Update – June 15

With deep sorrow, Papa Rogel passed away on June 10 before I could reach him. Travel risks and my ongoing chemo made the journey impossible. Our plan was to fund Papa's treatment here while I completed my chemo, then fly home to see him once I was well enough. Sadly, his condition worsened, and he passed away. Thanks to your generosity, we covered his ICU care, treatments, and funeral expenses. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your support and compassion. ❤️

A Desperate Fly Home for One Last Hug.

While I fight cancer here, my father fights for his life there. Please help me make that one final hug possible.

My Story, My Battle

Hi, I’m Cherry Mae Banayo Poupard, 48 years old, living in France, and right now I’m getting ready for my second round of chemotherapy on June 30th. I’ve already gone through months of chemo and radiotherapy for stage 3 uterine cancer, and every drip reminds me how precious life is. But while I fight to stay alive here, my heart is breaking because my dad, my only parent, is lying in an ICU bed in Tagum, Philippines. He gives me strength in my battle, and I desperately need to see him now.

I sold everything I had, land and savings, just to pay his mounting medical bills. And still, I don’t have enough to fly home. Every night I lie awake, picturing his face, wondering if he’s waiting for me to hold his hand one last time.

Papa Rogelio’s Battle

Papa Rogel, my dad, is 79. He worked hard on a farm to raise me, teaching me to dream big, stay resilient, and always care for others.

Now, he’s in acute respiratory failure and battling a COPD flare-up. A massive pleural effusion means he’s on constant oxygen support. Each day in the ICU costs around €200, and those days add up fast.

Why This Moment Matters?

If you’ve ever been thousands of miles away from someone you love, waiting for bad news, you know this pain. I can’t bear to video-call him, seeing him like that, I’d just cry, and no more words would come out of my mouth. I have my own battle too, and all I want right now is to be by his side, to whisper “I love you,” and to feel his hand in mine before it’s too late.

My dad has been hanging on, day by day, while I drain every resource I have just to keep him alive until I finish my chemo and treatments. But time isn’t on our side.

With your help over the next few days, I can book a flight home, hold his hand in that ICU bed, and tell him he gave me the strength to fight, even when I felt I couldn’t go on. Then, with his blessing and renewed hope in my heart, I can return to France a week before my June 30th chemo, ready to continue my treatment and carry his love with me every step of the way.

Every euro brings me closer to that one life-affirming embrace and to the promise that neither cancer nor distance will steal this moment from us.

Our Goal: €8,000 by June 15

I’ve set a target of €8,000 so I can:

I know the date seems so tight. Hence, this is my last resort. Every euro brings me closer to both keeping my dad alive and giving me the strength to finish my treatment with hope in my heart.

From My Heart

This is more than a fundraiser, it’s my last chance to hold my father before he slips away, and to carry his love with me into every chemo appointment. If you’ve ever wanted to be there for someone you love and didn’t know how, I feel that pain every day.

Your kindness will give me the greatest gift: one final hug that neither illness nor distance can take away. Thank you for reading, for caring, and for believing in our family.