Help Me Get the Medical Care
My name is Abdelsamad Ahmed Effat. I am 31 years old and I live in Beni Suef, Egypt.
I never wanted to reach a point where I had to ask strangers for help.
I was born with spina bifida, and I have lived with its consequences throughout my entire life. Despite my disability, I tried to study, work, become independent, and build an ordinary life.
I worked as a bank employee, earning approximately $357 per month.
I was working and trying to support myself when my health problems and physical limitations continued to affect my life. Since 2021, I have been without a stable income and without adequate health insurance to cover the medical care I need.
Today, I am asking for help because I have reached a point where my personal resources are no longer enough.
My condition began at birth
I was born with spina bifida.
When I was only eight months old, I underwent surgery in an attempt to treat the condition. Unfortunately, the problem involving the cyst affecting my nerves was not successfully resolved.
Because of my condition, I cannot walk or stand at all.
I use a wheelchair and cannot leave my home independently. I need assistance to go outside.
I have significant weakness and loss of sensation in my lower body, and I cannot control my bladder normally, particularly while sleeping.
I also live with:
Muscle wasting in both legs.
Severe stiffness in my leg joints, which cannot fully straighten.
Deformities in my feet.
A Grade 3 pressure ulcer on my left buttock that has existed since approximately 2020.
A wound on the little toe of my right foot that has existed for approximately two years.
Urinary tract problems and inflammation, with pus and inflammatory findings documented in urine tests.
Severe burning-type head pain that I have experienced for approximately five years.
I have medical reports, scans, laboratory tests and other documentation relating to my condition and treatment needs.
My pressure ulcer has become a serious problem
The pressure ulcer began during the period when I was working as a bank employee.
Because I cannot walk and spend much of my time using a wheelchair, pressure on the affected area has made the problem extremely difficult to manage.
The ulcer has continued since approximately 2020 and has progressed to Grade 3.
I have a medical report documenting its severity and the need for medical intervention.
The estimated cost I have been given for treatment of the pressure ulcer is approximately:
€22,000 — approximately $25,500
Treating the ulcer is one of my most urgent priorities.
I also have ongoing urinary tract problems
Because of my neurological condition and difficulty controlling my bladder, I also suffer from urinary tract problems.
My urine tests have shown pus and inflammatory findings, and I need further laboratory testing, medical follow-up and appropriate treatment.
The estimated cost I have been given for treatment and management of this problem is approximately:
€3,000 — approximately $3,500
I also need periodic urine tests and other investigations according to medical advice.
I need evaluation and treatment for the underlying neurological/structural problem
The doctors' evaluation and any possible surgical intervention are intended to address the neurological/structural problem associated with my spina bifida and the cyst affecting my nerves.
The estimated cost I have been given for the spina bifida-related surgical treatment is approximately:
€130,000 — approximately $150,800
I want to be completely honest with anyone who considers supporting me:
I cannot guarantee the outcome of surgery, and I cannot promise that I will be able to walk afterward.
My goal is to obtain proper medical evaluation and the treatment that qualified doctors determine is appropriate for my condition.
After living with this condition for 31 years, I simply want the opportunity to pursue the treatment that may improve my health and quality of life.
I lost my income in 2021
I worked despite my disability.
I tried to support myself.
But since 2021, I have had no stable income.
I also lost an employment compensation case against my former employer and was unable to obtain compensation that could have helped me manage these financial difficulties.
Government healthcare has not provided me with a practical solution for the major medical expenses I face, including surgical procedures and treatment costs that I cannot afford myself.
I do not have significant debt.
My problem is different:
I do not have enough income to pay for food, medical treatment, medication, transportation and daily necessities at the same time.
My medical and living needs can reach approximately:
$5,800 per month
during periods when I need additional tests, MRI scans, treatment, medication, wound care, or when my pressure ulcer or urinary problems become worse.
My mother is also seriously ill
I live with my family.
My mother is 71 years old and is also seriously ill.
She suffers from:
Kidney disease.
Heart failure.
Diabetes.
High blood pressure.
Gout.
Despite her age and her own medical problems, she has been helping carry the cost of my food, medicine and daily needs.
It is extremely difficult for me to see my elderly and sick mother carrying financial responsibilities that I wish I could carry myself.
My electric wheelchair is broken
My electric wheelchair is currently broken.
For me, an electric wheelchair is not a luxury.
It is my primary means of mobility and independence.
Without a functioning wheelchair, even basic movement and leaving my home become much more difficult.
Repairing or replacing my electric wheelchair is therefore an important part of helping me regain some independence.
Why am I asking for donations now?
I have lived with my disability for my entire life.
I tried to work.
