Emergency Open-Heart Surgery in Namibia – Help Lauri and Marianne Cover 1 Million SEK in Medical Bills
Lauri and Marianne, a Finnish couple who have lived in Namibia for 36 years, are facing an urgent medical crisis — and they need our help.
They moved to Namibia in 1989 as missionaries and continued serving as regular pioneers with their daughter Shabrina, who recently relocated to Finland. This family has spent decades supporting others — now it’s our turn to support them.
What happened?
Just over a week ago, Lauri experienced sudden shortness of breath. His doctor suspected asthma but advised a heart check before their planned trip to Finland — something they do every year for work and family visits. They have no medical insurance.
Doctors discovered that Lauri had congenital triple vessel disease, a serious and hereditary heart condition he didn’t know about. A balloon angioplasty was attempted (cost: 237,000 SEK) but it didn’t help.
He needed emergency open-heart surgery, which four surgeons performed in a 10-hour operation. Lauri is now in the ICU and has had to receive an external pacemaker after his heart rate spiked to nearly 400 bpm.
The total hospital bill has now exceeded 1,000,000 SEK (approx. $90,000 USD), and the hospital is demanding payment.
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A message from Marianne, Lauri’s wife:
2025-06-13 19:30
“Today was a small but good step forward. Lauri was able to sit in a chair for over an hour and managed his lung exercises fairly well. That gives us hope. The doctor is still concerned about his chest drainage, so we’re taking one day at a time. Thank you all for your continued support.”
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How you can help
Your donation — big or small — will make a real difference in helping Lauri access the life-saving care he urgently needs.
• All funds will go directly to cover Lauri’s hospital bills and recovery.
• Please share this campaign with your network.
• ❤️ Thank you for your kindness, support, and prayers.
Together, we can ease this incredible burden and give Lauri the chance to heal and return home to his family.
Thank you.
– Friends and family of Lauri, