Bills & expensesMedical & health
Marlene's palate reconstruction surgery can't wait - please help us cover the bill
Marlene needs palate reconstruction surgery at Pietermaritzburg University Hospital and the family is $1,500 short of the hospital's estimate.
🇿🇦 South Africa986 views
In August I was diagnosed with gallstones with repeated infections. My surgeon at Pietermaritzburg University Hospital recommended palate reconstruction surgery, and I have been placed on the schedule for December. The hospital's financial office gave me a written estimate of $2,000, and after what the government subsidy will pay, I'm still $1,500 short.
Doctors at Pietermaritzburg University Hospital told me gallstones with repeated infections will get worse without palate reconstruction surgery. I work as a farm laborer, and I have saved what I can, but the estimate of $2,000 is far beyond what I've.
Until the surgery I can't work full days, and my hours as a farm laborer have already been cut. Every week of waiting means more pain and a bigger risk.
The recovery period is expected to take about 6 weeks. I'll not be able to look after the children alone during that time, so this has become a financial emergency as well as a medical one.
The money goes straight to the treatment bills, and I'll share the invoices as they're paid so you can see exactly what your gift did.
Where the $1,500 goes:
• Surgeon and anesthesia fees: $620
• Hospital stay (2 nights): $540
• Pre-operative tests and imaging: $100
• Post-operative medication: $95
• Physiotherapy sessions: $95
• Travel and lodging for the family: $50
Whatever you can give, even just sharing this page, means a lot.
- due date
- 2026-11-13
- bill type
- Hospital invoice
Updates from Marlene
Small update. $155 so far, the plan for pre-operative tests and imaging is now scheduled.
- Héctor G. Villalobos 🇲🇽 · $25
- Hauwa Esther Okafor 🇳🇬 · $10
- Anonymous 🇧🇷 · $200
- Gayan Viraj Nanayakkara 🇱🇰 · $75
- Anton Alexei Alexeev 🇺🇦 · $63
- Thủy Yến Le 🇺🇸 · $20
“You got this. Thought of Marlene all day after reading this. - Los Angeles”
- Hatem Hussein Jaber 🇲🇦 · $200
“Wish I could do more. Only $200 but hope it helps. - Mohammedia”
- Rashid D. Mabaso 🇿🇦 · $7
- Yasemin Işık 🇹🇷 · $75
- Sunita C. Bedi 🇮🇳 · $10
- Mateus Luiz Machado 🇧🇷 · $10
- Rony Pavel Miah 🇮🇳 · $5
- Tariq Faisal Qureshi 🇸🇦 · $10
- Brian R. Edwards 🇬🇧 · $22
- Anonymous 🇲🇦 · $31
- Diana Mazur 🇺🇦 · $15
- Anonymous 🇺🇸 · $25
- Neelam N. Mittal 🇮🇳 · $52
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Thinking of you, Marlene. Get well soon!
Best of luck. Hope you get there. Love from San Antonio.
Take care, Marlene. Everyone deserves a bit of help sometimes. Blessings.
Wishing you peace, Marlene. Looking forward to the next update. We lost years of savings to something like this so I get it. Take care.
Praying for you, Marlene. Shared it with a few friends. God bless.
Can I help in a way that isn't money? I'm near Pietermaritzburg!
Thank you. If you're in Pietermaritzburg I'll say if something practical comes up. For now sharing this is great. Good question.
hope it all works out, Marlene. Wishing Marlene a smooth procedure and a full recovery
Good luck, Marlene. Hope the doctors have good news. I went through something like this 14 years ago and strangers helped me out. Take care.
Thinking of you and your family. I've been in a tough spot myself and it does get easier. I'm in customer support myself and wanted you to know we're cheering for you. Love from Grenoble
Thanks for sharing this. Shared this with my family. I went through something like this 3 years ago and strangers helped me out. Love from Rome
Hang in there, Marlene. Reading this made my day a bit heavier but I'm glad I did. The breakdown of costs made it easy to trust. Take care.
Hope it all works out. Hope this works out for you. I went through something like this 8 years ago and strangers helped me out. All the best.
Hang in there, Marlene. It takes guts to ask. Well done. We lost years of savings to something like this so I get it. All the best