Hit a home run for Aisake's hip surgery

I met Aisake (Isaac) in downtown Suva one day as I was heading back to my car after a trip to the market. I'd seen him there before - propped up on his crutches - and figured he was resting or waiting for someone. It turns out he is waiting and has been for more than six years.

In a former life Aisake played baseball with the Fiji national team. Today he waits on the street in the hope that his prayers will be answered in the form of a generous individual(s) who can help him get to New Zealand for the operation he needs to repair the right hip he injured playing baseball some ten years ago. Following failed surgery in India in 2010, Aisake's only hope to walk without the aid of crutches and be pain-free is to raise $25,000 FJD (equivalent to $17,500 NZD) to supplement the funding provided by the Fiji Ministry of Health and Medical Services and Vodafone Fiji for arthroplasty surgery (total hip replacement) in New Zealand.

Aisake's injury prevents him from working and means he is dependent on charity and the support of family and friends for his basic needs. It also makes it difficult for Aisake to be a father to his 4-year-old son, Uraia. As a New Zealand expat living in Fiji I've come to appreciate firsthand the difficulties of accessing healthcare in the developing world and what it means to raise $25,000 FJD in a country where the minimum wage is $2.32 FJD.

Aisake hopes that he can get the assistance he needs to travel to New Zealand in 2016 for surgery. With our help, his dream can become a reality. Every dollar will bring him one step closer to getting the treatment he needs to restore his mobility and lead a full and productive life. Donations can be made online by clicking the DONATE NOW button or in Fiji, by bank deposit - Bank: Westpac Banking Corporation | Account number: 980 3619 569 | Account name: Aisake Waqavonovono.

Another way you can help is by sharing the link to this cause page with your friends, family and colleagues.

Vinaka vakalevu!