Tis the season of family, friends, love, laughter and giving…

My name is Emily, and I am reaching out to you with a heartfelt request. My dear friend Rose and her family in the Philippines (PHP) are in great need. Rose is like a sister to me. I was blessed to meet her sitting next to me on a flight from Manila to Singapore in 2016. We had an instant connection. We both love to travel. She and her friends offered to take me around Singapore after having just met me a few hours before. A few years later, Rose made her 1st trip to the US, which I helped her plan, connect her to friends and even went to visit with her in NYC. In 2023, Rose joined me and 2 other friends on a trip to Israel & Jordan. Just 5mo later, I was on a plane, back to the Philippines, honored to have been asked to be one of her bridesmaids. Her friends and family welcomed me with open arms and so much love. They are family to me!

Rose and her sister, Teresa, both suffer from Mitral Valve Prolapse, a condition where the heart's mitral valve doesn't close properly. Teresa’s condition has worsened to also having severe mitral regurgitation and tricuspid regurgitation, meaning her heart valves are leaking, making her condition quite severe and very concerning. She has lost a lot of weight and can no longer work.

Teresa is in urgent need of surgery. Healthcare is not good in their country. It is very difficult and expensive to get medical treatment, especially for something so serious. They lost their father during Covid because he couldn't get treatment.

In PHP, you must have a significant downpayment just to get on a surgical list, before the government will consider helping financially. They are currently in need of raising ~700k PHP, which is the equivalent of ~$12k usd. A significant burden to most families in PHP.

In the spirit of my birthday, Hanukkah and Christmas, I am asking anyone who can donate to help relieve this financial burden on Rose and her family. In Judaism, the #18 has a numerical value of the letter ‘Chai’ which in Hebrew means “Life”, in which we generally give in multiples of 18.

Your generous donation, no matter the amount, can make a life-saving difference for Teresa and bring hope to Rose and their family during this critical time. Please consider contributing today and sharing this campaign with your network to help us reach our goal.

I am planning to surprise Rose in a few weeks, when I see her in person, giving her the biggest hug and the gift of generosity from others during this holiday season.

Please keep them in your prayers.

With deep gratitude,

Emily