Help support Aida Santos

UPDATE (25 December 2016): Thanks to your good wishes and your support, my mother Aida has had a successful operation, and expresses her gratitude in this video. We’ve raised about 686K PHP from your donations, which will go towards surgery costs, post-operative recovery procedures, and other medical expenses (for her other conditions) for the next six months, during which time she will have to take leave from her nonprofit work and activism so she can take a much-earned rest. Happy Christmas everyone, and enjoy the last leg of 2016. With humility and gratitude.

UPDATE (11 December 2016): Thank you so much for all the support that you have been giving to Aida/my mother. Good news, our immediate target is no longer php1,000,000. Because of friends who have referred doctors and hospitals, she was able to have her angiogram at a reduced rate last Friday, 9 December 2016 at the Philippine Heart Center. Her doctors advised her to proceed with the angioplasty. But because of the shortage of funds, this was held off. So far we have collected about Php200,000. Of this, close to php70,000 was spent for Aida’s confinement at Providence Hospital, php50000 for the angiogram at the Philippine Heart Center and about php20,000 for other medicines and similar expenses. While there is a remaining php60000, this is not enough to cover the reduced cost of her angioplasty, estimated at php250000 at least. So that Aida can proceed with the operation, we need to raise at least php125000 or 50 per cent downpayment. We are hoping to raise this amount as we target Tuesday, 13 December 2016 for her operation. Please note that there are so patients at the Heart Center, being a public hospital. But it would be such a relief if Aida manages to complete this — hopefully—without any complications before Christmas. Thank you so much.

ORIGINAL POST:
Recently, my mother—who is one of the heroes of my life (and, setting all modesty aside, of democracy and human rights in the Philippines, along with many committed activists who resisted the Marcos dictatorship)—just had a major heart attack in the Philippines.

Because healthcare costs in the Philippines are notoriously high, her friends and colleagues have set up Facebook community page advertising a fundraising target of 1M PHP (approx US $20,100) that she needs for her bypass. You can read more about why my mother is worth fundraising for in this GoFundMe campaign that one of her friends has set up for her.

If you would like to help out, the fact that you’re even considering donating is so touching. Any amount is appreciated. Really.  :) And if you can’t help out financially, just post a message on her community board; she’ll appreciate the fact that you’re thinking about her!

I’ve presented different currency options because if you can send in one of the currencies below, it’ll minimise currency conversion fees. Unless you want to remain anonymous, please contact the organisers of the fundraising campaign so that we can properly keep track of your donation.

From the bottom of my heart, I and nanay’s friends and colleagues thank everyone who has already donated to her cause. Your help has been invaluable. And to those who are considering donating, maraming salamat po.