Medical Equipment for Kalamata Hospital, Greece.
Donation protected
Every year, our parents travelled to Greece to pick olives from the family groves, that have been in the Krontiris family for generations. On their last trip, in Nov 2019, our dad became seriously ill.
Dad was admitted to the Prefecture General Hospital of Kalamata and was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer. He remained in the care of the hospital for 16 days before being medically repatriated home. He arrived in Melbourne with over 6 litres of fluid in his left lung effectively suffocating him. Dad described the trip back as a big battle that he fought to get back to his children and extended family.
This was a devastating blow to our entire family, there were no obvious symptoms and we were told there was a tumour in his lung had been there for at least 12-18 months.
Dad qualified for Immunotherapy which he tolerated well, in fact, scans showed the tumour had signs of necrosis which gave us hope. He was in a lot of pain and three bouts of pneumonia and the shingles definitely set him back. This was all followed by the Coronavirus breakout, which meant that for 7 weeks, our parents completely isolated to protect themselves. The only contact we had was conversations through my dad's bedroom window. This was heartbreaking for us to deal with, as well as extended family and friends, who loved him so much.
After his last visit to the hospital, we knew something was not right. As a family, we all decided to get a precautionary test for Coronavirus and spend as much time at the house with him as possible. We spent one week with him. He seemed to be improving, until Monday 4th May 2020, when he was rushed to hospital. He passed at 4pm that day.
Our father commented on numerous occasions how he was taken care of so compassionately by the medical staff at the Pathology Ward of Kalamata General Hospital. The standard of care was high, but they did not have enough medical equipment to constantly monitor vitals like oxygen saturation and blood pressure. He always said, when he got better, he would raise funds so that he could purchase medical equipment for the Pathology Ward that treated him so kindly.
In memoriam, we, his family are honouring our father’s wish by raising money to donate to the Prefecture General Hospital of Kalamata. We plan on purchasing equipment in consultation with the Pathology Ward heads and in line with available funds.
Like many Greek immigrants, our father made a home and life in Australia, but his heart longed to go home to Greece as often as possible. He loved nothing more than to support the country that gave him so much in the formative years of his life.
We’d very much appreciate any donation, and thank you in advance for any support you are able to provide.
While our hearts are bleeding, we take comfort in the fact that we are able to help others who may find themselves in a similar position to our father. We know he is looking down on us, smiling with one of his big grins and warm eyes.
Ioannis Krontiris, Rest In Peace. Gone but forever in our hearts and minds.
Dad was admitted to the Prefecture General Hospital of Kalamata and was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer. He remained in the care of the hospital for 16 days before being medically repatriated home. He arrived in Melbourne with over 6 litres of fluid in his left lung effectively suffocating him. Dad described the trip back as a big battle that he fought to get back to his children and extended family.
This was a devastating blow to our entire family, there were no obvious symptoms and we were told there was a tumour in his lung had been there for at least 12-18 months.
Dad qualified for Immunotherapy which he tolerated well, in fact, scans showed the tumour had signs of necrosis which gave us hope. He was in a lot of pain and three bouts of pneumonia and the shingles definitely set him back. This was all followed by the Coronavirus breakout, which meant that for 7 weeks, our parents completely isolated to protect themselves. The only contact we had was conversations through my dad's bedroom window. This was heartbreaking for us to deal with, as well as extended family and friends, who loved him so much.
After his last visit to the hospital, we knew something was not right. As a family, we all decided to get a precautionary test for Coronavirus and spend as much time at the house with him as possible. We spent one week with him. He seemed to be improving, until Monday 4th May 2020, when he was rushed to hospital. He passed at 4pm that day.
Our father commented on numerous occasions how he was taken care of so compassionately by the medical staff at the Pathology Ward of Kalamata General Hospital. The standard of care was high, but they did not have enough medical equipment to constantly monitor vitals like oxygen saturation and blood pressure. He always said, when he got better, he would raise funds so that he could purchase medical equipment for the Pathology Ward that treated him so kindly.
In memoriam, we, his family are honouring our father’s wish by raising money to donate to the Prefecture General Hospital of Kalamata. We plan on purchasing equipment in consultation with the Pathology Ward heads and in line with available funds.
Like many Greek immigrants, our father made a home and life in Australia, but his heart longed to go home to Greece as often as possible. He loved nothing more than to support the country that gave him so much in the formative years of his life.
We’d very much appreciate any donation, and thank you in advance for any support you are able to provide.
While our hearts are bleeding, we take comfort in the fact that we are able to help others who may find themselves in a similar position to our father. We know he is looking down on us, smiling with one of his big grins and warm eyes.
Ioannis Krontiris, Rest In Peace. Gone but forever in our hearts and minds.
Fundraising team (4)
Kosta Krontiris
Organizer
Bangholme VIC
Toula Krontiris
Beneficiary
Atheena Karamanis
Team member
Maria Dimopoulos
Team member
Victoria Saristavros
Team member
