Phan Family Fund

Hi everyone,

My name is Tina, and I am creating this fundraising account on behalf of my dad, Thao, who has once again been hit with more terrifying health issues.

In 2013, at the age of 42, my dad unexpectedly suffered a stroke that left the right side of his body paralyzed. Overnight, he went from being a boat welder to being unable to complete daily life tasks he had done a million times before (i.e., walking, toileting, feeding, etc.). My mom had to quit her job as he required a full-time caregiver. Strong-willed and determined, and with two young daughters at home, he knew this was not the life he wanted to live.

After a long and strenuous road to recovery and many, many grueling months of physical and occupational therapy, my dad slowly began regaining strength and mobility of his once paralyzed extremities. With each passing month, he became stronger and stronger and slowly began completing the tasks he once thought he’d never be able to do again. Eventually, he became independent enough for my mom to return to work and life went back to normal.

Unfortunately, my mother was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer and sadly, lost her short battle to cancer just a little over a year after she was diagnosed. I was 16 years old at the time, my younger sister, Tonya, only 12.

My dad has spent the last six years as a widower and single father raising us Tonya and me. My dad also took over as the primary provider for my grandmother, my mother’s mom, who was living with us at the time of my mother’s passing.

Last month, my dad lost his footing while outside and fell. Although he was a little banged up, he was able to get back up on his own. Knowing we would worry and with an upcoming trip to Vietnam to visit family, he kept the fall a secret as he did not sustain any serious injuries…or so he thought.

Last week, after a 24-hour flight to Vietnam, my dad began experiencing numbness and tingling in his lower legs. By the following morning, both legs were completely numb. He was rushed to the hospital where doctors ultimately revealed that his spinal cord is severely compressed, a result of his fall from the month before. At this time, my dad has lost complete sensation and control of everything below the waist including urinary and bowel function.

Acute spinal cord compression is a neurosurgical emergency that involves prompt surgical decompression to prevent permanent neurological damage. However, being that my dad is in Vietnam and without traveler’s health insurance, my family and I were informed

by the hospital representative that the hospital is unwilling to perform any type of surgical intervention until a portion of the surgery has been paid for upfront.

Shortly after, we received a hospital invoice totaling right at 480,000,000 Dong, which is the equivalent to $20,000 United States Dollar. My dad has spent the past week confined to a hospital bed unable to move, walk, or even control his urges to urinate or defecate while my family and I desperately explore every avenue possible in hopes of meeting their inhumane and unethical request so that my dad can have this crucial surgery ASAP.

At the time of this message, September 19th, 2022, my aunt is on her way to Vietnam to be by my dad’s side as Tonya has just started her first year of college & I my senior year of college…all while also caring for my elderly grandmother.

All funds raised will go directly to his surgery and medical expenses. Any additional funds will be used to help my aunt cover expenses incurred while caring for my dad in Vietnam.

With that said, I ask that you please help contribute to this cause in any way you can…whether through prayer or a donation (no matter how big or small). Let’s get him through this surgery and bring him back!!