Help needed for Open Heart Surgery

John Patrick Olbinado

Pat is an accomplished accountant; Pat’s story, however, is not about numbers and formulae but is about resilience and humility. These characteristics are a testament to the challenges Pat and his family have overcome throughout their lives so far.

Pat is the youngest of three siblings. At the age of four, his parents separated, and his mother left the Philippines to work as a nanny in Hong Kong. At the age of 10, Pat was hospitalized and diagnosed with Rheumatic Heart Disease. He was prescribed medication and received anti-bacterial shots once every 26 days. At the age of 11, he was hospitalized again with Rheumatic Fever. When he was 13, Pat was unable to obtain the medication prescribed to treat his condition as the family was unable to fund this medication. His mother returned to the Philippines to undergo surgery to remove a goiter and was consequently unable to return to her employer in Hong Kong thereafter.

The next few years the family undergo significant challenges as Pat’s mother was unable to find consistent work and his sister who was a caregiver in Bangladesh was not being paid. The severe financial challenges prevented Pat from receiving the necessary medication to treat his condition whilst also necessitating Pat, the youngest member of the family, having to contribute in his own way to ensure their collective survival; Pat’s task was to buy ingredients at 3am in the morning for his mother and brother to cook food which would be sold over the course of the day.

To ensure that Pat and his brother received the basic education that is taken for granted by many the world over, the family pawned their house in Manila to enable both boys to travel to their father in La Union in order to continue their education. Their father did not have steady employment so both boys needed to work to afford their sustenance; Pat worked at a public market for 50 PHP a day whilst his brother worked as a rice freight loader.

When he completed high school, Pat returned to Davao and successfully enrolled and completed a vocational course as an Electronic Technician. He found gainful employment in Manila and after a year and a half, moved to Cebu as a coffee machine technician. Wanting to improve his and his family’s situation, he enrolled in a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy. He naturally worked to sustain his existence whilst studying.

In October 2017, at the age of 27, Pat graduated. He passed the licensure exam for the CPA in May 2018. In 2021, after 18 years, he resumed his medication and continued to get examined once a year. In 2024, his condition worsened, and open-heart surgery was recommended.

Today, Pat works as an external auditor supporting Australian clients. Pat and I have been together since 2018. Pat is an integral part of my family. He is a good man who is ever willing to help people and give humanity the benefit of the doubt in spite the challenges he has faced from birth. He continues to play the deck of cards he was dealt with resilience and humility.

Pat exemplifies the best traits of humanity; we humbly ask for your help so Pat can continue his journey.