With the generosity of a few individuals I have been helping this family for a couple of months. They were my neighbors until they were evicted. Cedric, the boy holding the catheter bag, suffers from a congenital spinal condition. In the states it probably would have been corrected at birth but here a totally corrective surgery is absolutely impossible for a poor family to afford. The family was told by the doctors that if it is not totally corrected there will be issues every few years that will require smaller surgeries that are still very costly. Cedric was in need of such a surgery about a month ago. As of now he suffers from partial paralysis below the waist and is only able to stand and walk with difficulty. In spite of this he is perhaps the happiest and best little boy I have ever known.
Before the pandemic the father had a relatively decent paying job and was at least able to provide necessities for the family. However, due to the economic hardships of the coronavirus the only regular work he can find is a construction job that pays about $7 (USD) a day. Here that is probably barely enough for very cheap rent and food- no other expenses- for one person. He must support a family of six.
After some discounts the amount the family owed for Cedric’s surgery was about $1600. In their situation that is a hopeless amount of money. Here in the Philippines if a substantial debt like this is not paid the debtor can be put in jail. By the time I became aware of the extent of their difficulties the father had already surrendered his motorcycle as collateral (transportation he needed for work) and borrowed money at a cutthroat interest rate to pay the hospital bill. I helped him to get his motorcycle back and to pay some of the debt. As things stand, the remaining debt may still cause him some difficulties but I don’t think he’s in danger of going to jail any longer.
To top it off, because of money issues in the past the landlord said that even if I were to help them pay their most recent rent they would still have to leave. By God’s providence they have been able to find a place to stay rent-free. It certainly isn’t nice- pretty much open air, electricity via extension cord and no functional light fixtures. But at least they won’t have the pressure of an impossible amount of rent money every month, which I was very worried about. Even without rent, $7 a day- when he can get the work- isn’t nearly enough.
I have been providing the family with necessities like rice, fortified powdered milk for the two toddlers, bread, peanut butter, etc. I also try to provide one large, nutritious meal each week.
For Christmas I will be giving the boys nice shirts and the girls sun dresses so they can have at least one nice thing to wear sometimes. It’s hard to feel normal if everything around you always looks miserably poor, including yourself. They will also get one little toy, like a doll.
The most important thing is that, with difficulty, I was able to acquire 2 months worth of catheters and catheter bags for Cedric. They are not expensive but his small size is very scarce- I had to to travel to another city and go through a bureaucratic process at a big hospital to get them. They have to be changed once a week because he is very prone to urinary tract infections.
Whenever I visit I always bring treats for the children and we pray and sing Christian songs together. The two little ones like to bang on the tambourine together! After his surgery I visited Cedric in the hospital and gave him a cross necklace and a crucifix. I told him that Jesus suffered much, too, and that if we are good and we ask him to be close to us, He will be with us in our suffering and give us His love and His strength. Cedric really seemed to understand.
It is my great hope to be able to continue to provide basic necessities like milk for the toddlers and rice every week until the pandemic restrictions end and the father can find decent work. Though I may be leaving this city soon I plan to wire money for their necessities so long as I have it to give. Whether or not I am able to do so will depend on how much help is provided from this point forward. If you would like to offer assistance please message me for details. Any amount will go a long way- the most expensive thing is the milk for the children. If it’s not possible to help in these difficult times that is very understandable. But at least please pray for this family to keep their heads above the neverending waves of poverty that threaten to drown them. Unfortunately there are many others all around the world in the same boat or, more accurately, lack of a boat. The big problems of the world always hit the poor the hardest.
(See more photos on our facebook page: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=4239688889380382&id=100000179377481)
MISSION OF MERCY 