Philippine Birth Family Fundraiser

Hi there,

My name's Jack and I'm 19 years old. The reason I'm doing this fundraiser is so I can give back to what my birth family gave to me. For what they gave me was a chance to a better life and really high standard of living and I feel indebted to them. Also I want to give back to my adoptive family as they've done so much for me and my younger brother!

So to start off, I was born in the Philippines. Around the age of 1 my birth mum decided to emmigrate to England with me and my older sister. For some legal issue my older sister was deported back to the Philippines.

The main reason my birth mum decided to move to England is to give her children a head start in life and give them better opportunities. So she worked really hard everyday to enable me to have a better life in England. A few years later she became pregnant with a baby boy, and that's my now younger half brother (We are half related!).

So back to the story my birth mum worked so hard that she didn't have the time to have medical check ups on her, little did she know that would catch up to her one day.

So now I'm 4 years old my birth mum becomes really ill with a bad stomach ulcer. Now usually a stomach ulcers aren't fatal but because my birth mum was always working so she could send money back to her family in the Philippines and also support me and my younger brother in England.

Now it really pains me to say this but she died. Me and my younger brother ended up in foster care for around 2 years.

Now I don't know if you realise how hard it is for a 6 year old asain boy to get adopted because people tend look for a baby like my younger brother. If that had happened it would have left me in foster care and split me away from my only related family that I had. But something miraculous occured that changed the course of both me and my younger brother's life forever. A couple wanted to adopt both me and my younger brother!

This couple then went on to adopt me and my younger brother and they raised us as their own children always wanting the best for us and trying to give us the best opportunities they could possibly give us.

Now my adoptive parents went through a hell of a lot. Especially with me growing up. I had a lot of issues mostly about my birth mum and family and being adopted which led me to be an extremely hard kid to raise but regardless my adoptive parents stuck with it and helped me the best they could.

It got worse when I was 16 and finishing secondary school. I found out that summer that my birth Dad in the Philippines who throughout my teen years I was desperately looking forward to meet had died. After that I became so emotionally inflicted and didn't know what to do. But with the unconditional love of my adoptive family I managed to pull thorugh.

A few years later I hear that my birth Sister in the Philippines is struggling to pay her pay through university. Which strikes another blow to my already fragile mental health. I suffured a lot from depression, anxiety and social anxiety which led me to be a outcast a lot of the time when it came to making friends. But yet again through the massive support from my birth family I can proudly say although I still suffer with a bit of depression it is nothing compared to what I had during my teen years.

Fast forward to the future. My Adoptive Dad got a job offer in Melbourne Australia so my adoptive family decided to move there (I had to stay back in England to finish my college course). Which I then joined my family in Melbourne afterwards.

Now I'm 19 years old and have just moved out my adoptive parents house. I'm on my gap year and maybe hoping to go to university next year!

Thank you for making time to read my story and if you decide to donate it is really appreciated!! I wish the best to everyone!