US woman takes to ‘FundMyTravel’ to reunite with Pakistani husband

American citizen Regan Anderson is trying to raise $2,000 so she can travel to Karachi and meet her Pakistani husband and his family.

Ali Umer, a student at Ziauddin Medical University in Karachi was travelling to the United States to attend a family wedding, where he met Regan, a creative director who owns a business in Dallas.  After spending the entire summer travelling together, they married this year in Dallas.

Regan is now raising money to travel to Karachi to be with her husband and meet her in-laws, who couldn’t make it to the wedding due to financial constraints.

Travellers at heart, Ali and Regan have taken to social media to promote Regan’s “FundMyTravel” campaign to raise money, with the results have been promising.

Speaking to media outlets, Ali said he is surprised by the response they have received so far.

“There is a perception that people don’t want to help each other but that isn’t so. People have been very generous,” he said.

Regan echoes the same feelings as her husband.

“When I started the page initially I was unsure if anything would come of it. About 75 percent of my donations came from Pakistani citizens. Ali’s family and friends have been very supportive and welcoming. I think people know love when they see it and that inspires them, so they send their help and support,” she remarked.

When asked what her plans for Karachi were, Regan said, “It has always been a dream to travel the world and experience different cultures. I am hoping to take lots of pictures to show my friends and family the good side of Pakistan, dispelling prejudices American people may have. I’m hoping to check out the Himalayas too if possible during my trip.”

Ali, who is currently obtaining a degree in Pharmacology, has been playing his part as well. He gives tuitions to earn money and also works as an independent artist to raise finances.

Regan plans on staying in Karachi for around three months so she can be with Ali when he graduates later this year.

“This wasn’t one of your usual marriages. There was a lot of unaffordable planning involved. For me, fundmytravel was a great idea by Regan,” explained Ali.