I am incredibly humbled by the people that have sent me kind wishes and donated their hard-earned money to give me a helping hand.
I don’t take a single cent of the funds people have chosen to give to me for granted. If anything, Sumatra has taught me the absolute value of every cent, and how lucky all of us are to have money at all.
At the same time, I feel an immense sense of guilt. I live in a poor area, surrounded by friends and new family who have very, very little; many of whom live from day to day not knowing how they will buy food for their families or petrol to get them to whatever job they manage to find, if any.
For them, there is no back up plan, no givealittle to call upon or people from another country to ask for help.
Many people who are gravely ill can’t or won’t go to doctors or hospital as they don’t have the money.
So for me, I do not for one second take for granted my ability to make money when I can, or the kindness of my friends and family who are here to help me out when I need it.
I am extremely grateful that I had the choice to go to hospital and sort my health out, and although it’s still a process, I am on the road back to good health, and thanks to my family and all of you who donated, I can get the medicine and follow-up treatment I need.
As for the guilt I feel: this situation I’ve been in and realising how priveliged I am has just made my commitment stronger: to help those that need it more than I - both animals and people. I want to give back when and where I can, and although right now it may not be with money, I have skills and connections and the know-how to help in other ways.
So, huge thank you again for your support; being sick when living away from the support of friends and family is one of the times I have felt most vulnerable, alone and a little bit helpless, and it’s so heart-warming to receive all your words of support.
