A popular Filipino actress once said on social media that it is easier to stay at home when you have food on the table. Unfortunately, most of the Filipinos have to choose between dying of starvation or COVID-19. Our frontliners have received the brunt of it by being exposed to the infection and overworked to the point of exhaustion just to be able to survive another day.
Elena Rivera is a company nurse in one of the country’s thriving BPO companies. The pandemic had her husband’s public transport business close down so she had to make ends meet by working long hours to provide for their three sons. Unfortunately, another call centre agent in their company had a similar financial predicament and went to work despite having flu-like symptoms. The flu-like symptoms turned out to be COVID 19. Elena’s training had her protected for sometime until she eventually fell ill and was confined. All her sons are infected as well but not that severe that they are self-isolating.
All public hospitals in the country are at full capacity and because of her sister’s pleading, a private hospital admitted her and gave her the life-saving treatment of being ventilated to keep her oxygen levels high. Her dedication to her company has her hospital covered up to PHP 80k and when the PhilHealth coverage is added, it barely made a dent on her current bill. She continues to receive treatment today but it cost almost a million.
Elena is our eldest sibling and we have done everything we can to help finance her recovery - withdrew our savings, took out personal loans, and borrowed/asked money from our friends and acquaintances. We had just lost our father and we couldn’t bear to lose our sister this early. It is embarrassing that we cannot finance her treatment in full so we are asking your help for whatever amount you can wholeheartedly give.