Give Gemma Hope

Hi There! My name is Bea. I’m fundraising for my one and only aunt on behalf of my father. All left over donations will be re-donated to similar cases.

Here is the story in my Father’s pov:

My name is Roberto Gonzales. I write this letter as a formal plea to those that can help with my dear sister, Gemma's, hospital bills. My sister has experienced her fair share of misfortune just like many people in this world. However, these past few years have had a severe impact on her health; mentally, emotionally and physically. In 2020 when the worldwide virus, Covid-19, was at its peak, my sister had given birth to her second child with the man she believed to be her true love after a failed marriage with her first husband. One would expect the birth of a new baby would be a positive and bright outcome, but the baby girl was born 7 months premature in September of 2020 and unfortunately did not survive to full term, dying in March of 2021. Within the same year, the same partner and father of the child she lost, was also hospitalised and diagnosed for a lung infection that was eventually declared to be the cause of Covid. In a span of one year, from September 2020 - October 2021, my sister had lost a child and a life partner.

After being separated from my sister for 15 years, since I reside here in Calgary, and her in the Philippines, I wanted to give her a fresh start and a chance to recuperate away from the Philippines as a visitor. Her stay in Calgary was meant for quality time surrounded by the provinces' mountains as well as quality time with my family. Unfortunately, since the start of her vacation on May 26 of this year, she’s had a consistent on-and-off fever that lasted for 2 weeks. Her condition steadily grew worse, which eventually led her to experience a stroke. Due to the stroke, she lost mobility from her arms to her legs on her left side. She was rushed to the hospital by ambulance and received food through a feeding tube. She is currently hospitalized in the Foothills hospital, receiving treatment for Tuberculosis and rehab for mobility. Her admittance to the hospital has made her uneasy which is greatly influenced by her previous hospital experience from her deceased partner and child. We recognize that she is also terribly homesick being away from her first born and our parents. As much as we want her to stay, we wish for her fast recovery so she can reconnect with our family in the Philippines.

For now, we are focusing on her day-to-day condition which proves to be a stressful experience for my wife and I as we juggle our concern for my sister and the hospital bills that are piling up. Although she has travel insurance that can help with the bills, it is not enough for her lengthy treatment. With optimism in mind for her recovery, we humbly ask for any financial aid to support her hospital bills.