I'm Ashik Rahaman. I was born and raised in Khulna, Bangladesh. My mother has been the catalyst in my life – she always inspired me to pursue a life goal that is bigger than myself. This ethos became the spark that led me to serve others and value community through my work and life. Although she herself didn't have a high school education, she pushed me to apply for higher education in the United States. When I got accepted to Cornell University to join my master’s degree program, my mother sold all of her most valuable possessions - her jewelry and her land - to fund my travel and studies. Because of financial constraints and complications of travel to my hometown, I haven't been able to provide direct care and support for her for the last several years.

My mother had a massive heart attack in Bangladesh on 21 March. She was in a coma following the event. She has been in the ICU at a local hospital in Khulna, Bangladesh. She has needed many tests and intensive medical support to stabilize and prevent her condition from worsening. Her speech, movement, and cognition have been affected, and the timeline and prognosis for recovery are still being assessed. Her vitals - oxygen saturation, blood pressure, heart rate, and others - have been showing signs of improvement since 30 of March. Once her condition has stabilized enough to move out of the hospital, she will likely need long-term medical care for the foreseeable future. Fortunately, she is surrounded by family, including my little sister, who is tending to and monitoring her situation daily.

Unfortunately, there is no real health insurance system back home to cover my mother’s medical care. that could help support my family with the steep and growing medical costs. With the shortage of gas/electricity, things are getting even more expensive and dire in my hometown. I have exhausted however little savings I had over the last few weeks to cover the costs.

I am asking for financial support for my mother's care and recovery, including 1) medical expenses during her lengthy and costly ICU stay, 2) planning for and setting up her long-term ongoing care during her recovery and rehabilitation, 3) hiring a trained professional to oversee and monitor her care for the uncertain future, and 4) transportation and travelling support for my family members who are caring for my mother during her extended hospital stay.