My name is Vidya and Im 20years old entering my second year in Med (MBBS) at UWI.
I was raised by my single mother whose health has been deteriorating, recently required surgery and thank god it was successful.
All my grandparents died before I was born and we've never really had support from other family members as they're also struggling. My father has been absent for years, and I havent seen him in years unfortunately.

My mother has been working so hard for me all my life on her own just to make ends meet, she never had an inheritance and we all had to start from scratch. Her health has been on the decline for a while and with the surgery now, she cannot work during recovery, and she'll be restricted after.

It's been a very difficult period in our lives and we're so stressed and frustrated.
I reside in South (penal) Trinidad and due to financial contraints, have not been able to afford rent near Mt.Hope to attend classes during Year 1. This resulted in a daily 4hrs of travel via PTSC or taxi leading to extreme mental, physical and emotional exhaustion. I have missed labs/lectures just because I cannot reach to school and barely got sleep. I have not been able to even apply for a driver's license either due to the cost.

I'm so embarrassed by all the begging and asking favours of neighbours that we have to do daily just to get a single meal sometimes. In all my life, we've never struggled like this and I know my mom is experiencing the worse of it and blaming herself for not being able to work and make it easier right now, sometimes she doesnt eat just so I can.

I'm also trying to hard to earn as much as I can, with my school schedule I was only able to work for 1 day a week doing minor stuff like babysitting etc, and I've been trying to pick up as much stuff during break before year 2 begins but it's not enough to cover utilities and groceries and I don't know what to do. I feel so lost, tired, sad and scared. There's no rest from the stress. My mom is so important to me and I'm so scared to lose her.

Please if you can help us, I would be so grateful. Everything little or even sharing would mean so much. All my life I've wanted to become a doctor and now I feel so close to the finish line but also so close to falling off the edge.

Truly, Thank you so so so so so so much.