All for Holen
Donation protected
Hollingsword (Holen) Wolul is a well known, beloved and deeply respected young member of our community here in Vanuatu. He is the eldest of 4 siblings. He is a world level swimmer and has represented Vanuatu at the World Swimming Championships in Korea in 2019 and China in 2018, and internationally at the Fiji Age National Championships 2019, Fiji Swimming Grand Prix 2019 and the Pacific Games in Samoa this year. In Holen's own words, "it has been his dream for many years to compete in the Olympics".
He is a dedicated swim coach for the Paradise Swim School and has been instrumental in teaching swimmers all ages through the Learn to Swim program.
Aside from his amazing swimming talents, he is also a very talented sailor and has spent many hours at the VCYC learning and competing in Club races over the past few years.
Unfortunately Holen now desperately needs our help. He has been feeling tired and sick over the past few months, and through blood tests taken recently, he found out this week that he has Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) - a rare type of blood cancer, which is unusual for such a young, fit and healthy man to develop. It is hard for us, his family and friends to comprehend how such a fit, healthy, amazing young man who has the world at his feet has been diagnosed with such a horrible disease. It has rocked our world and we want to do all we can to help our friend and brother.
With no treatment options in Vanuatu, Holen needed to fly to Australia immediately. Through family, friends and some amazing donations from Carbine Club, The Lodge of Discovery and the incredible support of a group of very determined friends we were able to get him on a flight and admitted to Wesley Hospital in Brisbane last night.
We have just been updated by the Doctors in Australia that he will be transferred to the Royal Brisbane Hospital on Monday and from there a treatment plan will be formed with a team of specialists.
There is no government support for Holen's treatment, in Vanuatu there is no Medicare, nor are there the medical facilities to treat diseases such as this. Vanuatu is a third-world country, and travel to Australia for treatment is Holen's only option. Once in Australia, Holen is responsible for 100% of his medical costs, including hospitalisation, tests, blood transfusions, clinicians, chemotherapy and more. Already his expenses for just this weekend alone and tests done to date are up to around AUD$6000. Treatment ahead will be much more costly.
Holen has spent many hours coaching the future swimmers and sailors of Vanuatu. From young children to adults. He loves what he does and does it with so much passion, determination and responsibility. He is loved by so many of us, young and old, sports person, child, parent.....everyone.
We have started this campaign with a target of $50,000 and as the treatment plan is formulated over the coming weeks we will have more of an understanding of the overall costs.
We thank you for whatever you are able to contribute financially towards supporting Holen, everything will help. I have asked Fiona Monaghan whom Holen is staying with in Brisbane as he undergoes treatment to assist me with this campaign. As you will see in the updates that follow, his treatment will be long term and his medication is very expensive. So we will continue to campaign and fundraiser as much as we can to help him.
#All 4 Holen
He is a dedicated swim coach for the Paradise Swim School and has been instrumental in teaching swimmers all ages through the Learn to Swim program.
Aside from his amazing swimming talents, he is also a very talented sailor and has spent many hours at the VCYC learning and competing in Club races over the past few years.
Unfortunately Holen now desperately needs our help. He has been feeling tired and sick over the past few months, and through blood tests taken recently, he found out this week that he has Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) - a rare type of blood cancer, which is unusual for such a young, fit and healthy man to develop. It is hard for us, his family and friends to comprehend how such a fit, healthy, amazing young man who has the world at his feet has been diagnosed with such a horrible disease. It has rocked our world and we want to do all we can to help our friend and brother.
With no treatment options in Vanuatu, Holen needed to fly to Australia immediately. Through family, friends and some amazing donations from Carbine Club, The Lodge of Discovery and the incredible support of a group of very determined friends we were able to get him on a flight and admitted to Wesley Hospital in Brisbane last night.
We have just been updated by the Doctors in Australia that he will be transferred to the Royal Brisbane Hospital on Monday and from there a treatment plan will be formed with a team of specialists.
There is no government support for Holen's treatment, in Vanuatu there is no Medicare, nor are there the medical facilities to treat diseases such as this. Vanuatu is a third-world country, and travel to Australia for treatment is Holen's only option. Once in Australia, Holen is responsible for 100% of his medical costs, including hospitalisation, tests, blood transfusions, clinicians, chemotherapy and more. Already his expenses for just this weekend alone and tests done to date are up to around AUD$6000. Treatment ahead will be much more costly.
Holen has spent many hours coaching the future swimmers and sailors of Vanuatu. From young children to adults. He loves what he does and does it with so much passion, determination and responsibility. He is loved by so many of us, young and old, sports person, child, parent.....everyone.
We have started this campaign with a target of $50,000 and as the treatment plan is formulated over the coming weeks we will have more of an understanding of the overall costs.
We thank you for whatever you are able to contribute financially towards supporting Holen, everything will help. I have asked Fiona Monaghan whom Holen is staying with in Brisbane as he undergoes treatment to assist me with this campaign. As you will see in the updates that follow, his treatment will be long term and his medication is very expensive. So we will continue to campaign and fundraiser as much as we can to help him.
#All 4 Holen
Organizer and beneficiary
Cassie Phelan
Organizer
Bundall QLD
Fiona M
Beneficiary
