30-year-old M’sian woman suffers brain aneurysm on first day of work in S’pore, facing S$100,000 medical bills

SINGAPORE: Celestine Chek, a 30-year-old Malaysian woman, experienced a brain aneurysm on what should have been her first day at a new job in Singapore.

The incident left her in an unconscious state for about half a day (approximately 12 hours) at her rented Sembawang flat.

Celestine was sent to the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and has since incurred bills of over  S$100,000, which her family cannot afford.

Fell unconscious due to brain aneurysm

Having relocated to Singapore for work at the end of the previous year, Celestine had recently accepted a position as a salesperson in a jewelry store.

On 16 August, her scheduled first day of work, she failed to appear, causing concern among her family.

Unable to reach her, Celestine’s sister Yvonne visited her residence, where she discovered her unconscious.

She was immediately rushed to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, where she was diagnosed with a ruptured brain aneurysm.

Over the course of nearly two weeks in the intensive care unit, Celestine’s condition remained critical, impairing her ability to communicate and even restricting her physical movements.

“She stayed in the intensive care unit for nearly two weeks, unable to communicate clearly,” Celestine’s sister said.

“She couldn’t even open her right eye at first. Now, she can’t move one side of her body and still relies on a tracheostomy tube to help her breathe.”

After some stabilization, she was transferred to a general ward in a hospital in Johor Bahru on 11 Sep, as reported by 8world, where doctors indicated that she might require one to two years of rehabilitation with no guarantee of a full recovery.

Celestine after some stabilization. (Photo: Give.Asia)

Medical bills soar to S$100,000, family appeals for help

Furthermore, her new employer withdrew the in-principle approval letter and workplace insurance plan in light of her medical condition, her family said.

Therefore, Celestine received treatment as a foreign visitor without access to any financial relief.

This led to the “rapid accumulation of medical expenses”, which placed an “overwhelming burden on her (our) family,” her sister wrote on Give.Asia.

As a foreigner, Celestine’s medical bills from Khoo Teck Puat Hospital amounted to a staggering S$100,251.45, while her family could only afford to pay S$2,842.80.

Celestine’s medical bill from Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. (Photo: Give.Asia)

Her sister added: “This isn’t the final bill; the final amount might be higher. Seeing her become so ill has broken our family’s hearts.

“We have reached the end of our rope and can’t afford the medical expenses.”

Desperate to cover the mounting medical expenses, Celestine’s family launched an appeal for assistance through Give.Asia.

As of now, they have managed to raise over S$81,018, with all proceeds directed towards settling the medical bills incurred at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.