A British national in the Philippines, Conan White, is facing dire circumstances after a series of unfortunate events left him injured, financially drained, and struggling to return home.
In his Go Get Funding page, he shared that he arrived in the Philippines in 2018 for his Filipina girlfriend whom he met on a Christian dating app.
The British told MailOnline that he gave up his job as an HR officer in his motherland to be with his girlfriend. However, she would later stab and betray him.
“Though I was extremely careful and diligent, I ended up in two disastrous relationships, one after the other,” Conan shared on his page.
“I’ve been lied to, emotionally blackmailed, and tricked. And the final straw was when I fell and badly damaged my leg that got infected, I ended up having two operations and I then spent six weeks in hospital,” he added.
The betrayal
During his stay in the Philippines, Conan couldn’t help but feel as if his girlfriend was involved in shady business.
He also described the relationship as ‘flawed,’ and after breaking up with her, she assaulted him by grabbing his foot and stabbing him twice.
“I was on the bed and the next thing I know, she was attacking me, fighting me, slapping me… and then she stabbed me in my foot, she stabbed me twice, I have no idea what with,” he told Mail Online.
He then rushed to the police, but they would not investigate further unless he paid a bribe. Left with no choice, Conan had to flee into Cebu to escape his shared place with his ex-girlfriend.
Waiting for a miracle
Conan is now grappling with a severe leg injury that required two surgeries, leaving him bedridden for months. To make matters worse, while staying in the slums of Cebu—infested with rats—he suffered a painful bite, which led to an mpox infection.
Without proper financial resources, he relied on the help of his former girlfriend’s family, who adhered mostly to traditional healing methods rather than modern medical treatment.
According to his interview, the mother of his ex-girlfriend invited priests to the house to bless his foot and a female witch doctor who tried to get rid of the evil spirits by continuously spitting at him and massaging his back.
“They were a very poor Filipino family who spoke little English and did not believe in western medicine (except for antibiotics). Instead believing on [sic] the power of herbalism, the Church, and the supernatural. I felt, though well intended, it did not really work, and therefore my recovery was a slow and painful one,” he shared on his page.
Trapped by circumstances
As his condition worsened, he found himself unable to afford basic necessities such as diabetes medication and antibiotics. His financial struggles forced him to relocate to a jungle settlement to save money, relying on charity for food and shelter.
“My foot has got re-infected yet again and I can no longer afford the basics like my diabetes medicine or antibiotics. I reached out to the British embassy for help, but they said they cannot help me financially or with medication,” he stated.
Compounding his difficulties, Conan’s passport has expired, and he has overstayed his visa, which further complicates his departure.
“They [Filipino authorities] will require me to fill in numerous pieces of paperwork and deliver them to various departments before I can eventually leave the country as my passport is out of date and I was tricked into overstaying in this country.
“I can barely walk or hold a pen at the moment, let alone hand deliver documents to various departments!” he explained on his page.
He also approached local authorities for help, but overcrowded shelters have left him without immediate housing options. “The Filipino local authorities say they do not have any ability to house me in a homeless shelter at the moment as they’re already overcrowded,” he said.
“I’ve even tried to get the local police to arrest me and get me into a detention centre, but they said they are not interested, as they feel I’m the problem of the British embassy and therefore they will not get involved,” he added.
As his health deteriorates, he fears the possibility of losing his leg due to infection. Conan shared, “I’m about to get kicked out of my humble dwelling that I live in, and I will end up literally living in the jungle. My foot is now septic and it is not long before I get gangrene.
“I have lived with the shadow of the possibility of losing my leg for the last 18 months and it is getting too much and [looks] like I will finally have it happen.
With no financial means, little local support, and no clear path to returning home, he is appealing for prayers and assistance to overcome what he describes as the lowest point of his life.
“I lost nearly all my possessions, any friends I might have here, have turned their back on me,” Conan shared. “Even if you can’t help me in the smallest way, please add me to your prayers. I think I’m about to have my darkest chapter of my life.”
As of writing, Conan’s Go Get Funding page has progressed 93%, accumulating £2,804.00 raised of his £3,000.00 goal from 141 donors.
