Bijo Mathew Appeal

We are reaching out to you with a sincere and urgent request for help on behalf of Bijo Mathew and his family, who are currently facing an overwhelming crisis. Bijo, his wife Swapna, and their two young children, aged eight and three, moved to the UK from Thodupuzha a year ago with dreams of a better future. Bijo had been working at KFC, while Swapna was employed as a carer in a nursing home. Their move to the UK came at a great financial cost. To fund their relocation, they had to mortgage the only property in Bijo’s mother’s name—a four-cent plot of land—and pawn all their gold jewelry. Before moving, Bijo had been running a grocery store in Thodupuzha. On December 3rd, tragedy struck when Bijo suddenly collapsed after experiencing severe physical discomfort. He struggled to speak and felt weakness on one side of his body. Swapna immediately called an ambulance, and Bijo was rushed to Eastbourne NHS Hospital. After extensive medical tests, doctors confirmed that he had suffered a brain bleed. Bijo has since lost mobility on one side of his body and has been hospitalized for over a month. Due to the severity of his condition, he will require a long period of recovery and rehabilitation. Meanwhile, Swapna, who is the sole caregiver for their two young children, has been forced to take unpaid leave from her job to care for both Bijo and their kids. This unexpected crisis has left the family in a dire financial situation. With no income, they are struggling to cover basic living expenses, including rent, utility bills, and loan repayments back in India. They are now in desperate need of support. We, at BMCF, are reaching out to you, our compassionate community, for support. Every donation, no matter how small, can make a tremendous difference to Swapna and her family during this critical time.