Please help me take my health burden off my family and help me setup a study space for my Master's
One of the many I've collected, forgive the handwriting, one of my medications gives me the shakes.
Thank you for taking the time to read about my GoFundMe. I know my request pales in comparison to many others here, so any attention at all means a lot. TL;DR: I'm trying to take some pressure off my very supportive family by setting up a proper study space for graduate school.
My situation is one where education keeps colliding with health. I'm currently undergoing rigorous cancer treatment following the successful removal of a tumor on my left kidney late last year. The surgery is what revealed how serious things actually were.
On top of that, about two months ago I developed an unexplained circulatory issue in both legs. Blood pools in my feet and my pulse is barely detectable even on ultrasound. Thankfully I'm still mobile, the discomfort is manageable, and I fully intend to stay that way, which ties into what I'm asking for in the final paragraphs.
Rounding things out, I also manage PTSD, Bipolar Disorder, and Borderline Schizophrenia. I'm fortunate to respond well to medication, so these have been largely controlled for about eight years, but stressful stretches like this one still make them harder to carry, especially when my health costs me personal goals.
That's what happened in 2025. When the tumor was found, my family insisted I move in with them, and I quickly judged myself as a burden. I resolved to earn certifications over that period: The PMP, Salesforce, others. My health had other plans. It got in the way, and I lost those goals.
I'm not letting that happen again in 2026. I've enrolled in the University of Pittsburgh's Master's in Data Science, a program designed to ease students in. My family insisted on helping pay for it alongside my meager scholarships, which only deepened my sense of being a burden and my resolve to build a path to stable, higher-paying work so I can be there for them.
That brings me to my request. I would like to set up a small study space in my mother's home, following a cardiologist's suggestion to alternate sitting and standing roughly every 60 minutes to help my leg circulation while doctors figure out the cause. I'm asking for $450 to cover a quality sit-stand desk and a small bookshelf.
In full honesty: I ran a similar GoFundMe last year for a combined study and sleeping space. I prioritized honesty and acquiring all that I said I would over quality of build, and most of that furniture is now held together by duct tape and luck. None of it can really be moved. Ideally, I'd like to accomplish the GoFundMe before my family catches wind of the cardiologist's advice and spends money they don't have to spend, that they don't have in their accounts to spend.
Thank you for reading, for sharing, and for anything you're able to contribute.
-DatJavaClass
Link: https://gofund.me/b7ddc508f
A snap shot of the entry level class, the censorship is for myself and the professor.
A snapshot of the University of Pittsburgh's student portal
Common Questions & Answers:
Why don't you let your family help if they want?
I wasn't raised by this side of my family, I "know" what they do is not seen as a burden, but it's my hang-up that is is. I am in therapy about it.
Why don't you work to pay for it?
Oh believe me that would make things so much easier. However, between the surgeries and my Family? I am effectively not "allowed" to work. Let alone Volunteer at my local Great Dane Rescue as much as I want.
Why a Second GoFundMe for the same thing?
As I said, when I made the first, I bought what I said I would at the lowest price. That does not mean quality most of the time. The furniture has not held up or is not designed to be moved.
Where is the first GoFundMe?
I shut it down once my goal had been reached. When I ask for money, I am not after more as I am aware that money could go to better causes than my own. I shut it down the second it's goal had been reached. I will do the same here.
How do we know you're going to buy what you say you're going to buy?
I have the desk in question and bookshelf saved on a Amazon list. Per request, I'll provide the list's link if that would suffice.
What can you tell me about this Masters you're after? Is it real?
Yes, it's a real program with an interesting way of entry. The class that I redacted identifying information from is the only class I can take this summer. If I pass with a B or higher, then I am automatically enrolled as a full time Masters student without the traditional essays and hoops.
Can I give you money outside of GoFundMe?
No. I prefer the use of the platform for it's book-keeping and legitimacy in most cases.