Let’s help Phil for his rehabilitation

Hi, my name is Ching and raising funds for John Philipp Uriarte known as “Phil” for his private rehabilitation. 

On the 5th of May 2023. A date that Phil, his partner Joyce and his family will not forget.

On May 4 2023, he arrived in Inverness complaining about a headache, when I arrived from the Isle of Skye to see him that day I called an ambulance midday but they didn’t take him to the hospital after checking up on him and told us to continue giving him pain reliever at the same night, I woke up to the noise of Phil chewing something, doing some unusual stuff, and unaware of what he was doing, I immediately called the ambulance again and this time he has assisted right away and blue-lighted to Raigmore Hospital and straight to Intensive Care Unit. Phil’s life changed after a severe headache and got diagnosed with necrotising encephalitis. As most of you are aware Phil was in hospital for almost 8 months (35 days in ITU and remaining days in the ward) his life changed in an instant.

For all you know Phil, he used to work in Dunollie Hotel as a general assistant and in COOP as a retail store assistant and has lived in Broadford for about 7 years now. He was loved by many, a gamer, a long-boarder and a driver to everyone. His fit and healthy last May 2023 a day after he arrived from the Philippines to take his fiancee Joyce to have their wedding here in Skye that was scheduled last June 2023 and settle down and build a family here in the UK afterwards but life doesn't always turn out the way we expect and wanted.

Now, after nearly a year Phil needs your help as he continues his rehab journey. I have hands down, that he is been looked after by our community GP, nurses, physio, OT and speech and language therapy, but he requires extra rehabilitation (intense rehab to improve his quality of life) which we don’t have enough facilities in our community to give continuation in his treatment. I am worried he will loss full mobility and speech in it and it’s about time and need to try different things not covered by NHS.

The last 10 months have been incredibly challenging for Phil and Joyce (as we are still processing Joyce’s visa to remain here in the UK so she can be with Phil in these dark times), but his families, Phil and Joyce have always felt encouraged and supported by the outpouring of love and support from family, friends and community. Friends who become family.

Last December 15, 2023, Phil was finally discharged from the Hospital. A day of much celebration but fear. Being out of the world after a long time is daunting for Phil. Adjusting to a life so very different to the one he remembers, staying and sleeping in the living room remains an ongoing challenge. His homecoming was also daunting for Joyce and his family. Throughout these dark times, we are at his side, visiting daily in the hospital sometimes staying overnight and attending sessions for his rehab, assisting him with daily personal needs and also as his number 1 cheerleader. 

During Phil’s therapy with physios, OT’s and speech and language therapy we saw many little triumphs but he still needs a lot of help and support for his daily personal needs and activities. His recovery thus far has already but despite acknowledging how far he has come, he still feels a long way from the man that he was. Unfortunately, his speech, cognition, and mobility are significantly impacted die to his diagnosis; this will affects Phil’s ability to partake in the things that he wants to do. He is young, he will be turning 27 years old this month (April). He needs full assistance getting in/out of bed, standing and walking, personal care, feeding and his speech is not that clear yet. We all want Phil to be independent and have a better quality of life.

 

To facilitate that progress and keep hope alive, Phil needs help to access specialist neuro rehab. I did some research going for pre-assessment to find the right people to support Phil for the best possible outcomes, but their services come at a price.

This GoFundMe donation enables you to contribute the following 

Any amount you can give, however small can make a difference. Please donate what you can and share his story. 

This is going to be the most intense part of Phil’s rehabilitation journey but he is determined to get better and keep pushing forward. 

Thank you for your kindness and generosity.

Kind Regards,

Ching (his Aunt)