Help save Arnel’s Left Knee

Arnel is a kind, loving and used to be an athlete man until he was diagnosed with Giant Cell Tumor. Giant Cell Tumor is a rare, aggressive, benign tumor which occur in one person per million per year (http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/).

Our story started when he was a Volleyball varsity and I was a nursing student back in College. We went to the same university and after 2 years of courtship I became his girlfriend. :) He was the typical type of student who was fond of hanging out with his friends, play his sport and get drunk sometimes but his visions and ambitions changed since when we got together. He earned a degree in economics, however, due to financial constraints he was urged to work overseas as a ship's steward to enable him to provide for his family and to plan for our future. We were in our 2nd year relationship when we needed to be separated physically and became part of a Long Distance Relationship, it went on for 3 years. There were times of loneliness and longingness, but it was the feeling of security that showed more, because I held on to his promise that he'll come back and we'll be together again. Certainly, he gave me a engagement ring on our 3rd year, after his arrival..

But then..

On our 5th year, few months before our planned wedding date, he met an accident onboard that led his knee to be enlarged and painful. :( Although he was suffering from severe pain he continued working. I persistently asked him to go back home but he still chose to stay onboard because according to him he wants to earn and save more money for our wedding. :( After more months, his knee joint became more damaged because of the aggressiveness of the tumor. It led him to suffer the pain and endure the difficulty of walking even more and upto this date :(. He was a jolly type of person. An industrious, generous and a loving man as well. He is a man who got a lot of dreams and goals.

In August 2015, he underwent a major surgery where in there was a need to place a bone cement permanently in replacement to the bone that has been affected by the tumor because the tumor has spread widely to his knee and the affected bone needed to be trimmed down in order to control the further spread. Because his knee has became weak, the cement serves as an artificial bone in order to save his knee. Consequently, a permanent metal plate has to be placed from his upper leg, to knee, down to his lower leg, so that the knee will be supported and so he could still walk again. He has been out of job since it happened, he became unfit/disabled to work onboard again due to his illness. There were many things that he's not allowed to do now, such as, lifting any heavy materials, driving motorcycle and bicycle, playing his sports, jumping, jogging and all the physical activities that may affect his knee. :( Our dreams shattered, our plans ruined but despite all the difficulties and struggles we never left each other, instead, we held on to each other. I became his personal nurse, I supported him, took care of him and prayed for him. After several months of physical therapy, we we're blessed to be able to walk on his feet normally again. He was very delighted and excited to use his lower extremities as he had been bedridden for almost six months before the operation which caused physical pain, that his mental and emotional status has been affected too. Although our dreams and plans has changed, our love for each other still remains and we're blessed to be married for three months now. :) After a year from operation, we went for a check up cause the pain recur and his knee is getting big again. We went on a several check-ups and he took several different pain relievers but there's no improvement. His doctors, ordered him an MRI and an injection course which could costs huge amount of money. The doctor is still studying if there is a need for an operation again. We cannot afford to pay for it.

As a nurse in the Philippines, I am only gaining a minimum salary. I am asking for your kind heart to aid in his medical treatment. Please help me be with my husband for a longer time, he's only 28 and we still want to have kids. Please help us save his knee, gain his strength, recovered fully and live normal life again.