Update

Hi Everyone,

First and foremost I want to send a huge thank you to all of you who have donated so generously to my website. Even though I have not had time to contact you all, I looked at every single donation and my heart and hopes soared. I loved the messages of encouragement that you wrote to me, and they truly made my day so much more enjoyable.

Well, despite our best efforts, I sadly had to defer from my classes at the London School of Economics until next September. Racing against the clock to get an aide in place, I made a choice that was not the best, but the only one available at short notice, and with little money. It was a disaster, and completely disrupted my ability to study. My aide became a complete bully, and my day to day living with her became intolerable. Money from my wallet disappeared, and I later found out that drugs were involved. All of this could have been avoided if at the start of school, I had enough money to pay for two aides to rotate, and offer them a room at my residence (so they do not have to pay London rents).

While I was devastated to have to leave LSE, something wonderful resulted from all the bad things that happened. A member of the Board of Trustees became involved in helping me with the school administration to effect some important changes, which hopefully will be in place when I return in September 2012. One of the things that made my situation worse then it already was involved the accessibility of the LSE residence. It was impossible for me to get to my room independently. I had to go through three large fire doors that I could not open on my own. The door to my own room was not accessible. In actual fact, the entire room was not accessible.

At a meeting with the LSE administration, and a member of the Board of Trustee's the LSE has agreed to work with SCOPE to make sure all of LSE's accessible rooms, are up to code in meeting the needs of people with disabilities. And they have agreed to provide a room on site for my aides next year, free of charge. I think this ties in great with my whole purpose of doing a degree in Human Rights. People with disabilities should be afforded the dignity to complete their education on a level playing field with other students.

So now I am working hard to complete our fundraising goals so that by September I will have enough money to recruit aides in London. Having the ability to offer them their own room will be hugely important, both for my independence and for the affordability of hiring two girls.

I am hoping that you will all help me to get the word out about our cause in any way you can. I will keep you all updated on how we are doing via the website. Thank you for believing in me, thank you for all your efforts in helping me to achieve my goal. I look at this bad episode as a lesson in life, to overcome adversity, and to never give up no matter what the odds.

Anastasia

Our Story

My name is Anastasia Somoza. I'm 27 years old and live in New York City. Because of cerebral palsy and spastic quadriplegia, I use a motorized wheelchair to get around and depend 24/7 on an aide, who gets me up in the morning and helps me out through the day.  

Since graduating from Georgetown University in 2007, I've been unable to find a job, but now an extraordinary opportunity is paving the way for me to enjoy a productive and exciting career. This past spring, I received a full scholarship to read for my master's degree in human rights at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).    

In addition to my academic fees, LSE is generously covering my accommodation. The challenge now is to secure funding for my aide, whose assistance is imperative in enabling me to complete the two-year course I have just begun here in London.  

Here's a little background. Throughout my life, my mother has had to fight to get an education for me and for my twin sister Alba,who is also significantly disabled with cerebral palsy. The greatest battle was with the public schools, where we fought to attend regular classes rather than be relegated to special education classes, which at that time amounted to little more than warehousing for students with special needs.     

This is the status quo. In New York City, Medicaid pays for my aide. Through a Medicaid waiver,I was able to provide funding for an aide to help me during my time at Georgetown University. However, the story changes when financing is needed to support an aide during study overseas.  

Since last year, my mother and I have worked on legislation that would allow students accepted by an institution of higher learning to take their aide with them while in school. Following my acceptance by LSE, we worked closely with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on securing a waiver that would enable my aide to accompany me to London. But just two days before our flight to Heathrow, we received a call denying us that waiver.   

Undaunted, and with the first semester rapidly approaching, we pressed on and made the journey to London in the hope of resolving the issue after arrival there. Two weeks passed. Still without a funding solution for my aide, we decided to return to New York and ask LSE if I could defer my studies until next year.   

And then came a change of fortune! Just twenty-four hours before that return flight was scheduled, a friend came forward with funding for a stipend (rather than a salary) for a volunteer who agreed to travel from New York City and work with me until the end of the first semester. This extraordinarily generous gesture has saved the day, providing funding for my volunteer aide until early December and so enabling me to enroll in classes for the initial semester of the two-year LSE course.  

This is where I stand now, poised to study for two years in a course that will equip me to work in the human rights arena and help others in challenging circumstances. And this is where I am now reaching out for your help to raise funding that will support an aide for me once the first semester is completed.   

Please understand that this is a situation where every little bit really will help! I shall be sincerely grateful for any financial assistance from friends, associates, and members of the public. From my end, I pledge to be a dedicated and hardworking student, and, as a graduate, to go out into the world at large and help improve conditions for others like myself, and for those in far worse circumstances. Be sure to check this webpage regularly for updates on my progress. In the interest of keeping to a tight budget, the only perk I offer is a postcard from London with a big personal thank-you but you know that it will be a thank-you from the heart for your vote of confidence, your support, and your generosity. 

Future Impact

It's my firm belief that the impact of our campaign will lead to an awareness of the obstacles that people with disabilities face when trying to access higher education. If any non-disabled student received the type of wonderful scholarship opportunity that I have, he/she would not have to decline the offer because of the need for a personal-care aide. My mother and I continue our work together on legislation that will enable students with any disability that necessitates personal-care assistance to take their aide with them if they are enrolled at an institution of higher education. Long-term, this legislation will help people with disabilities to reach their maximum potential and have a better shot at becoming employed. It will also get them off social services and help them to become independent and enjoy a better quality of life.

What We Need / What You Get

The money we raise through this fundraising effort will go directly to cover the salary, travel expenses, food and cell phone for my personal-care aide. It will also cover the cost of a back-up support person, so that my primary aide can enjoy some time off and avoid burnout. My next semester will run six months, from January to June, with aide costs amounting to approximately $30,000. An ongoing fundraising program will be designed to support my two years at LSE, and so any moneys left over from this campaign will roll over to the next year's funding effort.  

More Ways You Can Help

Donations from friends, family, associates and the public at large will, of course, be the greatest help. Additionally, I ask each of you to become an ambassador for my campaign. Please spread the word among your own circle of friends and contacts through Facebook and other social-media channels. This will rapidly build awareness, and will truly help me reach my fundraising goal. And of course, outreach to local media contacts you may have can also help tremendously in getting the message out.