventually found a job. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I had made it through. I could pay my own rent, take care of myself, and help my mom when she needed me. After everything that had happened, being independent meant more to me than I can explain.
But while I was trying so hard to keep my life together, I didn’t realize how badly I was falling apart myself.
I kept telling myself that I just needed to push a little harder. To keep going to work, keep paying the bills, keep functioning, keep pretending I was okay. Eventually, I reached a point where I simply couldn’t do it anymore.
Following the recommendation of my psychiatrist, I am now on medical leave. I’m trying to recover, but instead of being able to focus on getting better, I wake up worrying about money, my future, and especially my mom.
My mom is 61 years old and still in Ukraine. She has health problems and is currently unable to work. She cannot leave Ukraine at the moment, and being so far away from her while knowing that I cannot help her the way I used to is one of the hardest parts of all of this.
Sometimes I feel completely helpless. I’m her daughter. I want to be the person she can rely on. But right now I’m struggling just to keep myself financially afloat.
A few years ago, I lost my father. He passed away after our family did not have enough money for the treatment he needed. That experience has stayed with me ever since. I already know what it feels like to lose a parent while wishing there had been more we could have done, and I don’t want to experience that again. I don’t want to lose my mom too. That is why being unable to support her properly right now scares me so much.
It is incredibly difficult for me to write this and ask strangers for help. I know that there are people whose situations are far worse than mine, and I would never pretend otherwise. I have an education. I have two hands and two legs. I want to work. I want my normal life back.
I’m not asking anyone to support me forever.
I’m just 22, far away from my family, trying to recover after reaching a point where my mind and body simply couldn’t keep going anymore. For years I tried to handle everything myself, and right now I have to admit that I can’t handle everything alone.
The money raised would help me pay for basic necessities while I recover - rent, food, bills and everyday expenses - without living with constant fear of what happens when the next payment is due. More importantly, it would allow me to send some money to my mom so she can afford her everyday needs and health-related expenses.
I cannot describe how painful it is to feel like I have to choose between taking care of myself and taking care of my mom.
I don’t want this to become my life. My goal is still the same as it has always been - to recover, return to work, support myself again and be able to help my mom without asking anyone else for help.
I just need a little time and a little support to get there.
If you can donate, even a small amount would genuinely mean more to us than you probably realize. And if donating isn’t possible, sharing this fundraiser could help it reach someone who is able to help.
Thank you for reading this far. Even taking the time to read my story means a lot to me.