Growing up, my family and I moved a lot due to various reasons. While at first it was hard to adjust to a new state and school every couple years, I soon fell in love with the sense of adventure I got from living in different places and experiencing different cultures. It was then that I swore when I was in college, I would cater to my craving to see the world and study abroad. Unfortunately, things don't always go as planned, for when I was 13 years old I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythmatosus. While being diagnosed with an auto immune disease at such a young age is scary, I didn't realize how hard it would be for me in the years to come. My senior year of high school I had to be home schooled and do all my school work from the hospital or if I was lucky, bed ridden in my home. My dreams to study in another country for university seemed impossible because I could barely leave my own bed, let alone my own country. 

It's now been almost three years since that low point in the struggle with my Lupus. I enrolled to an amazing university in my hometown so I could have the support of my family right around the corner in case of medical emergencies. Since my senior year/beginning university, with a lot of lifestyle changes, I have come a long way with my health. I feel that I am ready to go after my dream that was put on pause. 

While I typically refrain from reaching out to others for financial help, this is something I have desperately wanted for so long. I am so excited to finally be healthy enough to pursue my dream, but the price tag is the only thing holding me back right now. Any little bit helps, and any donation, big or small, would mean the entire world to me.

Thank you so much,

Christal Jarman-McCarthy

(I plan on studying in Melbourne, Australia for 2 semesters in 2017. I will be studying law and neuroscience as I currently am here in America, and also religious studies/judaic studies.)