In Memory of Miguel Rios

Dear family and friends,

Our dear cousin Miguel is in need of our help.

Miguel was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer in October 2019. He made an emergency trip from the Philippines to Australia to receive treatment. Unfortunately he had to leave behind his partner and two young sons.

Initially, Miguel responded well to treatment however it is an aggressive form of cancer. Spreading throughout his body in early 2020. Doctors did not feel he would have long and helped us to apply for his family to come to Australia. A temporary visa was granted on compassionate grounds.

Timing was not on Miguel’s side. COVID-19 closed borders and flights. Doctors did not have much hope that Miguel would make it to see his sons, due to the uncertainty with travel restrictions... but he hung in there to see them.

Miguel and his family were finally reunited late September 2020. His boys aged 1 1/2 and 3 1/2 have given him a reason to get up every morning and to carry on. Our cousin is not going down without a fight. His love for his family is keeping him alive.

And now he is faced with a new hurdle. The visas for his boys will expire at the end of this month. We need them to stay. His love for them is keeping him going... Miguel is under the care of Chris O’Brien Lifehouse and he is trying everything that they throw at him. We can’t praise them enough as they have kept Miguel with us for this long. Doctors are amazed with how he keeps going... it is amazing what we will do for our children.

Miguel needs to pay $11585 to apply for his family to stay in Australia. We want to help him to fulfil his wish and so we need your help. No amount is too small and no amount would go without absolute appreciation. When terrible things happen to the people we love, we often say “what can I do?”.

In this case, what we can do is help fulfil Miguel’s wish and help keep his driving force in the country, his beautiful kids. We don’t know how long he has but we want everyday he has left to be spent with them.