Life can change dramatically in just a few years. Conan White, a 60-year-old former HR executive from Newbury, Berkshire, knows this reality all too well. Back in 2018, Conan made a decision that would alter his life forever. He left his stable position at Hinduja Global Solutions in the UK and moved to the Philippines after connecting with a woman through a Christian dating app.
Many people dream of starting fresh in a tropical paradise, and Conan was no exception. His vision included warm beaches, friendly locals, and a loving relationship in an idyllic setting. Dreams often differ from reality, and Conan’s situation exemplifies how quickly paradise can transform into a nightmare.
Relationship Troubles and First Injuries
What began as a hopeful romance quickly soured after approximately five years. Conan noticed troubling signs his girlfriend was allegedly involved in questionable business activities and had abandoned her child. Despite these red flags, Conan stayed in the relationship and even took in her nine-year-old son from her sister.
Matters escalated dramatically in May 2022. While resting on a bed in their shared home after they had broken up, Conan experienced an unprovoked attack. His ex-girlfriend began slapping him before stabbing him twice in the foot with an unidentified object. Bleeding profusely, Conan managed to escape down the stairs, leaving a trail of blood so disturbing that her young son photographed it.
Seeking justice, Conan went straight to the local police but encountered another harsh reality: corruption in his new home country. Officers allegedly refused to investigate unless Conan paid a bribe. Without local connections or understanding of navigating such situations, Conan fled to the slums of Cebu, injured and alone.
Deteriorating Health and Living Conditions
Living conditions in Cebu’s slums presented unprecedented challenges. Conan slept on two wooden pallets topped with a single dirty duvet and a child’s pillow in a filthy, crumbling shack that cost £1.40 per night. Bathroom facilities were shared with a dozen poverty-stricken locals in unsanitary conditions, with waste bins occasionally housing cobras.
A series of health crises followed. What began with a seemingly minor rat bite escalated when Conan contracted Mpox. Later, he battled COVID-19, weakening his already compromised immune system. In summer 2023, Conan experienced a catastrophic fall on a freeway that shattered his foot, marking the beginning of his most serious medical challenges.
Desperate for treatment, Conan visited a private clinic where, according to him, his foot was deliberately “butchered” by a doctor attempting to extort additional money. Days after this questionable treatment, a water burst in his home sent him tumbling downstairs again, further damaging his already compromised foot.
His condition deteriorated rapidly, with his foot becoming twisted, mangled, and severely infected. “I’m not exaggerating when I say this, but I was probably dying at this point. I was in a complete state, I could barely speak, I could barely move, I couldn’t hold food down,” Conan recounted.
Failed Medical Interventions
A concerned girlfriend in Malaysia arranged for her brothers to transport Conan via an eight-hour ferry from Cebu to Mindanao for hospital treatment. However, healthcare in rural Philippines operates differently than Western systems. “But when you go to the hospital here, you don’t get much help,” Conan explained. “You have to have someone with you. They have to stay with you and sleep in the chair next to you. They’re the ones who dress your wounds and get your medicines. Nurses don’t do anything.”
During one consultation, Conan claims a doctor charged a hefty fee without properly examining his wound, merely prescribing antibiotics before sending him away. Unable to care for himself, Conan accepted an offer to stay with his girlfriend’s mother. This arrangement, initially appearing as a lifeline, became another troubling chapter.
Bedridden for nearly a year, Conan was dissuaded from seeking proper medical care by his caretaker. “My leg was continuously infected, it was on the verge of gangrene and I realized I needed to go into hospital but the mother kept telling me that if I went to hospital they would just chop my leg off,” Conan shared.
Financial manipulation accompanied his medical neglect. “She said, if you stay here I’ll look after you, give me your money,” Conan recalls. Desperate for aid and shelter, he complied, handing over his remaining funds.
Under her care, Conan was removed from his diabetic medication and antibiotics. Instead, his treatment consisted of herbal remedies, candlelit vigils with priests blessing his foot, and even visits from a witch doctor who performed what amounted to an exorcism. Despite recognizing these treatments as ineffective, Conan endured them due to his fear of amputation and the language barriers that intensified his isolation.
Eventually, when those around him believed he was near death, Conan was finally taken to a hospital where he spent six weeks. In 2024, he underwent surgery on his severely injured foot after refusing to sign paperwork permitting amputation. However, after just days, he was returned to his former caretaker’s home with 36 stitches but still “rotting from inside” with a visible hole in his foot.
