The first question that came into Darya Maysam’s head when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer was: “How will we pay?”

In terms of family, it is just Darya and her mother. As a full-time college student and part-time employee, Darya said she wanted to find a way to help fund her mother’s breast cancer treatment.

“One day, I sat down and wrote out our story and thought it would be best to start a GoFundMe,” Darya said. “I didn’t have any particular goal in mind. I just took a chance to see if we would be able to get some help.”

She said in the beginning, her mother felt like a burden, but Darya reassured her that she was no such thing. Darya said their current situation has brought them closer together.

“[My mom] was worried that I should be out enjoying myself and having fun since I am a young college student,” Darya said. “I reminded her that this isn’t her fault. No one could have predicted she would get cancer.”

Her mother also has a prior disability, which prevented her from working, so their family sometimes struggled to make ends meet, she said.

“The donation process was slow at first, but when I started sharing the link on social media, I was able to connect with more friends and people in the community,” Darya said.

Because both Darya and her mom are living together, it has made communication easier, she said.

“I think it’s easier for [my mom] to open up to me,” Maysam said. “When I was away at school, we would just talk over the phone, and it was difficult for our conversations to go in-depth. Living with her now — it’s reassuring to be able to see her progress.”

Her mother had surgery to remove the breast cancer and is continuing to recover, she said, but her mom will still need chemotherapy.

Darya said they currently have received about half of their donation goal, which is $5,000.

“We are so thankful for all those who have donated, those who plan to donate, and those who are sharing with their friends,” she said. “Any amount is helpful.”

Darya and her mother will collect donations through the end of October. People interested in donating can visit their GoFundMe page.