Celia and her family

I have struggled for over a year to find the courage to ask for help. I (we) have had the most awful year of my life. It started in August 2013, when, under duress, I left the job I loved. The situation wasn't resolved until August 2014, during which time I was unemployed. My husband lost his job at the end of January, 2014. Two weeks later, on Valentine's Day, he had a massive heart attack. It was touch and go and he had 5 stents fitted. On the same day, our soon-to-be-daughter-in-law was diagnosed with inoperable cancer. They got married at the beginning of March. Five days later she was given up to 12 months to live. To say we were devastated is an understatement. A little while later my mum found a lump on her breast. Thankfully it was all ok. In August my mother-in-law sadly passed away. She hadn't been well, but we hadn't expected this to happen so quickly. We were again devastated.

I was hoping that 2015 was going to be 'our' year, yet, on the 9 January, my husband went to have an angiogram and was told he wasn't leaving hospital until he had had open heart bypass surgery... The triple bypass was on January 15. He will be fit to work in 3 months. He has not worked since he lost his job at the end of January last year.

Over all this is the huge debt that we undertook to send my son to the States for a chance of a lifetime, to study for his Masters Degree. Our overdraft to cover this is $60,000. It was our choice to do this, but it is at the moment impossible to repay this.

To see me, you wouldn't know my life was like this, I hide it well. I am incredibly embarrassed to have to ask for help.

Sorry I haven't used any of my family's names, it is because I haven't asked their permission.