varsha singh surgery fundraiser
Geeta Ram, a Parramatta resident is calling on the Indian and Pacific Islander communities across Australia and New Zealand to rally behind her best friend of over 30 years, who is set to undergo major surgery in Auckland on 26 June with no family support and limited funds to cover the care she will need afterwards.
Varsha Singh, a Fiji-born single mother based in Auckland, New Zealand, is scheduled to undergo a complex open-cut procedure at Ormiston Hospital, involving both gynaecological and colorectal surgery, that will require four to six weeks of specialist post-surgical recovery care. Costs for that care are estimated at approximately $16,000. A GoFundMe launched by her friend Geeta has so far raised $2,265.
“Life has thrown so much at her and she still hasn’t broken down,” Geeta, who works at a fundraising organisation in Parramatta, told Indian Link. “She just kept going. And then when the news came through about how big this procedure is…she broke down. And it broke my heart.”varsha singh surgery fundraiser
A life of giving
Varsha, now in her late forties, has been a sole parent since her son Rohan was born 24 years ago. When he was diagnosed with epilepsy, she left her career as an insurance underwriter, over a decade ago, and has not returned to paid work ever since. Her days revolve around his care: medical appointments, speech and mobility support, theatre and disability sports programmes he participates in through New Zealand’s disability community. She also volunteers to support other mothers of children with special needs, organising lunches, providing transport, and stepping in where formal systems fall short.
“She’s always been there for everyone else,” said Geeta. “She volunteers to babysit, to drive, because not all mums drive. She’s never been down from helping.”
Varsha’s journey to where she is today has not been easy. Originally from Fiji, she arrived in New Zealand with a young toddler under false pretences, brought there by a relative who placed her in unpaid domestic work with no accommodation or freedom of movement. She escaped, rebuilt her life from a refuge, navigated an exploitative employment environment before securing proper residency, and went on to build a stable life for herself and her son. She remarried once, briefly, before that too ended due to an abusive environment.
Through all of it, she kept going. varsha singh surgery fundraiser
The surgery and the gap
Following the procedure, which doctors have confirmed will be an open-cut surgery given the size and complexity of the growth, which has spread to adjacent organs, Varsha will not be able to safely return to her apartment. Her home involves a flight of 25 stairs and a bathtub-style bathroom, both impossible to manage post-surgery.
She will need professional residential care. The family has identified Elizabeth Knox Home and Hospital in Auckland as the appropriate facility, and a deposit has already been paid to secure two weeks of care totalling $6,252. But medical advice indicates she will need four to six weeks of recovery support. The financial gap remains significant.
Varsha’s elderly mother is flying in from Fiji to help, but primarily to assist with Rohan’s medication and routine during Varsha’s absence. Professional post-surgical care for Varsha herself still needs to be funded.
“We tried looking at other options, an Airbnb with a visiting nurse, but the nurses charge around $300 a day just for check-ins, and then you still need personal care and food support on top,” Geeta explained. “The care home has turned out to be the best option.”
How to help varsha singh surgery fundraiser
Geeta, who was made redundant last year and is also a single mother, says she considered flying to Auckland to be with Varsha but decided the money was better spent on care.
“Instead of me travelling and spending that $800, I’d rather book her for two or three more nights at the home,” she said.
Donations can be made via GoFundMe or sent directly to Knox Home Trust — the charity arm of the care facility. Geeta has also offered to speak directly with anyone who has questions about the fundraiser.
“I don’t expect people to give $100 or $200. Even $5, whatever people can afford — it goes such a long way.”
To donate or share the fundraiser: gofund.me/aaed1384f Direct donations to the care facility: knox.co.nz
READ MORE: Eight-year-old Prahar brews chai for Cancer Council fundraiser
