Julie's fight for life.

Julie Rereman is the Labour Co-Ordinator for the Seasonal Work Programs placing Ni-Vanuatu citizens into short term work programs in both New Zealand and Australia.

Each year, Julie and her team has helped more than 4,000 people into work programs in New Zealand and more than 3,000 into Australia work programs. These programs are reciprocal in that they help fill short term labour shortages but provide the workers with much needed income in Vanuatu so that they may provide for their families and children in the form of buying land, building their houses, accessessing education and medical care that might otherwise not be available.

Unfortunately for Julie this all came to a stop in December 2017 when her voice became very hoarse. After trying to seek help at the local Vila Central Hospital, she was told that she had allergies to perhaps something in the air or food she was eating. They provided her with a general medication to take. After 2 weeks of taking the medication there had been no improvement so she returned to the hospital, where they changed the medication. The third visit to the hopsital saw the doctor recommend a medication from a local pharmacy. When Julie took this with no improvement it was recommended that she attend an appointment with a visiting specialist from Australia (23rd July 2018).

After the completion of a biopsy, she tried on numerous occasions to get the results, however it was only when she was so sick and struggling to breathe and admitted to hospital (20th December 2018) that the doctors decided to search for and access the results of the biopsy.

The result of a squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx which meant that Julie had no option but to travel to New Caledonia for further testing and potentional treatment.

Julie now has a tracheostomy to allow her to be able to breathe whilst options for radiotherapy and chemotherapy are looked into.

There is no public health system and Julie must fund the treatment herself in order to save her life. Julie has had to leave Vanuatu and travel to New Caledonia in order to have her tracheotomy maintain and wait to be able to receive treatment.

This is at a cost of at least 4 million vatu (approx $50,000 NZD).

Without this urgent treatment, we will not be able to save her life.