Hi everyone! In mid-September, my sister Shannon and I learned that our Mom had an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). After experiencing discomfort in her abdomen, along with hunger supression and significant weight loss, Mom had a scan which revealed the aneurysm, which is about 5.5cm thick and approximately 19cm long. It presses up against Mom's stomach, which limits her food intake. Without intervention, the aneurysm could fatally rupture, so she requires a stenting procedure to repair the aorta. This discovery was a heavy blow to our family, made worse by the distance between us. With me in Canada and Shannon living in England, we cannot physically be there to comfort our parents, who live in Zimbabwe.

With no viable options to have the stenting procedure done in Zimbabwe, we investigated treatment in South Africa. The initial enquiry with a medical team estimated a cost of over R 2,500,000, which converts to about USD 129,000+/- about £105,000+/-, which is entirely out of our reach. Following this disappointing discovery, we had to investigate other options and received the contact information of a gentleman in Mumbai who helps people seek medical treatment in India. We reached out to him and provided the required medical information, including Mom's diagnostic imaging, and were given an estimated cost of USD 22,500+/- about £18,300+/- to perform the stenting procedure. Even though this estimate is significantly less, it is still a substantial amount, which is why we are reaching out to you.

Because of the time-sensitive nature of Mom's condition, we decided to pursue treatment in India. We had to move quickly and took on credit card debt to get Mom and Dad to Mumbai, and they arrived on Thursday, October 5. Through the generosity of a family friend, we've managed to cover the costs of the consultation, evaluation, scans, tests, accommodation and transport, but we have had to take out significant loans to pay for the surgery.

Unfortunately, due to Zimbabwe's well-documented economic crisis, many people lost their lifelong investments and pensions, making it challenging for seniors to cover basic living expenses, let alone pay for medical insurance. Our parents fall into this category. Shannon and I have been able to cover their monthly expenses for some time, but we cannot afford the additional cost of medical insurance. As a result, we need to pay the total amount of any medical treatment Mom receives.

This is why we are reaching out to friends, family and generous people of the world for help. We are incredibly lucky that we can borrow funds to get Mom the treatment she requires, but we cannot afford to cover their monthly expenses and repay the cost of Mom's surgery, hospital stay, and flights. Any donations will go a long way to easing the financial pressure we face, and are enormously grateful for any assistance you can provide.