Dying comes at a cost

My sister, Miguela, lives in Manila in the Philippines. She has had a tough life, She lost her husband at 36 years of age and was left to raise her 4 children alone. This she was doing quite well until in 2015 she developed a leg cancer problem and had to have her leg amputated. Fortunately, I was in Manila for a year at that time and was able to meet the medical costs of NZD 15,000,

Almost immediately after that her eldest daughter of only 30 years of age suffered a brain aneurysm and required what proved to be 3 operations on her head to clear the blood leakage and to strengthen the broken artery in her the brain. This cost me a further $30,000

I am now living back in NZ and am deeply concerned to hear from Miguela that her cancer has reappeared. It has quickly metastasised and is now at a stage IV level. She has been in hospital for the past three weeks. The hospital has now confirmed that there is nothing that they can do for her and suggest that she discharge herself and go home to die. As distressing as this is, there is also another hospital bill to deal with of some NZD 20, 000, increasing daily. Without payment they won’t discharge her.

I am therefore appealing to any members of the NZ public who could help us to meet Miguelas medical costs. Her family have managed to raise NZD 5,000 but they are still a long way short of what is required.

I am just so saddened to be losing my sister and devastated at the thought that she might die in hospital and not at home with her children. And, there remains the grim possibility that the hospital will withhold her body until such time as full payment of her bill is made.

My husband and I would be extremely grateful for financial support that any kind and caring kiwis might be able to provide to help us see Miguela to a peaceful death and to ensure that doesn’t leave her children saddled with her hospital debt for the rest of their lives.

With kindest thanks

Adelina Barnett.