Support Berni and Gerda after a medical emergency
Donation protected
Hi, we're Robert and Jamie and we're fundraising for Berni's (Robert's dad's) medical costs.
Berni had a serious stroke last Saturday the 9/10/2021.
He currently lives in Livingstone in Zambia with his wife and Robert's mum, Gerda.
They both had spent their working life in Africa and retired in Livingstone a few years ago.
Their financial planning for retirement was completely upended by Covid. Now they need help.
Their financial planning for retirement was completely upended by Covid. Now they need help.
After the stroke Berni was first admitted to the local hospital in Livingstone.
He was in ICU and initial CT scans showed bleeding in his brain. It was clear the situation is very serious and he needed to be intubated to support his breathing.
After he was stabilized over night, he was airlifted to a larger clinic in the country's capital Lusaka, an hour's flight away.
Upon arrival there, on Sunday the 10/10, he required defibrillation and further ventilation. The ICU doctors confirmed that his condition is very critical and prepared us for the worst outcome.
Since then, he thankfully has become more stable. He remains in intensive care but is now able to respond to touch and speech by opening his eyes and squeezing mum's hand. Today (13/10) doctors will decide whether surgery may become necessary to relieve intra-cranial pressure.
The care he receives locally is fantastic, and we could not be happier with the doctors' and nurses' support. But even as the first developments look hopeful, we know there will be a long road ahead.
Unfortunately, all medical costs are out of pocket, because of bad luck, insurance policy changes, and Covid.
The costs (for the flight and and an up-front hospital admission fee) are already beyond my parents' financial means and will only increase.
To date, they had to pay the following to get Dad to acute care:
US $7,000 (~AUD $9,500) for first ambulance care and the air transport to the hospital in Lusaka.
US $6,000 (~AUD $8,100) for the initial deposit at the hospital.
Another US $6,000 will be needed right away, if surgery is necessary.
Luckily, family members were able to kindly provide first urgent financial help.
Through their generous and spontaneous help on Saturday, Mum was able to pay the required deposits to get Dad into care.
But the care will need to continue and the costs will increase.
Beyond the first deposit, we are facing additional hospital costs, such as multiple days in ICU and, once he improves further, in a different ward. His progress is hard to predict now, but doctors say he will need to remain in hospital for a month at least.
In the longer term, we will need to pay for rehabilitation, repatriation flights, ongoing costs for any permanent disabilities, modifications to their home, temporary accommodation costs for Mum while Dad is in ICU, and so on.
Asking for help is not easy for my family. Unfortunately, now we need it.
I'll try and explain the background to their tough situation below:
So, why can't they pay for this themselves right now?
This is the result of bad luck and Covid, which rendered their financial plans for retirement, as well as their health insurance, useless.
To date, they had to pay the following to get Dad to acute care:
US $7,000 (~AUD $9,500) for first ambulance care and the air transport to the hospital in Lusaka.
US $6,000 (~AUD $8,100) for the initial deposit at the hospital.
Another US $6,000 will be needed right away, if surgery is necessary.
Luckily, family members were able to kindly provide first urgent financial help.
Through their generous and spontaneous help on Saturday, Mum was able to pay the required deposits to get Dad into care.
But the care will need to continue and the costs will increase.
Beyond the first deposit, we are facing additional hospital costs, such as multiple days in ICU and, once he improves further, in a different ward. His progress is hard to predict now, but doctors say he will need to remain in hospital for a month at least.
In the longer term, we will need to pay for rehabilitation, repatriation flights, ongoing costs for any permanent disabilities, modifications to their home, temporary accommodation costs for Mum while Dad is in ICU, and so on.
Asking for help is not easy for my family. Unfortunately, now we need it.
I'll try and explain the background to their tough situation below:
So, why can't they pay for this themselves right now?
This is the result of bad luck and Covid, which rendered their financial plans for retirement, as well as their health insurance, useless.
They both have private health insurance in their native home country, Germany. Both have held their policies since birth. This insurance has high premiums, but for decades it was worth it, because it covered them while overseas.
However, after a recent policy change, both are only covered if they are overseas for a maximum of 2 months. Since March 2020, this type of travel, to return to Germany, was impossible because of Covid.
Dad was in Germany in early March 2020, and there he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Follow-up appointments in Germany were scheduled for April 2020. However, after receiving these news, he used his existing flight booking and flew back to Zambia, to be in his home, with his wife. Unfortunately, after he arrived in Zambia, Covid cases ballooned globally, borders were shut, and he was stuck.
Both, Mum and Dad were unable to return to Germany since.
While border restrictions between Zambia and Germany fluctuated over the last 18 months, tourism locally was virtually wiped out. And with it, any flight connections that are more or less direct. They could have forced it, and bought tickets, but for a long time flights would have involved at least two layovers in separate countries (e.g. Zambia > Ethiopia > UAE > Germany), some of which included mandatory hotel quarantine while in transit.
However, after a recent policy change, both are only covered if they are overseas for a maximum of 2 months. Since March 2020, this type of travel, to return to Germany, was impossible because of Covid.
Dad was in Germany in early March 2020, and there he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Follow-up appointments in Germany were scheduled for April 2020. However, after receiving these news, he used his existing flight booking and flew back to Zambia, to be in his home, with his wife. Unfortunately, after he arrived in Zambia, Covid cases ballooned globally, borders were shut, and he was stuck.
Both, Mum and Dad were unable to return to Germany since.
While border restrictions between Zambia and Germany fluctuated over the last 18 months, tourism locally was virtually wiped out. And with it, any flight connections that are more or less direct. They could have forced it, and bought tickets, but for a long time flights would have involved at least two layovers in separate countries (e.g. Zambia > Ethiopia > UAE > Germany), some of which included mandatory hotel quarantine while in transit.
