When life gives you lemons... make LEMON AID!

Aim

My crowdfunder project is an online lemon-aid stand. Help me to help myself, my family, my friends, the wider community and YOU!

I have started #mylemonaidchallenge and #mylemonution as like many of us, life has given me more than my fair share of lemons... and I’m suffering in silence.

To my family, friends and the outside world I live a normal life. I have a home, a full-time job, goals and ambitions and beautiful children. Everyone thinks I’m ok...but I’m not.

When life gives me lemons, I put on a brave face and carry on...because of my strength others come to me with their lemons. I’m the one who they turn to when they need support and advice. I’m the one who they turn to when they need to borrow money for food, gas and electric. I’m the one who they turn to when they’re feeling suicidal and they just can not cope with life. I want to continue being their support but there’s just too many lemons. Mental health affects us all, it’s a silent killer. Anxiety thrusts me one step forward, depression drags me two steps back. I have been fighting this vicious circle for over 10 years and I’m tired of fighting - I am one lemon away from a shitastrophy. 

I want to thrive, not just survive – but due to my ongoing battle trying to achieve a balance between my anxiety and my depression, I am silently struggling as a member of the ‘working poor’. I can not earn more money in my current profession. I am unable to get a second job. I spent 6 years completing a part-time degree on an evening whilst working full-time to increase my earning potential; but all this has gotten me is a hefty student loan. I feel sick with worry and I am failing at life. I am one lemon away from losing my home and losing my job. I am failing my goals and ambitions; I am failing my beautiful children.

But I am also a fighter. I am done with feeling hopeless. I am done with living in denial. I am done with running away from my problems. I will not be beaten just yet. Life has given me lemons, but it’s time to get better not bitter – however I can not do this alone, I need your help! 

I need breathing space. I need security. I need a fresh start. I need to help others.

When life gives you lemons what do you do? You make lemonade. However, I can’t afford to make lemonade... So using what I can, with what I have and where I am I have decided to make lemon-aid! I am hoping that there are enough people out there who are thirsty for a bit of positivity in their lives and who need help turning their lemons into lemonade! 

My crowdfunder project is an online lemon-aid stand.

Help me raise £5k so that I have space to breathe and address the bitterest of my life lemons!

Help me raise £10k so that I can provide security for myself, my family and friends!

Help me raise £20k so that I can have a fresh start and pursue a career helping the outside world with their mental health!

Help me raise much more to financially benefit others struggling with life lemons!

Help me to help myself, my family, my friends, the wider community and YOU

Donate to my lemon-aid stand and choose from a range of refreshing rewards, designed using my personal experience, scholarly knowledge and delightful creativity.

For at least the price of a regular lemonade, quench your thirst for positivity with a variety of cheerful creations that will brighten up your day.

For the price of a pink gin and lemonade, revolutionise your life and choose from an assortment of books to discover how to use lemons in your everyday existence.

For at least the price of a fancy lemonade cocktail, get tipsy on a selection of products that offer you the feel-good factor and could help you transform your own lemons into lemonade. 

However, I do realise that lemon-aid may not be to everyone’s taste. But I still invite you to join in with #mylemonution and help raise awareness and break the stigma surrounding mental illness.

If life has given you lemons, make a funny face and show your support.

Take #mylemonaidchallenge, it’s simple -

Suck on a lemon

Take a photo

Share on social media

Mental health affects us all. It is everyone’s business. When life gives you lemons, you don’t have to suffer in silence!

I believe that I can do great things and help many people... I just need a little help with my own lemons to be able to do this. If you can’t help everyone, just help one. And if all else fails, at least I can say that I tried.

This project closed unsuccessfully on 1st November 2019