An Indian family in New Zealand has been left with massive debt after their visiting parent had to undergo open heart surgery.
Auckland-based Karen Barco and her husband Daryl have received a massive $64.000 NZ for the surgery and related services after Karen’s father had a heart attack last year in December.
The NRI-couple is raising funds on ‘Givealittle’ as the family cannot meet the medical payments to the hospital.
Karen’s father, John Lobo, arrived in New Zealand from Goa, India, last year to help his daughter with her 2-year-old son, as the husband and wife are working full time.
“On 30 December last year, my father in law suffered a heart attack and was admitted to Waitakere hospital. On his examination, the doctors found blockages in his arteries and suggested open heart surgery. He had surgery in January this year,” Daryl Barco told NRI Affairs.
68-year-old John Lobo did not have any insurance, so he received a bill of $23,473 from the Waitemata District Health Board for services at Waitakere Hospital and $40,725 from Auckland DHB for the surgery and related services.
Daryl, a chef by profession, and his wife Karen, both 38, have been making small weekly instalments to pay the bills “but with a combined income of $1500 and with a mortgage of $650, it is a struggle with no end in sight” for the family.
They had started a fundraising campaign on ‘Givealittle’ seeking help from the community; however, they have not yet raised the necessary funds.
Despite donations by 486 generous donors, the family has so far raised less than 35,000 dollars, “which is much less than required 64,000 dollars.”
“We are very grateful to these 486 people, but if we don’t manage to raise the amount required, perhaps we will lose our home,” says Daryl Barco.
Here is the link to the fundraiser for John Lobo.
