Please support Phila and Fikile

Update March 2025

Phila is a 9-year-old boy who suffered life-threatening burns when he was 6 years-old. He has been receiving incredible treatment from the team at Shriners Children's Boston and from his loving caregiver, Fikile. Phila is a determined, patient, joyful, and kind young boy with the most precious soul. Fikile is the most self-less, gentle, and caring person. Anyone who gets to meet these two understand what a gift their lives are.

Phila’s accident happened back home in Africa, and he was brought to the states to undergo treatment at Shriners Hospital. Fikile had never met Phila before but when she heard about his story in their hometown, she volunteered to come to Boston to serve as his full-time translator and caregiver. What started as a plan to come to the states for a few months to help Phila, turned into Fikile giving up her whole life in her home country to become a full-time caregiver and parent.

Over the course of the last two years, Phila has undergone numerous extensive surgeries to reconstruct his eyelids, mouth, and nose. His facial features have been restored by harvesting skin and muscle tissue from donor sites on his own body. The doctors at Shriners Hospital are both masterful surgeons and caring individuals. Shriners will continue to provide these life changing surgeries until Phila is 21 years old. Phila has endured the pain and constraints of his surgeries with an attitude and energy that lifts everyone around him. All the while, Fikile has been by his side, day, and night, for over two years. Her entire life has been put on hold as she has provided the care and love that has made Phila’s healing possible.

When Phila and Fikile last returned home in 2024, they faced many challenges and Phila’s parents relinquished their custody over him. Fikile did not miss a step to commit herself to embracing legal guardianship. After some very scary and heartbreaking circumstances, they have made the decision to file for asylum here in the states and not return to their home country.

Phila’s medical bills are being covered by the Shriners Hospital. They have been able to live in an apartment provided by the hospital these last two years as international patients. However, as they seek asylum here and officially live here full-time, they will no longer receive housing from Shriners starting in June 2025. Phila and Fikile are living in Boston without means of their own. Fikile has been by Phila’s side day and night through every surgery, complication, and everyday care which has made it impossible to work and provide for themselves.

In January, Phila became a third-grade student at Warren-Prescott school in Charlestown. Many people prayed for a positive school experience for Phila, and we could not be more grateful for this community that has embraced him and made school the smoothest transition for him. He has the most caring teacher, generous classmates, and welcoming community. It is so important to all of us that we can keep these two in housing that keeps Phila attending Warren-Prescott.

There are countless people who have come alongside Phila and Fikile and provided groceries, clothes, rides, and met their basic needs. We are so thankful for every person who has given to take care of these two. The need is becoming even greater now that Phila and Fikile need their own place to live.

Phila and Fikile have experienced the unthinkable and yet they never complain. We are hoping to raise the funds so that they no longer have to worry about having their basic needs met. Our goal is to raise enough funds to live on for the next five years while they go through the asylum process and start to build their new lives here.

Every donation makes a difference. If you are unable to contribute financially, sharing this fundraiser within your network would also mean a lot to us. Thank you for your compassion and support during this difficult and transitional season. Together, we can make a significant impact in helping Phila and Fikile find some stability and peace of mind.

Posted June 2023

Phila is a 7 year-old boy who suffered life-threatening burns in September. He is a determined, patient, joyful little boy with the most precious soul. He has been receiving incredible treatment from the team at Shriners Children's Boston and from his loving caregiver, Fikile, since early March. When Fikile heard about Phila's story in their hometown she volunteered to come to Boston to serve as his full-time translator and caregiver. She dropped her whole life to come care for Phila. While the medical bills are being covered by the hospital, Phila and Fikile are living in Boston without means. The strength of these two is unexplainable. Words cannot come close to describing the joy they've brought to our lives in just a few short weeks after we met them playing in the alley next to our apartment. God surely put them in our path and we are so grateful. You'll never hear a complaint from either of them, but they are in desperate need for support. The love Fikile has shown to Phila is that of an angel and we are passionate about sharing their story in hopes to raise money to cover basic living necessities. A number of specific needs include groceries, a phone to enable communication with Phila's mother back in Africa, funds to cover medical bills for Fikile's mother (who became very sick back home after Fikile arrived in Boston), and safe shelter.