Pastor Romulo Bartolome

Please read; this is an appeal for some help for my elderly parents -

Our situation as of the 21st of April, 2018

Pastor Romulo Bartolome (Seventh Day Adventist Church) and his wife, Mrs Esther Bartolome, both who retired from a  life time of helping others (read the back story below) returned back to their home country of Philippines in 2013. 

My father was admitted to hospital on 25th of March 2018 at the Adventist Medical Center located in Taculing, Bacolod City,  after sustaining a substantial fall  whilst collecting food for my mother from a nearby church kitchen (it was his 3rd fall in as many months). As a result, he broke several bones necessitating a hip replacement.
He is also suffering from osteoporosis and has the onset of early dementia; he currently believes it's 1983, however this changes on a daliy basis. He also hasn't been able to walk since the 25th of March. Furthermore, due to his osteoporosis, he is not expected to make a quick or full recovery.

My father is the sole carer for my mother, Esther, who isn't well either. She has Alzheimer's and is unable to walk more than a few paces. Due to her severe Alzheimer's, she is unable to independently do basic tasks such as cooking, eating or washing.

Whilst in hospital, my father has spent nearly the last of his savings acquiring help for his wife.

Unfortunately, due to relocating, my father  has lost the right to claim his full Australian pension. With the little income they have, they struggle to pay for food and medication.

Our Plea
As a result of the hospitalization, they will be left with a substantial medical bill which is nearly impossible for them to pay. At present, my mother is at home and my father is still in hospital. My family and I have engaged the help of a caregiver - which has nearly drained our savings. We are now a stuck between a rock and a hard place.

The situation isn't looking good - both my parents need a carer and there will be further medical expenses to cover in the near future.

I ask that you donate what you can afford, whether that be your time, your prayers or financially. All donations of any form are greatly appreciated. 

The Backstory
My mother and father's work started in 1960 in Sabah and Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. My father was a pastor and Mum was a nutritionist at the church hospital. They spent 10 years there, helping people via the church family, pulling them out of poverty and helping them in any way they possibly could.
This was to lay the foundations for the next 20 years in Mum and Dad's life, where Dad continued his work in Thailand. He worked at the Phuket Mission Hospital, the Thailand SDA Mission, Haadjai Mission Hospital and went on to become the Refugee Evangelism Director.

He helped thousands of people out of poverty in this time, and was a major driving force in relocating refugees to safer countries - his wife Esther backing him 100%.

As our family grew in the early 90's, Dad had to make several major life-changing decisions which included relocation to Australia. He continued his work with refugees in Perth (many of which he had relocated here previously).

In the Australian chapter of his life which lasted to his retirement in 2013, he was the pastor of several SDA churches -  the Fillipino Church, Asian Community, Mount Lawley  & Belmont. 

He was a proactive pastor who continued to help others. He would regularly pick up refugees and other parishioners in the church bus if they didn't have transport or were unable to drive.
After the service, there was always a lunch where people could eat well and intergrate/socialise in relaxed surroundings with one another. My father became a very well repected member of the community he served.

As retirement loomed, his wife had always wanted to head back home to the Philippines, as she had always traveled with his work and supported him in pursuing his dreams, in every direction. Thus it was only fair in retirement that he was to follow hers. 

The photo below is (dad) the Pastor and Esther arriving at Belmont SDA Church for his last service in 2013 , always by one another's side.