An Indian woman visiting her daughter in Whakatāne is on a ventilator and her family is trying to raise money for medical bills, as diabetes has made her insurance void.

A quiet evening took a tragic turn for 53-year-old Prem Lata, who is now fighting for her life in Tauranga Hospital after suffering a severe heart attack.

Prem Lata had been visiting New Zealand from Karnal, India, to care for her daughter during and after her pregnancy. On the evening of December 16, she returned home after a family dinner with her daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren.

“It was a lovely night with the family, right before the tragedy struck,” said her son-in-law, Ishan Dhammi, who has lived in the Eastern Bay for 18 years.

Later that night, Mr Dhammi and his wife were startled awake by Prem Lata’s cries of pain.

“My wife and I were asleep in the other room when we heard my mother-in-law yell our names in pain,” he said.

Prem Lata had vomited and complained of shooting pain in her left arm and breathlessness, prompting the family to rush her to Whakatāne Hospital. Doctors confirmed she had suffered a severe heart attack in the early hours of December 17.

“CPR was immediately performed to revive her, and she was put on a ventilator,” Mr Dhammi said.

Prem Lata remains in the ICU, her condition critical. Doctors later recommended transferring her to Tauranga Hospital, expressing cautious optimism about her recovery.

“She moved one finger. Doctors said her body is fighting, and there might be hope for her to regain consciousness,” Mr Dhammi said.

Prem Lata’s pre-existing diabetes has rendered her ineligible for health insurance coverage in New Zealand, leaving Ishan to shoulder the overwhelming medical expenses as her visa sponsor.

“I’m a labourer and the sole breadwinner for our family,” Mr Dhammi said. “My wife is a full-time mother to our two young children—one is three months old; the other is two years old—and she can’t work due to an ankle injury.”

To seek financial assistance, Mr Dhammi has launched a Givealittle page, appealing for donations to cover his mother-in-law’s medical costs.

“Any donation, big or small, will help me cover my mother-in-law’s hospital bills and give her a chance to recover,” the page states.

The family is clinging to hope as Prem Lata continues her battle in the ICU - The Indian Weekender

Donations to support Prem Lata’s recovery can be made at https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/fighting-for-life-1

FUNDS NEEDED: Prem Lata’s pre-existing diabetes has rendered her ineligible for health insurance coverage in New Zealand and her family is seeking financial assistance to help with her bills. Her son-in-law Ishan Dhammi said her heart attack came out of the blue. “It was something we didn’t expect and shocked our world,” he says. Photo supplied