Help my friend and her mom bury their dad !

Hi, my name is Patricia Peckham and I humbly come to you with a plea to help my dear friend (Akeneta) and her mom (Anaseini) bury their dad who passed while vacationing in Australia.

Mr. Isikeli Pita arrived in Sydney, Australia on a visitor visa in October of this year. Plans had been laid for his wife Mrs. Anaseini Waqa and their elderst daughter Miss Akeneta Tabua to follow suit in December for a family holiday before returning to Fiji. On the 3rd of December 2023, on a Sunday, Mrs Waqa boarded the big bird for the first time in her life to fulfill their family’s dream of exploring Sydney. Setting foot in a new country was an amazing experience coupled by Mr. Pita welcoming her with open arms. What a bittersweet moment reuniting in the Land Down Under. With Akeneta arriving in the next 5 days; their anticipation could hardly be explained.

Every waking moment since the couple reunited; Mr Pita would text and call “Neta” as was his nickname for her and wished her a good morning or a good night as he slowly counted down the days to welcome her at the Kingsford International Airport.

Early Friday morning (the day before Neta’s flight); the couple texted Neta to wish her a good morning and that they will be waiting for her at the airport the next day. After their exchange via social media; Mr. Pita got ready to go visit his friend and help him out for the day. However, prior to leaving he felt a tightness on his back to which he requested Mrs Waqa to use her fist to hit his back. In a sleepy daze; Mrs Waqa curled her fist and hit his back a couple of times before he then turned around to say “Au sa Lao” in his local dialect which translated to “I am leaving” . Little did she know that this would be his final words to her.

At around 2pm of the same day; Mrs Waqa received a call from the NSW Police notifying her that her husband has been admitted at the Royal Alfred Hospital. She gathered an overnight bag and got a lift with the couple that they had been lodging with. Unaware of his condition; they went to the hospital thinking that it was nothing major and that Mr. Pita would greet them upon their arrival.

This was not be the case as Mr. Pita laid in the ICU with machines hooked up to him. “He is barely alive” Mrs Waqa could hardly hear the Doctor say. “Do you have any other family member around”? With the world collapsing around her, she remembered Neta was due to fly in the next morning. “Can we please wait for my daughter” Mrs Waqa weakly uttered.

Mr. Pita had suffered a cardiac arrest on the 8th of December coupled with the heatwave that had hit the greater New South Wales. Despite the amazing efforts of the medical personnel’s who arrived in the 5 ambulances and the 2 Police Cars; Mr. Pita’s body was derived of oxygen for more than 45 minutes.

It was 4 most gruelling hours for Neta when she flew to Sydney in the early hours of Saturday. I drove her straight to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and was escorted by a Medical Personnel upon our arrival. Her world came crashing down when Mrs Waqa relayed the most distraughting news. She will not be greeting her dad as she had hoped; she would be saying her final goodbyes instead.

Everything blurred out as she and Mrs Waqa said their goodbyes and the Doctor removed his Life Support. The trip of a lifetime became their worst nightmare.

Mr. Pita left earth to be with the Lord on Saturday the 9th of December at 4.30pm (AEST).

Stranded in a foreign country; Neta and her mom pleads for your help in their moment of sorrow to help lay their beloved dad to rest.

As such, I have initiated a GoFundMe campaign in the wake of this tragedy to raise funds for his funeral expenses. We have had talks with various agents and organisations and had come to the conclusion that burying him here in Australia would be feasible than sending his body back to his home country. As was his own words “If I were to die, just ensure I have a place to rest till the trumpet sounds” Nothing big as you will need to survive after everything.

As such; we have calculated that in order to lay Mr. Pita to rest; we would need around $32, 000. The breakdown is roughly as below:

The loss of their dad has left his family facing not only emotional devastation but also financial uncertainty. I implore you to join us in supporting his family. Whatever money you can spare; it will have a significant impact and will bring them immense relief.

Thank you for taking the time to read their story and thank you for your compassion and generosity

Actual Costings:

• Burial Plot $3,802.70
• Opening & Closing Fee $ 4,000
• Funeral Directors Costs $ 6,000
• Hospital  Bills ($6,000 x 2 days ) - $12,000 (This is if the fee is not waivered.
  

Note: Actual costings have been bolded while forecasts are not. This will be updated as we progress. 

Vinaka.