When it comes to the most important people in your life, you don't want to be unable to care properly for them because you can't afford it. Realizing they might die because you can't pay for a proper hospital is crushing.
Unfortunately, this is the case for my grandma, Ica. This is the woman who raised my sister and myself as kids in Romania, the person who loved us, fed us, taught us everything we know to be right and good, and without her I cannot say we'd be the people we are today. She was the first to assist friends and neighbors in need, to walk for two hours with a care basket to help her friend fight cancer, to go grocery shopping for other neighbors who can't walk anymore, and the list goes on.
She is now the one in need of help. She is still in Romania, alone because we are here, and she fell and broke her femur and hip and needs immediate surgery. The problem lies in the conditions of the public hospital; no IV, no regular nurse check-ups, no monitoring equipment, even inappropriate medication. We need to get her into the private hospital in Bucharest, where EVERYTHING has a price tag on it but at least she can have proper medicine, sanitary conditions, nurse supervision, blood, fluids, IVs, and other essentials to having stronger chances of surviving major surgery. On top of that, we need to buy a ticket to go to Romania to care for her, and of course, we need to be able to continue to pay our bills even without working while we are there. Then the physical therapy will be another tough issue as Romania doesn't really have such a thing. The post-communist economy functions on bribes and then more bribes, so finding a nurse we can trust and teach to rehab her back to minimal mobility will be another unfortunate set of expenses.
Essentially, any help we can get to help the woman we love most is welcome help, and we will be infinitely thankful.
*Raluca Williams (my sister and other granddaughter of Ica) will be withdrawing the funds for Ica's healthcare.