Elephant Sanctuary Fundraising in memory of Susan Selfe

My name is Jemma-Rose Hayward and I am from London, United Kingdom. In January 2025, my partner Tufail and I will be volunteering at the Elephant Care Project and Wildlife Rescue Sanctuary in Thailand. We will be doing this in memory of my Aunt Susan who passed away in May 2024.

My aunt Susan had been terminally ill. She was diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis in 2018 and her prognosis was around 3 to 5 years. She also had numerous other rare and debilitating health conditions that made her life incredibly difficult and reduced her life expectancy even further. Over the course of her illness, she became trapped in a body that was fighting against her every single day. My aunt Susan was incredibly brave throughout all of her treatment, she far surpassed her prognosis and this was testament to her positive attitude and determination to live. Throughout her illnesses and right up to the very end of her life, she laughed and smiled despite her suffering, and she continued to be the kind, warm and loving person she had always been to everyone that she met. She was truly an inspiration and her absence is felt every day by those of us who loved her dearly.

My aunt Susan loved all animals, but she adored Elephants with a passion. This is why we would like to volunteer at the Elephant Care Project and Wildlife Rescue Sanctuary in her memory. The Elephant Care Project provides refuge to domesticated Elephants who have been rescued from the logging and tourism industries. The Elephants in their care, most of which have serious health problems as a result of previous abuse, have been rescued from being used to beg on the streets of big cities, circuses and elephant riding camps. The Wildlife Sanctuary rescues animals that have been injured or mistreated. It seeks to rehabilitate and re-release them, or provide them with a living environment that is as close as possible to their natural habitat. There are currently around 900 rescued animals at the wildlife sanctuary including over 300 primates, 24 elephants, over 30 bears, tigers and a variety of other small mammals, birds and reptiles. My partner Tufail and I will be volunteering on both projects across two weeks. We will be working long days in the extreme heat completing physically challenging tasks to assist the Sanctuary.

We are asking for any donations (whether large or small, we are so grateful) to assist the Elephant Care Project and Wildlife Sanctuary with the important work that they do. Any money received in donations will go to the Elephant Care Project and Wildlife Sanctuary in the following ways:

A) Towards the running costs of the Rescue Centre and upkeep of their facilities.

B) Towards the centre's Wildlife Hospital and the purchase of medical equipment.

C) Towards the purchase of resources (food, toys, etc) for the animals at the centre.

Our flights and accommodation in Thailand is already paid for. We are only looking for donations for the Sanctuary.

The Elephant Care Project and Wildlife Sanctuary is a non-profit, non-government organisation. It is a registered foundation under Thai law, Foundation No: T271/2545. Every penny raised will go to them to allow them to carry on the incredible work that they do and allow others to continue to volunteer rescuing and treating abused and injured animals.

Thank you so much