I am an older, disabled adult who has spent a lifetime taking care of others — often while quietly fighting my own battles. Life didn’t follow the timeline I planned. Illness, disability, and circumstances outside my control forced me to pause dreams that once felt so close. But one dream has never left me: to become a nurse.
 

I know what it feels like to sit on the other side of the hospital bed — scared, exhausted, unseen. I know how much it matters when a nurse looks at you like you matter. That is why nursing isn’t just a career goal for me — it’s a calling born from survival.
 

Despite my disability, I am not giving up. I am capable. I am determined. I am ready to do the work. What I am missing is financial support.

I need approximately $10,000 to cover school-related expenses — tuition gaps, books, uniforms, transportation, and basic living costs while I attend nursing school. As someone who is disabled and older, I don’t have family wealth, savings, or a safety net to fall back on. Every step forward has taken courage, paperwork, persistence, and hope.

This fundraiser is not about charity — it’s about investment.

An investment in someone who understands pain, patience, and resilience.

An investment in a future nurse who will advocate fiercely for patients who feel forgotten.

An investment in proof that disability and age do not disqualify someone from purpose.

I am not asking for a handout. I am asking for a hand up — a chance to finish what life tried to take from me.

If you are unable to donate, please consider sharing this page. Visibility alone can change everything. And if you do donate, know that you are not just helping me go to school — you are helping shape the kind of nurse I will be for others.

Thank you for reading my story. Thank you for believing that it’s never too late to become who you were meant to be.

With gratitude and determination,

Michael