We are hoping to be able to raise some funds for our daughter, Emma, to be able to continue her training. Emma graduated this year with a first-class honours degree in Medical Sciences and we are very proud of her and her achievement.

Her dream was to become a doctor, but due mainly to family circumstances and finances this was never a realist possibility, however she did have the chance to study to become a Physicians Associate which is a shorter two-year course. This also meant she could do her training locally and help at home if necessary as I am disabled and on the waiting list for orthopaedic surgery.

Postgraduate training is nightmare to fund and although she receives a bursary, it works out at £310 a month for all her living cost including rent. There is no student loan for her course and she has been turned down for a career development loan from the bank. She has in the past worked, but the commitment necessary to study and be on placement in a hospital has made this now almost impossible. Her Dad and I will be trying to take out a personal loan to keep her going but we ourselves are on a low income and have another daughter still in education to help too. The university hardship fund has given her a one-off payment of £500 which means she didn’t have to leave the course at Christmas but it really is a desperate situation.

The picture you see is the one Emma sent to me her first day training. She was so excited when she got her scrubs and stethoscope. My daughter’s ambition in life is to give back to her community and work in the NHS in North Wales, where, as a first language Welsh speaker, she is needed.

When I asked Emma what she wanted for Christmas this year she asked, and received, supermarket vouches as she doesn’t have sufficient money to feed herself once she’s paid the rent. We know that every penny we borrow or raise will be used so that she can continue and qualify for a profession where she can make a difference in people’s lives.