Sisters Maria Jackson, left, and Carolina Ricerra, who suffered renal failure after coming to the island for Mrs Jackson’s wedding. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 0663648)
PEOPLE and businesses have rallied round a Filipino nurse who needs a kidney transplant.
Carolina Ricerra, 26, came to the island in July just before the wedding of her sister, Maria Jackson, who is also a nurse.
Soon after she got here she began feeling ill but put this down to jetlag and a change of climate.
But her condition worsened, with severe headaches, weakness and nausea and three weeks ago she was diagnosed with severe anaemia from acute kidney failure.
She was given an emergency blood transfusion and needs daily dialysis.
‘At first I really felt just tired which got worse day by day,’ said Miss Ricerra.
‘I started feeling sick three weeks before I was admitted.
‘At hospital the doctor came and told me only 1% of my kidneys were working and I would need to be dialysed.
‘Because this happened gradually, I was able to cope with it.
‘I just want to get home as soon as possible.’
Miss Ricerra needs a biopsy to find out why her kidneys failed but this cannot be done locally.
Her doctor said that once she was stabilised, she would need to go to London for the biopsy.
But Mrs Jackson wants to stay with her sister and said it would be difficult for her to get over to the UK for visits.
‘I want to have all the investigations at home,’ said Miss Ricerra.
With no medical insurance, she must pay for her treatment in Guernsey.
With the bed alone costing £300 per day, she already faces a £6,000 bill and that does not include her flight home.
‘The care has been fantastic,’ said Miss Ricerra.
‘I can’t fault it really.’
The sisters hope that a bric-a-brac sale today will enable them to pay the bill.
Businesses have given prizes and friends have offered things to be sold.
‘It’s really wonderful how generous people are,’ said Mrs Jackson.
The Hougue du Pommier Hotel has given a prize of a Christmas meal for two, Rohais Motor Centre a Pioneer car speaker and a make-up set from Stonelakes is also among the prizes.
Hotelier Dr Mike Tai said that Mrs Jackson had held her wedding reception at the Hougue du Pommier in August.
‘I met her sister, who was bubbly and very chatty,’ he said.
Later Mrs Jackson and her husband approached Dr Tai ‘looking very dejected’ and asking for help with the fund-raising.
‘This was a matter of life or death, of seriously aggravating her condition.
She was very keen to go home. She really needs this desperately so we did what we could.’
The bric-a-brac sale is on today at St Martin’s Community Centre from 8 until noon.
The raffle will take place on 29 November and tickets can be bought at the sale.
* Anyone wishing to help the sisters can contact Mrs Jackson on 07781 122175.
Article posted on 1st November, 2008 - 9.30am
2 Article Comments
Whilst having sympathy for the plight that this young lady finds herself in I cannot believe that she travelled here without adequate travel and health insurance. Her sister is nursing here and surely was aware that all healthcare is private?
I hope that she has success in raising funds but i do think that once again the Guernsey Press is being sensationalist. She is receiving excellent care according to the report and is not being denied anything. However, someone has to pay eventually , and if it is not her or a wealthy benefactor does not step in, then it will be the taxpayers who are left to foot the bill for her to travel back home for further treatment. If she had been working here she would have been covered but calling her an ‘angel’ is a bit much – she is a visitor to the island who deserves the best of care but has to realise that the rest of us have to pay our medical bills so why should visitors get off scott free?
I wish her a speedy recovery and hopefully she will be home soon.
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Have we got reciprocal agreements with her home country? If we have then the very fact that we took her services in health then turned our back in sickness is sickening in itself. If not we can request payment from her home Country?
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