© CNNA Brazilian teen is auctioning off her virginity to help care for her bed-ridden mother.
Rebecca Bernardo,18, made the decision out of desperation to care for her bed-ridden mother.
"I made up my mind right after my 18th birthday," said Bernardo through a translator. "That's when my mother suffered a stroke."
While Bernardo tried other forms of employment, the money she earned barely covered the costs of a caretaker.
She was inspired by the virginity auction of another Brazilian woman, Catarina Migilorini.
Migilorini offered to sell her virginity through an Australian website. She received widespread publicity and was offered modeling contracts.
"There comes a time when you have to make decisions to get what you want," said Bernardo. "You have to be strong."
On the first day the video was posted on YouTube, it had 3,000 views.
Bernardo's neighbors sympathetic to situation stated that her older sister died several years ago and she's never known her father.
"She had no one to go to, no one to help," said one woman. "This is the only solution she found."
Bernardo's bed-ridden mother does not approve.
"She should look for work," said Bernardo's mother. "She shouldn't prostitute herself."
Bernardo stated she's received three bids - the highest one for $35,000.
A Brazilian television network offered to pay medical expenses if she canceled the auction. The deal fell through because Bernardo is seeking enough money to pay for her mother's care and an opportunity to relocate. She did not state how much she would need.
No one in Bernardo's town has offered any assistance to the family.
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