Carrie Patsalis

Some difficult news to share.

As many of you may remember, last year I was involved in supporting families in Afghanistan—especially women at risk. Among the families we helped, one in particular stood out.

We supported a man who, simply because he was male, was the only member of his family allowed to work. He suffered from type 1 diabetes, was nearly blind, and couldn’t walk. But with access to medication and laser surgery, we helped him regain his health and ability to work. He was supporting his entire family: his mother, his wife, and four young children under the age of seven—two of whom are girls.

Things had finally stabilized for them. But tragically, just a few weeks ago—on the day before Eid—he passed away unexpectedly after falling ill.

His death has left the family in a dire situation. The women are uneducated, live in a remote village, and cannot travel without a male chaperone. They now have no means of income and no protection.

To anyone still insisting that the current system in Afghanistan “protects” women—please reconsider your position.

I’ve launched a fundraising campaign on Instagram to help this family survive. My goal is to continue raising funds each year until the children are old enough to support themselves—at least the two boys, who will be allowed to work. If we raise more than what’s needed for basic survival—food, heating through the harsh winters—we hope to hire a tutor to educate the children and give them a fighting chance at a better future.

If you’d like to help, please consider donating—even the cost of a coffee can make a real difference. You can find the link to my JustGiving page in my Instagram bio or here.

Thank you for reading, and thank you for caring.www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/carriepatsalisqudr…

5 months ago | [YT] | 181

Carrie Patsalis

Going quiet for a couple of weeks.. and that's because I am here! I'll be pushing deeper into Pakistan, visiting the girls school I support and seeking out more stories on amazing humans. Stand by for a brand new series.

1 year ago | [YT] | 591

Carrie Patsalis

🎉 READ THIS! ...... ‘He was able to see me.. he ran to me and hugged me’.  

This is the news I woke to just now.. this last week has been one hell of an emotional ride. The mother with the 28 year old son who was dying of type 1 diabetes has been sat patiently all week with him in hospital, waiting to see if treatment could not only save him but stop his near-blindness. He had to have surgery on his eyes and that was the hardest decision. I wasn’t happy for this to happen just anywhere.. I was told it’s difficult work in Afghanistan and I was terrified we would commit him to instant blindness.. we found the best private clinic we could.. and yesterday he went in for surgery on one eye.. I felt sick all day.. we wouldn’t know the result until this morning when the patch was removed. I can say I don’t think I have received news this good for a very long time. I want to thank everyone who has shared my content, donated and supported this cause.. today a family will have a different future. I also want to thank Belinda Carlisle for really stepping up and helping.. Thank you ❤️ if anyone else would like to donate so we can reach more families like this, please click the link here: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/carriepatsalisafgh…. #bamyan #kabul #afghanistan

1 year ago | [YT] | 1,579

Carrie Patsalis

I need more help. And I am sorry to ask. I am trying to help the family of the woman who lost her husband and has one son who is now 28. He has type 1 diabetes and up until last week was dying at home with months to live. He has 4 young children, (two daughters aged 7 and 6, two sons aged 3 and 2). Your donations have got him to hospital.. he couldn’t walk in.. he can now walk a week later.. this is major. I am committing to buying insulin for him moving forwards.. but it looks likely he will need eye surgery.. and this is where I need help. We are investigating today but the hospital he is in is not specialist.. it does not have the latest equipment and they have said it’s risky surgery .. there are private clinics with experienced doctors in kabul and I believe we can reduce the risk with the right place. I want to help this man turn his life around, work, provide for his whole family and most importantly see his kids grow up. If anyone out there can donate anything, please check this link: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/carriepatsalisafgh…. Thank you 🙏 #kabul #afghanistan #afghan

1 year ago | [YT] | 1,888

Carrie Patsalis

❤️ donation update ❤️ We have reached more women and amongst them are a widow who lost her husband in a car accident - this is sadly relatively common. She has 5 children, all sharing the same congenital condition which caused blindness from birth. She has been given some of the donations to help support her daily life. Another donation went to a young mother again with five children ranging from 2 to 10 years. Her husband has kidney failure. They can't afford a new kidney - I wish we could stretch that far but we are nowhere near what would be required. He is also young and can no longer work - your donations have at least given them breathing space. If you've been following these stories I also have an update on the 28 year old only son of the woman who lost her husband 15 years ago to diabetes.. he is now receiving treatment in hospital - it's been confirmed he has type 1. My contact said the look on her face as she went into hospital with him was a joy to see - her future will also be a lot safer if we can save him. The doctors said he had months to go without treatment, so this is a game changer. I have also now personally committed to helping this family pay for insulin so that he can see his kids grow up. You've all made these positive stories possible and to everyone that has donated, I really really appreciate it. If you'd like to help me keep this going please donate to www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/carriepatsalisafgh…

