Good evening, my name is Andreia. I am 36 years old and going through a divorce. I am the mother of a 6-year-old girl. I am currently facing some difficulties. The factory where I used to work went into administration and I was on unemployment benefit for 10 months, as that was what I was entitled to.However, the initial unemployment benefit I was receiving ended on 22 September 2025, and since that day, 22 September 2025, I have received no financial assistance whatsoever from social security. I am currently attending an Rvcc course equivalent to Year 12, as I was only able to complete my education up to Year 9. As for social security, I have already visited them in person twice and submitted everything I had, but even after all that, they still tell me that my case is still under review, as the fact that I am going through a divorce (marriage with separate property) is further delaying the process, and because I filed a complaint regarding non-physical but psychological abuse, sometimes in front of my daughter. I’ve tried everything, I’ve even humbled myself, but I can’t take it any more. My daughter’s mental wellbeing and happiness are more important than anything, and that’s why I had to act as quickly as possible. However, the savings I had set aside – which weren’t much, but enough for the two of us – have now run out. This is also because I am, and have always been, one of those women who, although married, felt as though I were a married widow, having to manage everything on my own: from the home, school, food, hygiene and medication, to the trips to work and looking after my daughter.I’m looking for work, but as well as needing and looking for a job—which I haven’t found yet—I need one that allows me to have the weekend free to take her to catechism and so on, and during the week to finish by 5 pm/ 6 pm so I can be with her at home and take her to paediatric appointments at the hospital due to a previous admission for severe acute ataxia caused by chickenpox and unspecified asthma. If I could, I’d even start my own business; I’m very determined and not afraid of new things, but without funds, it’s not feasible for now. But who knows, maybe my dream will come true. However, my daughter has unspecified asthma and takes 125 mg of Flexitaide every night at 12.00 pm and 12.00 pm when her symptoms are at their worst, and uses the Salbutamol inhaler only in an emergency – I repeat, only in an emergency. But then it happened that on 26 October my daughter chipped a tooth and we went to the dentist with a dental voucher after sending an email to my local health centre. And so it was, she was treated, but now we faced the issue of having to use a fixed expander to widen the roof of her mouth. After several appointments and various diagnoses in different places, we found one that actually specialises in paediatric orthodontics and went ahead with the consultation. She really does need a fixed expander to widen the bone of her palate because there isn’t enough space for her teeth to come through. She will need to have an upper baby tooth on the right-hand side, identified as no. 55, removed so that the permanent tooth underneath can come through and grow straight without any problems, gaps or misalignment. She will need a dental clean, an X-ray and a scan for a better analysis, and to make the mould for the fixed expander; then, once the expander is fitted, she will have follow-up appointments. Note that the fixed expander does not prevent her from later using braces to align her teeth and close any gaps. But the total cost for all this comes to €1,500, covering just the appliance, X-rays, cleaning, scan, tooth extraction and follow-up appointments after it’s fitted. Given that we’re now in the festive season and my little girl, who is 6 and will be turning 7 the day after Christmas on the 26th, and I don’t have the means to buy her a present either. I also have broken teeth and cavities; luckily they don’t hurt, but I can’t get them treated as I don’t have the funds... And now, as if all that weren’t enough, my daughter is going to have an ECG, a Doppler ultrasound and a 24-hour Holter monitor to check whether there is anything wrong with her heart, as she sometimes experiences a rapid heartbeat and muscle or chest pain. All of this could be down to anxiety, but it might not be, given that my little girl’s paternal grandmother had two episodes of cardiac arrhythmia. She never met her paternal grandfather as he passed away, and I never met him either; he had a heart condition and, had he had surgery, we’d know for certain today whether he’d still be with us or not, had he chosen to have the operation. On my side, from my daughter’s maternal family, only one great-grandmother has passed away from a stroke; as she is already a great-grandmother, contact is no longer as close as with her paternal or maternal grandparents.

If you could help, at least with the treatments and the fixed expansion appliance, I would be immensely grateful from the bottom of my heart

Yours sincerely, Andreia Pereira

[email protected]