Please Help Us Raise Funds for Juls' Funeral Costs

$6,972 of $15,000 goal

Given by 87 generous donors in 20 days

We've received the heartbreaking news that Juls passed away on Wednesday 10 July. This page aims to raise funds for her funeral expenses.

Auckland

We have set up this page on behalf of Juls' husband Dave and her sister Debbie. On Wednesday, 10th July, they received the heartbreaking news that Juls passed away at 2am.

Julia Maree Maggs (nee Steenson)

2nd September 1977 – 10th July 2024 (46 years young)

Juls battled numerous physical and mental health issues for many years. She spent the last 3 weeks of her life in hospital, originally admitted to drain retained fluid from her body, but during her time in hospital she contracted several infections. The plan for Juls’ discharge was for the Saturday before her passing, however, blood tests revealed she had contracted hospital acquired pneumonia which tragically took her life 3 days later.

Juls had the biggest heart. She was incredibly kind and wanted only the best for her loved ones. Thankfully, she met her soulmate Dave, and they had a beautiful wedding and many years of happiness together. Dave was able to be with Juls in her last couple of months of life, due to him being made redundant from his job, but this has resulted in huge financial hardship for him, and he is so desperate to give Juls her final wish of a burial over cremation. In true ‘Juls style’, she said “I want to be buried so I can come back as a zombie” ;-)

Your support and donations are deeply appreciated during this difficult time.

(there is a lot more to this story which you can read on this page under 'Latest Update')

Paula Steenson's involvement (page creator)

Sister

Use of funds

Funeral expenses - Juls' wish was to be buried

Still striving to get there 21 July 2024

We are so appreciative of all the donations we have received so far. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Our story was featured in a NZ Herald Article: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/the-cost-of-dying-crowdfunding-funerals-rising-costs-and-finding-alternatives/KXQ7J46ZCRFA3CR3OOQMKOROBI/

We have now set the funeral date for 29th July and are hoping the next week will see our story spread even further. There are some very kind people out there who don't even know us, who have donated - thank you x

My afternoon will be consumed with writing a eulogy and pulling together as many photos of Juls as I can - a job I've been procrastinating on, as I find this part very hard.

It's still quite surreal that Juls has gone, I don't think it has really hit me yet, and the familiar rollercoaster of daily emotions has already taken hold of me.

Juls' husband Dave is so lost without her, even something as simple as his house being 'too quiet' upsets him. And it's his birthday today, which he has no interest in celebrating.

We are still feeling upset and guilty that Juls was on her own when she passed. That the hospital had given no indication of how close to death she was, and Dave is still traumatised from the phone call he received at 2.22am from the hospital, telling him Juls had passed.

If you are in a position to be able to share our story, we would encourage this please, as we put a last effort in, in the final week before we say goodbye to Juls.

Thank you.

Deb & family xx

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