Good morning everyone. My name is Riccardo. I live in Milan and I’m 42 years old. On 10 May 2025, my mother suffered a stroke; she lives alone in Bagheria, in the province of Palermo. She is 77 years old and will turn 78 in December

My mum is currently in hospital at the Civico in Palermo and on 25 May she will be transferred to a care home in Piana degli Albanesi for another month. On the morning of 11 May, my sister took the first flight to be with my mum – and to think that from 7 to 9 May I was down there myself for personal reasons. My sister will have to return to Milan by 6 June for family and work commitments, and on 24 June she will return to Palermo again to look after my mum and not leave her alone, until early September. After that, we’ll try to find a solution or bring her up to Milan, but the problem is that from early June until 25 June my mum will be on her own. I need help 😢 to look after her, but I don’t know how to go about it. My brother has been unemployed for three years and has now been working in a hotel for a month; he’ll get his first pay cheque on the 10th, but the problem is he’ll have to pay two months’ rent arrears – €1,000 – and settle all his debts, so he won’t have a single euro to give me...And even he, sad as he is, won’t be able to see his mum 😞. Could you tell me to get help from my sister, but the fact is she’s already spent €500 on two return tickets... with a daughter to support and my brother-in-law, a shopkeeper, who’s been earning very little for the last two months.

I live in Milan in a 16-square-metre studio flat – practically a hole – with a rent of €550, excluding bills, totalling €850, on a €920 salary. I have a fixed-term contract that’s always renewed because I work in a hospital where I’m constantly re-hired through other contracts. This means I’m always starting from scratch without ever getting a permanent contract, but never mind – at least I have a job. However, I keep sending out CVs to improve my financial situation, but no one takes me seriously

and so now I find myself in a crisis

And I have no way of getting out of it

While I was writing, my sister called me and I held back the tears at the thought of my mother (my one true love)

I’m asking for your help, please 🙏 just to pay for my flight or whatever, and coach tickets to visit my mum every day... Please, she needs her children; she doesn’t deserve all this – four weeks on her own, you understand 😞 I’ll take care of the food, and I don’t think there’s a need for medicine as she’ll be in a care home. I’m asking for your help for a son in utter despair, please 🥺