Hello everyone, my name is Catherine.

I really need your help. I’m sad to have to ask strangers for help. However, I’ve found myself in a very difficult situation this year and, whilst doing my best to find work (I’m at the final interview stage), I need urgent help to enable me to move to a new town, where I’ll have somewhere to live and where I’ll also be able to cover my medical costs.

I have been undergoing tests for possible lung cancer since March this year. I am 40 years old. I first had an X-ray, then a CT scan (which revealed lymph node cysts and a nodule). I then had to wait weeks before having a PET scan, which revealed activity due to the reaction of glucose in certain cells.

I now need another scan and a biopsy.

For most of this year, I have been on unemployment benefit (as I had a very good job before), which has allowed me to cover my daily living costs and travel expenses for medical appointments.

However, this year I found myself in a very abusive relationship that left me financially ruined – whilst trying to escape that relationship.

I’ve received small amounts of help from my family and friends just to put food on the table. But now, I really need help finding somewhere else to live and to be able to go ahead with the scan and biopsy.

My housing situation is now precarious, as I cannot afford to pay my rent. I managed to pay the rent for October, but that’s pretty much all of my remaining savings.

I’ve managed to find a family who need help looking after their children for 10 hours a week in exchange for free accommodation (a room in their family home), which will help me enormously.

However, I need financial help to make this work.

I am currently in the south of France, feeling very lonely, and I miss my friends in the north of France (where this room is located).

The place where I’m currently living doesn’t suit me at all. I’m isolated, alone and without support.

I also don’t have any warm clothes with me as I need to go to the storage unit – also in the north – because after leaving my abusive relationship, I had to put everything into storage.

So I need help to buy some basic autumn clothes until I can get to the storage unit.

I will detail how the funds will be used...

€120–150 for train fares (I need to take a train back to the Paris region and then another regional train to get to my new accommodation). I’ve checked the costs on the rail app (SNCF)

€65 to send my luggage via a courier service (I have 3 large suitcases and it’s impossible for me to travel alone with them on the train)

€200 to buy some basic clothes (coat, 2 pairs of boots, jeans, jumpers, pyjamas, etc.) which I’ll buy on Vinted. It is also important that I dress appropriately, as I will be attending job interviews and will also be moving into the family home to look after the children – at the moment, I only have summer clothes with me and it is November.

300 euros for travel and medical expenses related to these procedures.

300 euros to help with additional costs (my 65-euro-a-month phone bill, which is essential for making calls) as well as to pay for food for the rest of the month until I can find work.

I am happy to provide medical documents and proof of the tests I have undergone.

I cannot tell you how much this help would mean to me. I have tried everything to get a temporary job, but being without a car at the moment is extremely difficult.

I would appreciate any help you can offer.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this.

With all my love and thanks

Catherine

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)