Encomium
…funeral to gulp $30,000
Osarere Idiagbonya Debbie’s remains would be laid to rest in United States of America on Saturday, April 16, 2016. There would be a quiet church service for the young lady who died on Friday, April 1.
Another gofundme page was created to help raise funds for her burial. The amount to be raised is $30,000.
Excerpts from the created gofundme page:
“It is with heavy hearts and great humility that we, Debbie’s generals have come to you and ask for assistance. We need to raise $30,000 for funeral expenses. Debbie did not have a chance to realize her potential as a scientist. Any income she could have earned did not materialize. Esther, Debbie’s full-time care-giver, used to work for minimum wage at a nursing home. The two women survived through community support and God’s grace, really.
“If Debbie were here, she would not want us to cry but to hold on to the good memories we shared, the laughter, her courage and how she inspired us. Please, help us send this strong woman home in a befitting way. We do not plan to throw her any party but to pray for her in church and put her to rest. The money requested are funds we were charged at the funeral home to get her body from the morgue, caskets and the cemetery where she will finally be laid to rest.
“We will also give a detailed breakdown of how the expenses are put to use. Thank you and God bless you for your continuous love and support over the years.”
At the height of her ailment her friends also solicited for funds. They stated then:
“Cancer is an expensive disease, on average, the cost of cancer care is $141,000. The average cost for new drugs cost an average of $10,000, some drugs are as costly as $30,000 a month. Patients typically pay anywhere between 20 percent and 30 percent of their treatments. In addition to the cost of drugs, there are the drugs to combat the side effects of treatment, co-payments, facility fees and supplies. Debbie’s case, the supplies were specialized tubes and bottles to drain fluid from her lungs. The supplies cost over $4,000 a month. The financial impact of a cancer diagnosis is devastating to a family with insurance and money. The cancer diagnosis is financially catastrophic when you are poor.”
As at the time of this reportage, the sum of $7,562 had been raised by 122 people in just about 24 hours of creating the gofundme page.
Friends and followers have taken to her Instagram page to rain torrent of tributes on the 31 year old lady who’s dreams were cut short by cancer.