Given that both are in their 70s and Dad has a previous heart condition, they decided not to risk infection with Covid while travelling internationally.
His cancer could be monitored locally in Zambia, and in continuous correspondence with their German doctor, they decided the risk of catching Covid is higher, than the urgent need to return to Germany.
In July 2021, they were able to get vaccinated. Since then, they considered flying again. But with flight options still not ideal, the cancer well monitored and the European winter approaching, they decided to stay for now and keep monitoring travel options.
Now we know, an early departure would have been better. But you don't plan for a stroke.
So this is why their health insurance isn't paying. Don't they have savings?
They do, in form of home ownership and savings. They intended to rent or sell their home in Zambia in the coming years to support themselves. However, this became virtually impossible due to Covid. Previous serious buyers from Europe were not able to enter the country and lost their business need to be in Zambia. Other local buyers have been impossible to find; the local economy (previously based on tourism) is suffering severely, and local investment has been minimal.
Being retired, they have minimal income from a state pension. This and any additional cash reserves Mum and Dad had, have largely been spent on the ongoing cost of the (unusable) private health insurance premiums in Germany (changing policies at their age is prohibitively expensive) and the new expenses associated with Dad's cancer treatment and monitoring (monthly lab work and medications) over 18 months.
Like for many, it has been a hard 18 months.
But they remained hopeful, things were looking up with Covid and a new Zambian president seems to have inspired confidence in the local economy. A sale of their home sometime in the next year would have been enough to start fresh after a tough time.
Now we know, an early departure would have been better. But you don't plan for a stroke.
So this is why their health insurance isn't paying. Don't they have savings?
They do, in form of home ownership and savings. They intended to rent or sell their home in Zambia in the coming years to support themselves. However, this became virtually impossible due to Covid. Previous serious buyers from Europe were not able to enter the country and lost their business need to be in Zambia. Other local buyers have been impossible to find; the local economy (previously based on tourism) is suffering severely, and local investment has been minimal.
Being retired, they have minimal income from a state pension. This and any additional cash reserves Mum and Dad had, have largely been spent on the ongoing cost of the (unusable) private health insurance premiums in Germany (changing policies at their age is prohibitively expensive) and the new expenses associated with Dad's cancer treatment and monitoring (monthly lab work and medications) over 18 months.
Like for many, it has been a hard 18 months.
But they remained hopeful, things were looking up with Covid and a new Zambian president seems to have inspired confidence in the local economy. A sale of their home sometime in the next year would have been enough to start fresh after a tough time.
However, now their financial needs have increased significantly and urgently.
So, why are they in Africa in the first place? Being in Germany would have made this much easier!
So, why are they in Africa in the first place? Being in Germany would have made this much easier!
It is their chosen home. Both have lived and worked in different African countries since the 1970s and now call Livingstone and Zambia home. Dad worked as an engineer of infrastructure projects and Mum was a teacher in local schools and disability projects.
They love living there and enjoy the local nature and community. However, they are aware that their choice to live there is a privilege and they feel a responsibility (and joy!) to support however, and share whatever, they can.
They love living there and enjoy the local nature and community. However, they are aware that their choice to live there is a privilege and they feel a responsibility (and joy!) to support however, and share whatever, they can.
They don’t help to be do-gooders, they help because they can, or because they can try. Often their support is financial, either out of their own pocket or through donations that they organize with friends and family.
For example, they financed university education for five students to date, helped build four houses for local families and a retiree, or paid for car repairs for a father of seven who drives a taxi.
Often their support goes beyond money.
For example helping a young high-school student understand math, who missed out on primary school because he was needed at home; teaching a mum of five how to knit so she can provide cheap winter jumpers, beanies and school backpacks for her kids; sewing 600 facemasks to help stop the spread of Covid and give a now out-of-work artist a chance of a little income, through selling masks.
Often their support goes beyond money.
For example helping a young high-school student understand math, who missed out on primary school because he was needed at home; teaching a mum of five how to knit so she can provide cheap winter jumpers, beanies and school backpacks for her kids; sewing 600 facemasks to help stop the spread of Covid and give a now out-of-work artist a chance of a little income, through selling masks.
Mum and Dad care about the people around them and freely give support in any creative way, that they can think of.
They had plans in place for their own financial stability during retirement, but Covid has increased their costs and reduced their chance of raising funds.
They had plans in place for their own financial stability during retirement, but Covid has increased their costs and reduced their chance of raising funds.
Right now, they need support.
It is hard for them to ask for help. They usually rather give whatever they can spare.
However, medical bills are a different kind of beast.
Right now, I want Mum to be strong and free, to support Dad and look after herself, rather than having to worry about how and if they will be able to pay for the treatment.
If you can, please consider supporting Berni and Gerda.
We had to set a goal amount. We estimated one, given the already incurred costs and foreseeable additions.
We are also in communication with their health insurance company and hope for understanding and any support. But we have limited hope.
Should any donations be left, after his medical bills are taken care of, any remaining funds will go into local social causes in Zambia given Mum and Dad's established, direct relationships with local students, mothers and families.
Every little bit helps and any donation is deeply appreciated.
Please, also share their story as far as you can.
We will provide updates along the way.
We had to set a goal amount. We estimated one, given the already incurred costs and foreseeable additions.
We are also in communication with their health insurance company and hope for understanding and any support. But we have limited hope.
Should any donations be left, after his medical bills are taken care of, any remaining funds will go into local social causes in Zambia given Mum and Dad's established, direct relationships with local students, mothers and families.
Every little bit helps and any donation is deeply appreciated.
Please, also share their story as far as you can.
We will provide updates along the way.
Thank you very much,
Robert and Jamie
Fundraising team (2)
Robert Streit
Organizer
Fairfield QLD
Jamie Napier
Team member
