More funds needed to help Abbie
Spira Tlhankane | Tuesday October 13, 2015 16:20
In an interview with Mmegi yesterday, Abbie’s mother Tiny Ntshabele said they still have overhanging bills and treatment is ongoing. “The funds that we had raised have been depleted and we will be re-starting another campaign this week,” she said.
Ntshabele said they need the funds to cover medical bills, aftercare, future medical interventions, travel and accommodation. “The public has given us more than what we had initially asked for but the funds have run out and the hospital bills are still piling,” she said.
The teenager’s mother further explained that Abbie could not be covered under free NHS (UK health service) because she is not a UK citizen. She has to pay the bills. “The doctors will not deny Abbie the lifesaving interventions but they cannot write off her hospital bills,” she said.
Ntshabele appealed to everyone to raise funds and clear the outstanding bills and continuing treatment for her daughter. Bills have since gobbled the P1.2 million that had been raised. The hospital bill was P578,000 between August 19 last year and March 2 this year; and P1.1 million was paid on negotiated rates between March 3 and July 9 this year.
“Abbie had another operation in August and awaiting another bill. She is due for another chest operation and she will need more funds to cover her continuing care and cost of living,” she explained.
On Monday, Ntshabele posted on Abbie’s Facebook group page ‘Please Help Abbie Get Well’ to update Batswana. She said Abbie had been attending her weekly hospital reviews in Newcastle.
“Doctors have been monitoring the chest fluid collection and a chest X-ray on October 9 and it showed an increased volume. After the weeks of meetings and discussions about tackling this collection problem, doctors say another chest operation has to be done,” she said on Facebook.
Ntshabele said the operation would force the lung into expansion and repair the leaking diaphragm caused by surgery. Ntshabele however said Abbie is eating well and gradually putting on weight. “She is high in spirits and uses the wheelchair for long distances,” she wrote.
She also thanked everyone for their support and indicated that Abbie would never have gotten this far without their support.