Ton (born 2009, not his real name) is a 15-year-old boy whose life was going well. Until both his parents became so ill that they could no longer work. Because the family lost their entire income, Ton and his brother suddenly had to drop out of school. This is their story.
Ton lives with his older brother Jack (born in 2006) and younger brother Namphung (born in 2011) and both parents in the arid and impoverished northeast of Thailand. His parents weren't wealthy, but both had jobs. All three brothers went to school, dreaming of graduating from university and finding a job. Suddenly, that dream was shattered.
Sudden kidney problems
2 jaar geleden kreeg moeder plots erge buikpijn. Ze had op dat moment al suikerziekte, welke met medicatie onder controle werd gehouden. Maar nu was er plots meer aan de hand. Onderzoeken wezen uit dat moeder’s nieren kapot waren. Vanaf dat moment moet ze 3 keer per week dialyseren, wat ongeveer 5 uur per keer kost. Ze is erg moe en voelt zich meestal dusdanig ziek en zwak, dat ze niet meer kan werken.
Father is also affected
Sadly, they weren't spared further suffering. Their father suddenly suffered a brain hemorrhage. As a result, he, too, can no longer work. The family suddenly lost their entire income, which was a major blow. They had to sell their car and some of their belongings. And perhaps worst of all: the two eldest brothers immediately dropped out of school to work. They now earn an income by selling corn at local markets.
Lost car, house and future
Even now that both brothers are working, they're not thriving financially. The rent of 4,000 baht a month is simply too high, meaning the family may soon be forced to move. They're slowly losing everything, from their car and house to their future prospects. Only Ton's youngest brother is currently still in school.
Siam-Care can't carry everything
With the help of Siam-Care, we want to try to help all three boys go back to school. Whether we'll succeed, we don't know. Unfortunately, the medical costs for this family are high, and their insurance doesn't cover everything. We'll see what we can do for them. It certainly won't be easy. Unfortunately, the social safety net in Thailand is almost completely nonexistent. As a result, many families rely on our help, but our financial resources are also limited.
Thank you for your help
Thanks to your help, we can try to give families like Ton's a push in the right direction. Thank you! Not ready to help yet, but want to? Here you can read how to do this.