Dear Friends,

As many of you know, my brother and sister, Ionut and Rachel Badelita, have dedicated their lives to helping the people of the Philippines. This is the country where they first met and fell in love with each other and the Filipino community. The couple recently made the commitment to move with their two young children on a small remote island and had been residing there for the past few months. Sadly, Ionut experienced a major accident this past week which required open surgery .

This Go-Fund-Me page is being created to give Ionut’s extended church family and friends a way to express their need to help and be Godly servants. We do not want the Go-Fund-Me to overshadow that we are asking for prayer above all. Help us raise our hearts and voices to Jesus to fully restore Ionut’s health.

On Sunday, April 24th, Ionut experienced a major accident while riding his motorbike, which is the main source of transportation on an island with poor infrastructure. He was treated at a local hospital and both, Ionut and Rachel were enormously relieved that he was stable and had no signs of major injuries, except for deep wounds along the left side of his body. He was discharged from the local hospital and went home to rest. Unfortunately, recovery was not occurring and Ionut was struggling with increased pain.

A week following the accident, Ionut woke up with major swelling in his abdomen and now the pain was severe. Rachel knew that this was serious and drove him to what would be considered a private hospital, still one with limited medical equipment. Without a doctor or tests available that day, the staff at the hospital made him comfortable with pain medication and were able to stabilize him for the night.

On Tuesday, May 2nd, which happens to be Ionut’s 31st birthday, he was transferred to another hospital where a CT scan would be performed and reviewed only later that night. This is when Ionut and Rachel received the horrible news that his spleen was damaged and quite possibly his liver was bleeding. This would require emergency treatment, but this particular hospital was also not equipped to help. Ionut would need to fly to Manila and be transported to another hospital for surgery. With limited flights each day, it wasn’t until the following morning that Ionut could travel.

What a long 12 hour wait for everyone! Ionut’s spleen was already in terrible condition, and they did not know the extent of internal damage or whether any other organs were at risk. What followed was miracle upon miracle with the power of prayer! All glory to God that Ionut was able to fly to Manila the following morning. An ambulance rushed Ionut from the airport to a hospital with more advanced medical equipment and capable doctors. They were able to treat him and perform surgery on his abdomen to completely remove the damaged spleen. Many of you may not know, but removing one’s spleen is a major surgery and leaves the individual with a compromised immune system for the rest of their lives. Therefore, we understand that the road to recovery from here will not be easy, but Rachel and Ionut have shown faith and gratitude during this entire traumatic experience. What an encouragement!

The healing power of prayer is how Ionut will come home, but we do not want finances to add additional burden to the Badelita family. If you have it on your heart to support them financially, the following is how these funds will be beneficial.

Transportation & Accommodation – Rachel was not able to leave the island when Ionut was transferred to Manila. We want to enable Rachel and the children to fly there and be closer to Ionut as he recovers in the hospital. They will also need a place to stay for the remainder of their time in Philippines.

Medical Expenses – This situation was completely unpredictable. Without proper health insurance in this foreign country, the medical expenses will quickly accumulate. The family was not prepared for such a huge turn of events during their time there and we want to send these funds to help pay for recovery treatment.

Flights back to the United States – The family originally had flights booked for May 12th to attend our brother, Andrew’s wedding. It is not clear whether Ionut will be strong enough to travel and may need to change these flights… at a high cost.

Recovery time in the United States – We understood that this surgical procedure has put Ionut at a high risk of infection. We wish to see him have time for rest and recovery and not worry about supporting the immediate needs of his family. As the main provider, Ionut will not be able to work for a short time. We want to step in and fill this gap to lessen the financial stress.

Thank you so much for your dedicated support and prayers for the Badelita family. May God richly bless you!

*ALL donations will be going to Ionut and Rachel directly. You can also donate via Venmo or Zelle if you prefer. Please contact me with any further questions.

Zelle - [email redacted]

Venmo - @rachelbadelita