Hello, everyone. My name is Karina, and I grew up in Hong Kong, raised by Fely, my beloved Auntie from the Philippines. Fely isn’t just a caretaker—she is family. Recently, she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, a devastating blow to the woman who has given so much of herself to others. She has returned home to the Philippines to be with her family, but now faces an urgent battle: she needs chemotherapy and surgery immediately. The cost for her treatment is over £3,000, a sum that is beyond what she or her family can afford.

If you’ve ever felt the absence of something—or someone—important during childhood, you might understand the void I once had. But Fely never let me feel that emptiness. She took care of me as if I were her own daughter, nurturing me with love and compassion. And I’m not alone. Like so many children in Hong Kong, I wasn’t raised by my parents. The grueling working culture in Hong Kong forces many parents to rely on domestic helpers to care for their children.

Domestic helpers, like Fely, earn less than £500 per month for working 16-hour days, six days a week. These women sacrifice their own families to take care of others, sending money home to provide for their loved ones.

I recently graduated from the University of the Arts London (UAL), and I created a stop-motion film that tells a story close to my heart—a story of resilience and sacrifice. The film was inspired by Fely, the woman I call Auntie. It draws parallels between the struggles of domestic helpers like her and the parents who are forced to leave their children behind to work. Auntie left her family in the Philippines, and my mother left me to work long hours. They both sacrificed for the sake of their families, but now Fely needs help.

The film is still a work in progress, and I’m doing my best to complete it. I plan to submit it to festivals and reach out to organizations to raise awareness about this common, yet often unseen, reality. Through this, I hope to connect with others who share a similar experience.

Please consider donating to support her fight against cancer. Your contributions, no matter the size, would mean the world to her and her family. Thank you for helping give back to someone who has given so much.