Dee’s Medical Emergency Recovery
Donation protected
IMPORTANT NOTE & FULL DISCLOSURE: DONATION AMOUNTS ARE IN CANADIAN DOLLARS
The donation goal of $100,000USD is currently displayed as $130,000CAD. The beneficiary of the campaign funds is Corrina Paulenco, Dee’s sister, who is currently with Dee at the hospital. Because of Corrina's Canadian nationality and bank account, donated funds can only be donated and withdrawn in Canadian dollars.
*****
My name is Vic Murphy. I live in San Pedro, Belize and am very good friends with Eduardo Vasquez (we all know him as Wayo) and his wife Dee Regis. Our friends and I have organized this campaign to help assist this beloved island couple.
On Friday, August 24, 2018, Dee reported a severe headache and moments later, collapsed. She was rushed to the San Pedro Polyclinic, where it was discovered that she suffered an aneurysm; a blood vessel burst in her brain. She was airlifted to Belize City, where she was monitored in critical condition until the transfer to Guatemala City.
Dee remained in ICU under full observation until the emergency surgery was conducted to seal the burst vessel on Sunday. The surgery was successful, and thus far, so is Dee’s recovery. As of Thursday, August 30, she was removed from the ICU but still remains under monitored care at Centro Medico Hospital in Guatemala City. We are very grateful for the professionalism and quick actions of the medical personnel in Guatemala and Belize in saving her life. As of Friday, August 31, she is making great progress towards a full recovery and truly lucky to be alive.
Dee and Wayo are well known for their kindness and friendship. Dee, in particular, has done so much for charity, she is forever giving of herself with never a complaint. Examples of her generous nature include the massive amount of time and effort put into supporting the “Christmas Carols for a Cause” event for the family of a man tragically killed in an accidental explosion.
Dee and Wayo annually host a haunted house production for the children and families of San Pedro where all the proceeds benefit Hope Haven (a Raise Me Up, Belize NGO project).
Dee was the Charter President of the Rotary Club of San Pedro in its inaugural year and sat on the Board as past President all last year where she worked tirelessly to ensure that the Rotary Club could carry out much of its charitable work.
Dee is the current treasurer and board member of Raise Me Up (Belize NGO) and its flagship project, Hope Haven (a children’s shelter and SHINE community center), which is partnered with the San Pedro Lions Club (Lions International charter) and SHINE (Shaping Healthy Identities through Nurturing and Empowerment; a program dedicated to young women of Belize). Hope Haven is the headquarters for the San Pedro Food Bank, a literacy program, and crisis management center for natural disasters, such as recent hurricanes and large block fires. Dee has held the position of Treasurer for Raise Me Up for three years.
Dee is also a founding member and chairperson for the San Pedro Holiday Boat Parade and San Pedro Kids Club (an after-school sports program).
This is only scratching the surface of the great work that Dee and Wayo do for the Belize community for the less fortunate.
On to the side that’s hard to talk about: money. Financially, Guatemalan medical facilities operate under a different pretense than North American ones. While medical expenses are generally billed after the procedures in North America, this is not the case in Guatemala. Immediate payments were required upfront, and the only way for Dee’s husband, Eduardo (Wayo) Vasquez, to meet these demands was by borrowing money wherever it could be sourced: banks, friends, family, etc. While enough was provided to conduct the surgery, the cost of medical expenses is mounting up. We are asking for your help and generosity to donate whatever you can to help to help offset the medical expenses of this frightening ordeal.
The costs to date, as of August 28, has reached approximately $56,000USD. This amount will grow exponentially to an estimated $100,000USD (If this sum exceeds the amount required, any surplus will be donated to an aforementioned charity.). Here is a list of a few of the substantial expenses to date:
• Emergency charter flight from Ambergris Caye to Belize City
• Overnight intensive care at the Belize Healthcare Partners facility
• Air ambulance with the medical team from Belize City to Guatemala
• Emergency surgery to repair an aneurysm
• Intensive care monitoring
• Economical accommodations for Wayo and family (Guatemala)
• Return travel to Belize / Ambergris Caye
Thank you for taking the time to read this. We hope that you please consider donating whatever you can to these folks who have donated so much to their community. We are absolutely positive that Dee and Wayo will appreciate any support, whether it is financially or by way of prayers, best wishes, and emotional support.
We will continue to update this page with Dee’s progress, so make sure to be on the lookout for the upcoming info.
*****
Update (31 Aug): Dee is doing really well and itching to get out of the hospital. We are having to slow her down for her own sake! She has shown great signs of progress and improvement!