1 year ago | [YT] | 1,638

Carrie Patsalis

❤️Another donation ❤️. We found a 40 year old woman with 3 kids between 10 and 14 years. Her husband had cancer and they sold everything they owned, including their house, to pay for treatment.. remember this is a country where it’s only really men that can make money. Sadly he didn’t make it through. She now has to find money for rent and they live on tea and bread. She cried hard when my contact found her. He finished his text to me ‘I was about to cry as well and couldn’t ask more questions’. To everyone that has donated.. THANK YOU! To help me keep this going a little more please donate here: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/carriepatsalisafgh… 🥰 #afghan #afghanwomen #kabulafghanistan #bamyan

1 year ago (edited) | [YT] | 1,137

Carrie Patsalis

🎉 more donations have gone in ❤️.. lets make kids smile. Here’s a story that I think you will like, one that’s going to make some young afghan kids very happy. We’ve met a woman who lost her husband 15 years ago to diabetes.. very common in Afghanistan, insulin is too expensive for some people, put simply, they die if it’s not dealt with quickly. They had one son who is now 28. He has 4 kids and they all live together. He has had to stop work because diabetes has taken hold of him and the women and kids in the family are at risk as a result.. it’s now a catch 22.. he needs to work to pay for treatment, currently he is dying of a totally manageable condition. We have sent his medical records to a doctor in Kabul and they are hoping that given his age there is a chance we can change the course of his life and therefore the women he supports.. and give him enough medication to reset, pick up and continue to be a dad. When my contact went to visit them, his mother, him and his kids all broke down crying.. its a desperate situation made worse by the fact its manageable with medication and diet. Your donations may well have just changed the outcome for this family. If you can help me keep this going and can spare the cost of a coffee, we can keep going a little longer. www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/carriepatsalisafgh…
Thank you 🙏 #afghanistan #afghan #kabulafghanistan #kandahar

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1 year ago | [YT] | 1,005

Carrie Patsalis

❤️A massive thanks to everyone who has donated so far ❤️this is the family we reached 2 days ago. This lady has 7 children. Her story will highlight why women are not safe right now in Afghanistan. The regime and its supporters believe that keeping women at home, silent, has reduced violence towards them. They clearly haven’t done their research. If they had, they would know most violence against women occurs in the home. This woman’s husband is a drug addict, he disappears regularly and when he returns he beats her and her children. She has no money, the kids have not been able to access medical treatment, few own a pair of shoes, food is in short supply. The message I received today was this ‘she passed a big hug to you even though she was about to hug me’. Thank you again to everyone who has engaged with this fundraising campaign.. you’re all beautiful. If you want to keep this going, please donate via my justgiving link: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/carriepatsalisafgh…. 🥰 #afghanwomen #afghan #kabulafghanistan #kandahar

1 year ago | [YT] | 690

Carrie Patsalis

❤️A second donation has been delivered ❤️. This story brings tears to my eyes in a week where the T&1iban have banned women from even speaking outside their homes. We have reached a woman whose husband is at home dying of cancer. Her adult sons have fallen victim to opium. She, along with one remaining daughter-in-law are the sole carers to the grandchildren. Remember what I said about girls over the age of 12 being banned from school due to gender segregation issues? She has 7 granddaughters between 11 and 17. There is no hope for them. This is currently a country where being female is basically a death sentence for a family with no male support. Thank you to everyone who has contributed so far, for anyone else that would like to help, we can reach more women with your support. Check out my JustGiving page www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/carriepatsalisafgh…. #afghanwomen #afghanistan #kabul #kabulafghanistan

1 year ago | [YT] | 1,095

Carrie Patsalis

🎉 First donation delivered ❤️. For those supporting my campaign to raise money for vulnerable women in Afghanistan, I can confirm we have now reached a woman with a 1 year old, who was unable to afford enough baby food. She has said the funds are a lifeline for her child. Thank you to everyone who has supported so far. I am seeing first hand the impact it is making. We can manage to support another 11 women so far with the money received. Please keep donating.. the more we get, the more women we can help. My Justgiving link is here: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/carriepatsalisafgh…
#afghanistan #afghan #bamyan #kabul

1 year ago | [YT] | 1,539