I tried to become independent.
I tried to continue living as normally as possible despite my physical limitations and medical problems.
But since losing my income in 2021, while my medical needs have continued to increase and I have not had adequate health insurance, I have exhausted the options available to me.
I did not start asking for donations because I stopped trying to help myself.
I started asking because I have reached a point where the options available to me are no longer enough.
The greatest thing I have lost is not money.
I lost my ability to work and earn an independent income.
I cannot walk or stand.
I cannot leave my home without assistance.
And over the years, it became difficult even to imagine the ordinary life I once hoped to have.
I do not want donations to become my permanent solution
This is extremely important to me.
I want this to be the last time I have to ask for donations.
After the urgent medical needs are addressed, I want to dedicate part of the funds to establishing a sustainable source of income that I can realistically manage despite my disability.
I have not chosen the final business yet.
I do not want to promise donors a project before knowing that it is actually realistic.
The project will be selected based on:
The capital that is actually available.
My physical abilities.
My ability to manage it from home or in an accessible environment.
My existing skills and experience.
My medical condition.
Its realistic potential to generate sustainable income.
I have estimated approximately:
€25,000 — approximately $29,000
as an initial amount toward creating this source of income.
This is not intended as a luxury.
The purpose is to help me become financially independent so that I do not have to rely on donations again.
My dream goes beyond my own treatment
If I receive the medical care I need and have the opportunity to build a sustainable source of income, I want to return to work and continue my education.
In the future, I also want to build something that can help other people with disabilities learn practical skills and find ways to earn an income.
I know what it feels like to want to work while your physical condition puts barriers in front of you that you cannot overcome alone.
I want to use my experience to help others who may be facing the same situation.
My fundraising goal
I am asking for a total fundraising goal of:
$300,000 USD
This goal is intended to cover my major medical needs, ongoing medical care, mobility needs, and the transition toward financial independence.
The major estimated expenses include:
Spina bifida-related medical evaluation and potential surgery
Approximately $150,800
Treatment of my Grade 3 pressure ulcer
Approximately $25,500
Treatment and management of my urinary tract problems
Approximately $3,500
Ongoing medical care
This includes urine tests, MRI and other imaging, medications, wound care, medical consultations, transportation and treatment required when my condition worsens.
My medical costs are not the same every month and can increase substantially when I need additional imaging or when my pressure ulcer or urinary problems become more severe.
Repair or replacement of my electric wheelchair
My wheelchair is essential for mobility and independence.
Establishing a sustainable source of income
Approximately $29,000 initially, subject to a realistic assessment of the project I can actually manage.
The remaining funds will be used according to my verified medical and essential living needs, including necessary medical care, treatment, investigations, medication, wound care, mobility and other essential expenses.
If the actual cost of a specific medical treatment is lower than expected, funds will be redirected toward other verified medical, rehabilitation, mobility or independence needs rather than being spent unnecessarily.
I want to be transparent with donors
I do not expect anyone to believe my story simply because I wrote it.
I have medical reports, scans, laboratory tests and other documents relating to my condition.
I am willing to provide appropriate documentation to verify my medical situation and treatment needs while protecting sensitive personal information such as identification numbers and private records.
I also want to make one thing very clear:
I am not promising a specific medical outcome.
The purpose of this campaign is to obtain appropriate medical evaluation and treatment according to qualified doctors' recommendations.
What happens if you cannot donate?
I completely understand that not everyone can afford to donate.
You can still help me.
Please share this campaign.
Send it to one person.
Share it with your friends.
Send it to a medical organization, doctor, disability organization, business or person who may be able to help.
Sometimes one share reaches someone who can change another person's life.
Why am I asking you to help me?
Because I do not want to spend the next years becoming increasingly dependent on other people.
I am afraid that if my condition continues without adequate treatment, I may eventually become even more dependent and may reach a point where I cannot even get out of bed.
But I still have dreams.
I want to work.
I want to study.
I want to build a source of income.
I want to live with dignity and as much independence as my condition allows.
And one day, if I am fortunate enough to become financially and professionally stable, I want to help other people with disabilities.
I am not asking you to live my life for me.
I am asking for the opportunity to rebuild it.
Every donation, regardless of its size, brings me closer to treatment and independence.
If you cannot donate, sharing this campaign can still make a difference.
Thank you for reading my story.
Thank you to everyone who donates.
Thank you to everyone who shares this campaign.
And thank you to anyone who helps me reach appropriate medical care or find a realistic way to build an income.
I am not asking for a lifetime of donations.
I am asking for one opportunity to receive treatment, rebuild my independence, and create a future I can sustain myself.
Thank you for giving me hope.
