Please Help Me Keep

My South African Friend Safe

My name is Nathallee Hartwell, and I am a single Canadian business owner. I am writing this with a very heavy heart, because I never imagined I would be in a position where I would need to ask publicly for help like this.

But I am here now, asking.

A dear female friend of mine in South Africa is currently facing urgent and unstable circumstances involving safety, health, and basic living needs. For her safety and privacy, I will not be sharing identifying details about her. That is intentional, and it is a decision made to protect her well-being and her life.

Because of the sensitive nature of her situation, I cannot share every detail publicly. But I can share this:

I have known her for 20 years. I know her personally. I trust her deeply. And I can honestly say she is one of the greatest humans I know.

She is the kind of person who gives even when she has very little. She consistently and selflessly puts others before herself, even when it costs her. She shows up for the people who need help. She has a heart that still chooses kindness, even after enduring things no person should have to endure.

I care about her deeply.

And to me, her life is not optional.

Since May 2025, I have been personally supporting her financially, emotionally, and practically. What began as temporary help has slowly grown into ongoing monthly support for basic living costs, safe transportation, communication needs, internet access, emergency support, and medical-related expenses.

I have carried this responsibility for as long as I possibly could.

I run my own business, and I have often worked 14+ hour days while pushing my body to its limits, stretching my resources, and putting my own educational pursuits and business endeavours on hold to keep her safe and stable.

I have done it because I love my friend, because I believe her life matters, and because I cannot simply look away when someone I care about is in serious need.

But I have reached the point where I can no longer carry this alone.

I am exhausted.

I recently recovered from a serious double shoulder injury that nearly ended my career. My work depends on my body. If I injure myself again, I may not be able to work. And if I cannot work, then I cannot support myself or her.

Then we both lose.

I cannot let that happen.

And I refuse to quit.

Why Help Is Needed Now

Her current situation is not stable, and the safety concerns around her have become increasingly urgent. There are very real fears and concerns for her continued safety due to the dangerous and increasingly unsafe circumstances unfolding around her…and, at times, placing her directly at risk.

We are also trying to navigate access to basic services such as safe transportation, consistent communication, reliable electricity, internet access, medical care, and basic day-to-day needs.

There are also ongoing barriers to stable employment and healthcare access, which make it extremely difficult for her to support herself independently right now.

She is currently waiting on a formal legal and emergency resettlement process through official U.S. government channels. She successfully completed all required steps in September 2025 and is awaiting feedback. Unfortunately, the process has been slow and uncertain, and there is no clear timeline.

Part of what makes this so terrifying and frustrating is that, in order to remain eligible for this process, she is required to stay within the area of conflict and danger.

Leaving could jeopardize the only option currently available to her.

So while we wait for the door to open, she has to remain in the very place she is trying to survive.

That is the hardest part.

In the meantime, she still needs to survive day to day.

While we wait for a longer-term solution, she still needs food. She still needs safe shelter. She still needs transportation. She still needs communication. She still needs medical care. She still needs support to make it through each month without falling into crisis.

I am also preparing for the possibility that conditions may worsen. If that happens, I may need to act quickly to help her reach a safer location and remain supported until longer-term options become possible. I sincerely hope that will not be necessary, but I have to be realistic about what is happening.

There are also significant medical and dental needs that must be addressed. Some of these needs are the result of past traumatic circumstances and require specialized treatment that is not currently accessible without private funding.

What I Have Already Done

Since May 2025, I have personally been sending monthly support to help cover:

1. Basic living expenses
2. Food, shelter, and essentials
3. Safe transportation for necessary appointments
4. Communication and internet access
5. Emergency support when needed
6. Medical-related costs where possible
7. Practical and emotional support through an incredibly difficult time

She has tried everything within her power to survive and contribute, even when doing so has placed her in unsafe situations.

We have tried to create other options, including remote work, online income opportunities, and every realistic path we could think of. However, ongoing safety concerns, unreliable internet, failing electricity supply, instability, and other outside pressures have made it very difficult for her to consistently maintain or rely on those options.

I want people to understand that this is not for lack of trying.

There are serious reasons those options have not worked, but for safety reasons, I cannot share those details publicly.

What I can say is this: this is not laziness. This is not unwillingness. This is not someone refusing to help herself.

This is someone with one of the strongest spirits I have ever seen, still fighting to survive in circumstances that have become bigger than what determination alone can overcome.

And we have both tried.

What I Am Asking For Now

I am asking for help so I can continue supporting her without collapsing under the weight of it myself.

The costs are ongoing, and they are now more than I can carry alone.

Funds raised will go toward:

1. Safe accommodation
2. Food, shelter, and basic monthly living needs
3. Safe transportation when necessary
4. Communication and internet access for safety and remote work
5. Private medical coverage for urgent care needs
6. Outstanding medical and dental treatment
7. Emergency contingency support if conditions worsen
8. Administrative and banking costs required for secure international support

I also want to explain why the fundraising amount is what it is.

This is not only for monthly survival needs. It is also to create an emergency safety fund in case circumstances change quickly, the current U.S. pathway continues to stall, or another safe option needs to be pursued urgently.

Right now, we are still holding onto the U.S. resettlement process with hope. But because there has been no clear update since September 2025, we also have to be prepared in case we need to act quickly and make alternate safety arrangements.

What Your Support Makes Possible

Your support helps buy time, safety, and stability while we wait for longer-term solutions.

It helps provide another month of food.

Another month of shelter. Another month of communication. Another month of medical support. Another month where she does not have to face this alone.

Whether the gift is large or small, it helps relieve a burden that has become too heavy for one person to carry by herself.

And right now, that matters more than I can properly express.

Why This Matters

This is not a simple or short-term situation. It is ongoing, uncertain, and deeply stressful. Stability can change quickly, and every month matters.

My goal is simple: to help keep my friend safe, fed, medically supported, and able to continue day-to-day life without falling into crisis while we wait for longer-term solutions to become available.

I am not doing this lightly.

I have thought about this for a long time. I have prayed about it. I have resisted asking. I have tried to carry it privately for as long as I could.

But I am no longer able to do this alone.

So now, I am surrendering.

I am putting my faith and trust in the goodness of humanity, because I know it exists.

And I am hoping you will help prove me right.

Transparency and Accountability

I understand that asking for help requires trust, and I do not take that lightly.

I am willing to stand publicly behind this fundraiser because I believe it is the right thing to do. I am personally overseeing all funds and working with professional accounting support to ensure transparency and accountability in how everything is managed.

Any funds remaining after her needs have been fully met will be donated to charitable organizations chosen by me, focused on humanitarian support.

Final Words

If you choose to support this fundraiser, please know that you are not just giving money.

You are helping provide safety and dignity, medical care, food, shelter, stability, and most importantly, hope.

You are helping someone I deeply care about get through a frightening and uncertain chapter of her life.

And you are helping me continue to support her without risking everything I have worked so hard to rebuild.

If you feel moved to give, any amount helps. Even a small gift can help provide safety, food, communication, medical care, or another day of stability while we wait for the next door to open.

If you are not able to give, your prayers, encouragement, and sharing of this campaign mean more than you know. Sharing this fundraiser may help it reach the person who can help.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading this, for caring, and for your consideration.

Nathallee

You can read her Personal Statement here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11xR0TPTuscHebkxatBtn97qlt5HcsHrFKdDsbfedtFM/edit?usp=sharing

For any enquiries or other ways to support, you may send an email to: angelsupportproject@gmail.com