It always takes a community to help someone out in need. In this case, it’s a group of Filipino airsofters linking arms to help one comrade whose newborn daughter is right now in a hospital NICU or the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for premature newborn infants.
Getting sick in the Philippines is expensive. There is no universal healthcare and hospitals are mainly dominated by the private sector. Whilst there are public hospitals, the best care are usually provided by the private hospitals, and you stay confined for longer periods due to illness, the bills rack up that even a well to do family would find itself broke by medical bills. There is public as well as private health insurance but the latter is usually provided via employers and can only cover much, but not always the full cost. Many private hospitals are up to Western standards, but command Western prices too and salaries and savings (if there are any) in the Philippines cannot easily cope with medical expenses.
For RJ “Wancho” Palad and wife Inna, it is the worry of being able to pay for the medical bills for their first born daughter Amari Soleil with “Riley” being her nickname. Born premature and confined at the hospital NICU, the parents have put a Facebook Page to raise funds for their expenses that they expect to incur for the duration their doctor expects the baby to be in the hospital:
Amari Soleil "Riley" Palad came out at 7:49pm on October 19, 2017, weighing 3 pounds and measuring 40cm. She gave out loud cries and brought tears of joy to her parents' eyes. Her parents saw her briefly before she was whisked away to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
Riley had to be placed inside an incubator and had to be hooked to a ventilator right away to help her with her breathing. She was exerting a lot of effort to breathe, and her ventilator had to be adjusted every now and then as her oxygen saturation levels kept on fluctuating and would not hold at a stable level. I work as a nurse, and it broke my heart to see all those tubes and machines around her. She also had to be given antibiotic medication for pneumonia at her first day of life.
Riley’s neonatal pediatrician told her parents that she may have to stay in the NICU for a period of 3-4 weeks. Her parents want to have Riley to have the best medical care in order to give her the best chances of survival and recovery, however they need financial assistance in order to be able to do this. It's only 3 full days since Riley was born, and her medical bill is already at around Php 196,000 (around US$3,800 or £2,900)... she has to stay there for 3-4 weeks, which means that during the first few weeks of her life, her medical expenses could easily end up at around Php 1M (around US$19,500 or £14,700) or more.
We would like to reach out to your kind hearts and ask if you can help our little warrior in whatever way you can. Riley has already endured and survived through so much ever since she was conceived... This perfect little angel deserves the best medical care so she can get well the soonest and be able to come home with her loving family, as a perfectly healthy and happy little baby.
Amira Soleil "Riley" Palad in the NICU with parents Inna and RJ "Wancho" Palad looking over her
Wancho is an active and well-respected member of the Philipine airsoft community. One of the best guys to talk about gear and airsoft and can expected to be in Milsim events in the country. He has helped Popular Airsoft with the Ratratan Series we held in the Philippines during the early years of the publication. A dependable guy, right now Wancho will need to depend on the airsoft community to help out.
RJ "Wancho" Palad. Riley's Dad.
Groups of airsoft players in and around the Metro Manila region are organising fund raising events for Riley. As fast as they can, they will be hosting events at game sites, big or small, and raise whatever amount they can to help out. If you are in the Philippines and want to be part in the fundraising airsoft events for Riley called “Operation Soleil Rising:, here are the initial schedules:
4 NOVEMBER 2017
Hukuman Game Site
Marcos Alvarez, Las Pinas City
Hosted by: Milsim X
Call Time: 0700H
Game Fee: Php250.00
5 NOVEMBER 2017
LOMA Game Site
Barangay Loma, Binan Laguna
For interested players, please get in touch with the management of these game sites and for other scheduled games of Operation Soleil Rising, they can check at the following Facebook Pages:
If you are not in the Philippines and would like to help out by giving some financial contributions, a GoFundMe Page called “Your Help Can Change Riley’s Life” setup by Inna’s sister, Izza Banadera, who is based in the United Kingdom. Whatever amount that you want to send can go a long way and the Palad family will greatly appreciate the help.
Updates on the condition and progress of Riley and the fundraising efforts can be found at the mentioned Facebook Pages and the GoFundMe Page. Even if you are not an airsofter, your help is still very much welcome. If you cannot make it any of the fundraising events and want to give help please do get in touch with RJ and Inna on how you can send your contribution.
All help, big or small, will be welcomed.