Support Angelika and the Bongers family

Four weeks ago, the Bongers family’s world was turned upside down. What we normally hear of happening to a friend of a friend happened to our beautiful friend Angelika, who we had just spent a week camping with during the school holidays.

Angelika, wife to Andre and mother to six-year-old Hannah and eight-year-old Jonas tragically collapsed at her place of work. She was taken to the Prince of Wales Hospital where she was diagnosed with a severe bleed in her brain due to a ruptured brain aneurysm. It is a miracle she survived the emergency surgeries and consequent brain stroke. She is defying all odds and is an incredible fighter. The last four weeks have been a nerve wrecking rollercoaster ride for her family and friends. Her situation is still uncertain and she has a very long recovery path ahead of her.

With Angelika unable to work, the family has lost a large part of their income and a matriarch responsible for a huge part of running the family unit.

Andre has been trying to keep things running at home while also spending time with Angelika at the hospital but he will eventually have to return to work.

We are asking you to help us raise funds to help the family during this difficult time. Some of the immediate needs are:

With family overseas, we would like to support Andre and the kids with a part-time house keeper for the unforeseeable future. This will allow Andre to be there for Angelika while she continues to recover in hospital, and to look after Hannah and Jonas, while also maintaining their only source of family income.

Moving forward, the funds will help cover for any unforeseen and unexpected medical bills that may be necessary to give Angelika the chance to achieve the best possible rehabilitation outcome.

long-term: The goal is to get Angelika back home to Andre and the kids. There is a high chance she will require 24/7 care and the family may have to make major adjustments to their lives so as to accommodate her needs. We also anticipate there will be other expenses that we cannot predict.

We are grateful for your support for the family. Please keep Angelika in your thoughts and pray for her.