Starting a new job in a foreign country can be exciting and nerve-wracking. But 30-year-old Celestine didn’t even get to experience that when she collapsed from a brain aneurysm in her Sembawang residence on 16 Aug.
Nobody noticed anything amiss until her employer and sisters failed to contact her.
She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors managed to save her life. However, Celestine’s hospital bills have mounted, and her family needs help to pay them.
In a Give.Asia appeal, Celestine’s sister Yvonne shared that the 30-year-old was “happy to receive a job offer in Singapore” when tragedy struck.
She was due to report for her first day of work as a salesperson at a gold store on 16 Aug when she became uncontactable, reported 8world News.
Her sister later found her unconscious at the Sembawang flat she rented, with vomit all over the floor. By then, she was believed to have been unconscious for about half a day.
At Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, doctors identified a life-threatening rupture or aneurysm on the left side of Celestine’s brain.
They conducted an emergency surgery, after which Celestine spent nearly two weeks in the intensive care unit (ICU).
In the ICU, Celestine was reportedly unable to communicate and relied on ventilators to breathe. She also couldn’t open her right eye at first.
When her condition gradually improved, she was transferred to a general ward. But throughout her time there, her hospital bills mounted.
Since Celestine failed to report to work that fateful day, Yvonne claimed that her employer cancelled her in-principle approval (IPA) letter and insurance.
Therefore, Celestine received treatment as a foreign visitor without access to any financial relief. This led to the “rapid accumulation of medical expenses”, which placed an “overwhelming burden on her (our) family”. Her sister wrote,
We have reached a breaking point as we struggle to cope with these mounting costs.
Hoping for some support to relieve the family’s difficulties, Yvonne posted an appeal to raise over S$100, 000 in funds to cover her sister’s medical bills.
8world News reported that Celestine’s family transferred her to a hospital in Johor Bahru (JB) on 11 Sep.
Her condition has been stable. Yvonne shared in Give.Asia update today (3 Oct) that doctors will discharge her sister soon, though she will have to undergo physiotherapy.
She elaborated to 8world News, “The doctor said that my sister may need to do rehabilitation and acupuncture every day in the next one or two years to recover, but there is no guarantee that she will recover.”
Regardless of the circumstances, the family is immensely thankful for all the love and contributions they’ve received.
They expressed their appreciation for all the donors and hoped for their health and safety always. We all certainly hope the same for Celestine, so she can lead as normal a life as possible after surviving this ordeal.
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Featured image adapted from Give.Asia.
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