The donation goal of $100,000USD is currently displayed as $130,000CAD. The beneficiary of the campaign funds is Corrina Paulenco, Dee’s sister, who is currently with Dee at the hospital. Because of Corrina's Canadian nationality and bank account, donated funds can only be donated and withdrawn in Canadian dollars.
*****
My name is Vic Murphy. I live in San Pedro, Belize and am very good friends with Eduardo Vasquez (we all know him as Wayo) and his wife Dee Regis. Our friends and I have organized this campaign to help assist this beloved island couple.
On Friday, August 24, 2018, Dee reported a severe headache and moments later, collapsed. She was rushed to the San Pedro Polyclinic, where it was discovered that she suffered an aneurysm; a blood vessel burst in her brain. She was airlifted to Belize City, where she was monitored in critical condition until the transfer to Guatemala City.
Dee remained in ICU under full observation until the emergency surgery was conducted to seal the burst vessel on Sunday. The surgery was successful, and thus far, so is Dee’s recovery. As of Thursday, August 30, she was removed from the ICU but still remains under monitored care at Centro Medico Hospital in Guatemala City. We are very grateful for the professionalism and quick actions of the medical personnel in Guatemala and Belize in saving her life. As of Friday, August 31, she is making great progress towards a full recovery and truly lucky to be alive.
Dee and Wayo are well known for their kindness and friendship. Dee, in particular, has done so much for charity, she is forever giving of herself with never a complaint. Examples of her generous nature include the massive amount of time and effort put into supporting the “Christmas Carols for a Cause” event for the family of a man tragically killed in an accidental explosion.
Dee and Wayo annually host a haunted house production for the children and families of San Pedro where all the proceeds benefit Hope Haven (a Raise Me Up, Belize NGO project).
Dee was the Charter President of the Rotary Club of San Pedro in its inaugural year and sat on the Board as past President all last year where she worked tirelessly to ensure that the Rotary Club could carry out much of its charitable work.
Dee is the current treasurer and board member of Raise Me Up (Belize NGO) and its flagship project, Hope Haven (a children’s shelter and SHINE community center), which is partnered with the San Pedro Lions Club (Lions International charter) and SHINE (Shaping Healthy Identities through Nurturing and Empowerment; a program dedicated to young women of Belize). Hope Haven is the headquarters for the San Pedro Food Bank, a literacy program, and crisis management center for natural disasters, such as recent hurricanes and large block fires. Dee has held the position of Treasurer for Raise Me Up for three years.
Dee is also a founding member and chairperson for the San Pedro Holiday Boat Parade and San Pedro Kids Club (an after-school sports program).
This is only scratching the surface of the great work that Dee and Wayo do for the Belize community for the less fortunate.
On to the side that’s hard to talk about: money. Financially, Guatemalan medical facilities operate under a different pretense than North American ones. While medical expenses are generally billed after the procedures in North America, this is not the case in Guatemala. Immediate payments were required upfront, and the only way for Dee’s husband, Eduardo (Wayo) Vasquez, to meet these demands was by borrowing money wherever it could be sourced: banks, friends, family, etc. While enough was provided to conduct the surgery, the cost of medical expenses is mounting up. We are asking for your help and generosity to donate whatever you can to help to help offset the medical expenses of this frightening ordeal.
The costs to date, as of August 28, has reached approximately $56,000USD. This amount will grow exponentially to an estimated $100,000USD (If this sum exceeds the amount required, any surplus will be donated to an aforementioned charity.). Here is a list of a few of the substantial expenses to date:
• Emergency charter flight from Ambergris Caye to Belize City
• Overnight intensive care at the Belize Healthcare Partners facility
• Air ambulance with the medical team from Belize City to Guatemala
• Emergency surgery to repair an aneurysm
• Intensive care monitoring
• Economical accommodations for Wayo and family (Guatemala)
• Return travel to Belize / Ambergris Caye
Thank you for taking the time to read this. We hope that you please consider donating whatever you can to these folks who have donated so much to their community. We are absolutely positive that Dee and Wayo will appreciate any support, whether it is financially or by way of prayers, best wishes, and emotional support.
We will continue to update this page with Dee’s progress, so make sure to be on the lookout for the upcoming info.
*****
Update (31 Aug): Dee is doing really well and itching to get out of the hospital. We are having to slow her down for her own sake! She has shown great signs of progress and improvement!
Fundraising team: Friends of Dee & Wayo (4)
Joe Chung
Organizer
Corrina Paulenco
Beneficiary
Jodie Harnish
Team member
Trevor Del Valle
Team member
Vic Murphy
Team member