Current Jungle Isolation
January 2024 marked another downturn when Conan was relocated to his current residence, a tiny, crumbling hut deep in the isolated jungle territory of Mindanao. The small community contains no more than 100 people and 20 buildings, with few, if any, English speakers.
“People here don’t speak English, and I don’t speak Filipino so I’ve been isolated here for over a year,” Conan explained. Adding to his hardships, his girlfriend in Malaysia has since moved on to a new relationship, leaving him truly alone.
Daily survival has become increasingly challenging. His finances allow for just one meal daily, typically a thin, watery stew of tuna and crackers costing approximately 42p. His wooden shack is surrounded by thick jungle vegetation and guarded by several dogs.
Conan faces significant mobility restrictions. “I can’t get out. People who run this place have the key to the gate and won’t give it to me. And they won’t tell me why.” While locals claim they’re protecting his health, Conan believes financial exploitation drives their actions.
Leaving his location requires crossing a rickety bamboo bridge spanning a river filled with snakes and sharp debris. “Bamboo handles shake and creak when you walk across it, it’s muddy and bad, and then you go up about 100ft, and its broken concrete and jutting stones,” Conan describes.
Search for Help and Public Response
Conan recently reached a breaking point, with funds nearly depleted and infection risk increasing. “Project that is me is almost over,” he stated grimly, reflecting his belief that death might be imminent without intervention.
He contacted the British Embassy as a last-ditch effort but describes their assistance as “useless” thus far. “They basically said, ‘Here’s loads and loads of links and loads and loads of documents, but they won’t do you any good, they’re bizarre, but don’t worry, you’ll be okay’.”
Such assurances seem impossible from Conan’s perspective. “I’m literally looking at living in the jungle, I can barely walk, and the Embassy want me to live in a shelter for two to three months if they can get me one, but how am I meant to survive?”
Given his situation, bureaucratic requirements appear insurmountable. Conan has even approached the police to deliberately get arrested and taken to a deportation center after overstaying his visa. However, the police showed no interest in bribe money, which he completely lacked.
“I feel cursed, and if I am honest, scared,” he confessed. Internet connectivity remains limited and unreliable, adding to his fears of complete abandonment. Foreign Office representatives confirmed awareness of Conan’s situation: “We are providing consular assistance to a British National in the Philippines and are in contact with local authorities.” However, concrete help remains elusive.
After sharing his story publicly, Conan launched a fundraising campaign as a last resort. “Realistically I can live on about £200 a month. It would be pretty basic, but it wouldn’t be too bad. But when you haven’t got any money, you’re screwed,” he explained. “I do hope the crowdsourcing will get me enough money to survive and also get back to my home in England.”
Public response has proven mixed. While many sympathetic individuals contributed to his fundraiser, nearly reaching its £3,000 goal (currently at £2,854), others responded with skepticism and hostility. Accusations of scamming emerged online, forcing Conan to delete social media posts and hide his location due to safety concerns.
Sleep deprivation has accompanied these new stressors, with Conan reporting three sleepless nights despite improved living conditions made possible by donations. His ex-girlfriend reportedly sent abusive messages after his story went public, and Conan claims his YouTube and Facebook accounts were hacked with amateur videos deleted and replaced by “highly offensive” content.
“I have now enabled comments on this site, as I feel it is important that people who come to this campaign have a voice,” Conan wrote in an update to his crowdfunding page. “And though I can take criticism, please let it be the constructive type.”
Where to Go From Here?
Despite ongoing challenges, successful fundraising has improved Conan’s circumstances. Donations have allowed him to consume hot meals, hire local assistance for wound care, and purchase essential antibiotics at the beginning of what will likely be a long recovery process.
Returning to the UK involves multiple practical hurdles. Passport and visa complications must be resolved, which typically requires in-person visits to immigration offices, which are extraordinarily difficult given his physical mobility limitations and financial constraints. Embassy intervention could expedite emergency travel documentation or medical evacuation, but consular services typically focus on connecting citizens with local resources rather than directly providing financial assistance.
Conan’s journey from HR professional to jungle survival represents an extreme case of how quickly circumstances can deteriorate abroad when multiple systems fail simultaneously. His ongoing struggle highlights gaps in international safety nets designed to protect citizens overseas, particularly those facing medical emergencies without financial resources.
