War disrupted Joel's education in Ukraine

Joel’s Story

Joel Tulloch is a second-year medical student who was studying at the V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University in Ukraine. He is a past student and prefect of Calabar High School and a former head boy at May Pen High, both secondary schools located in Jamaica. Over the past 5 months, his life has changed drastically, and his future is now at a crossroads. On February 24, 2022, Russian forces invaded neighboring Ukraine. The fear, anxiety and uncertainty which ensued were more than Joel could have ever imagined. Due to the invasion of Russia into Ukraine, he was displaced from school while a heinous war impeded his education. His experience throughout those months has been heart-wrenching. The struggle which himself and the other Jamaican students faced on their journey to the Polish border after enduring miles of walking and attacks was harsh and difficult, but he has been persevering.

The Needs

After speaking with other medical institutions, the Caribbean School of Medical Sciences Jamaica offered him a place in their program for him to continue his studies. He is now going into his second month of school. Due to the insurmountable tuition to study medicine, his fees total USD 19,000.00 per year. In addition, he is also in need of funds to cover the cost of school-related expenses, including the purchase of supplies such as a stethoscope, laboratory coat, anatomy dissection kit, textbooks, and other items which he will need throughout his study.

He is sharing his story as it is one of hardship and difficulties. He hopes that his story, which is also one of hope and determination, will inspire others down the line to persevere in their journey to success, against all odds. It is also Joel’s hope that his story will move the hearts of individuals like yourself to make a thoughtful donation. In doing so, the collective efforts of all contributors to this campaign will ultimately result in the realization of the campaign goal, enabling Joel and his family to acquire the necessary assistance for him to continue his medical education. He refuses to believe his journey and his education end here.

Why This Matters

Medicine is close to Joel’s heart, and, even though he had an unfortunate experience that still affects him and the others who have been through the same, it only makes him eager to continue; to persevere. The love and passion he has for medicine are due to the experiences he has had and his wanting to be able to help his family and others. Joel hopes that he will be able to support his younger brother’s career pursuits once he completes his secondary education. His mother is a Patient Care Assistant (PCA) at the Kingston Public Hospital where she has worked for more than a decade. After school, he would spend his evenings at the hospital speaking with doctors and observing surgical operations while his mother finished up work. His father is a driver for a printing company and both his parents cannot afford the full tuition fee.

Once granted this financial help, he is committed to cherishing the effort and generosity of each contributor, continuing to work hard and using the opportunity to give back, pay it forward, and help in every way possible. He believes with this help he can achieve his dreams and tell his story. As he is at this crossroads, he hopes he will be afforded this assistance as he knows that as a future medical doctor, he will be better able to support his family, contribute to the development of Jamaica and the wider world community, and help to save lives.

How You Can Help

It would mean the world to Joel and his family if you could help fund this campaign through your generous donations. His family is depending on your donation to pay for Joel’s medical education so that, despite the challenges on his journey, he can continue to pursue his dream of becoming a medical doctor so he can impact the lives of as many people as possible. Additionally, sharing this campaign among your circles and on the various social media platforms could go a long way in helping Joel raise the necessary funds for school even faster so he will not have to be concerned about having to discontinue his studies due to non-payment of fees.