Christine's stroke treatment

Im am a 51 year old german national living in the philippines (Cebu City) for 2 years now.

On friday October 21 my girlfriends sister in law Christine suffered a stroke at just 23 years old.

I now Christine as a good mother to her boy of 3.

She invited me to a local festival here 2 years ago where she was one of the participating dance combos as the festival queen. 

Her family is one of the poor here in the philippines, and like most poor families they even cant afford baisc health insurance.  

Christine is 23 and has a 3 year old son - her boyfriend earns just about 100-150 Euro every month. They live in his fathers house in an area westernes easily name "slum".

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Friday, Oct, 21 - 2PM

From what her boyfriend told us, he and Christine woke up that day but she wasnt able to talk and her right body side was totally paralized.

The family then brought her to emergency in a public hospital but there she only got a dehydration infusion.

The hospital told the family that she needed an MRI and being transferred to an Immediate Care Unit - but the family couldnt pay the necessary downpayment of about 1600 Euro for that in the private hospital.

Unfortunately in the philippines you have to pay in advance to get a treatment in private hospitals - and the public hospitals are overrun and mostly lack the necessary equipment. Like now as the public hospital had no MRI and also no ICU unit available.

So when the family finally informed my girlfriend and me it was alrady around 2pm and Christine was 8 hours without any treatment.

I then started to manage finding a hospital with an ICU Unit available and made the downpayment for a private room of 200 Euro - because they told that the doctor on receiving would decide where to put her (ICU or private room). 

We then had to wait additional 2 hours as the public hospital (where she still was in emergency room) had an Ambulance - but no driver available.

Finally at around 8pm she was transferred to the St. Vincent Hospital but there only a CT Scan could be done as no MRI was available.

As Christine was awake and conscious she was then transferred into a private room after the CT Scan and started the medication (Cerebrolysin).

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Saturday, Oct. 22

Her mother and one Aunt had also arrived to stay at her side (thats what I love about the philippines that family is always around helping)

The doctor told us that the CT scan showed a clogging and swelling in her brain. That a 2D doppler has been done to find the cause for the stroke but that they couldnt find anything yet.

Christine still is ride sided paralysed and cannot speak but consious.

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Sunday, Oct 22

The family and I decided in agreement with her neurologyst that she stays in the provate room and is not transferred into ICU - because this saves us 20 Euro every day that we can put into her treatment.

Luckily she is able to swallow and can eat mashed food.

She also started with speaking but only very few words.

But she still is ride sided paralysed. But we now have hope that she gets better over time.

Her neurologyst told us that she will do a angiogram maybe this evening or the next morning to get a better look into the clogging - but that they still didnt find the cause for the stroke.

Christine is just 23, never smoked or drank, so the doctor has no idea herself.

This really is one of the cases where you only can ask "Why her"....

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I now start this fundraiser as her families and my budget are limited. But withot propper treatment she would leave hospital soon and has no chance in the eare where her family is living. 

As of today - after 3 days our expenses are at about 420 Euro (I always convert to Euro - 20 Euro is about 1000php)

Cost for private Room per day- 3 days:  120 Euro

Medication for 3 days: 160 Euro

CT Scan and 2D Echo: 140 Euro

Not included are other spendings like food for her mother and aunty that live now in her room 24/7 and additional costs for doctors.

I now calculate that we need maybe 2-3 weeks for treatment plus a rehab after - that is why I set the goal at 5000 Euro.

Ofcourse I dont think that YOU as the donators pay all of that - but as this is my first campaign here I just need to make sure that it will work out.

I also will add my own donations and what her family donates to the list so that you keep updated.

I will post updates everytime we have important information at hand.

Our (family and me) next decision will be at the end of this week as then after 7 days our costs will reach 1000 Euro -so to be real is a point when we have to decide how to go on - as the family does not have that much money themselves !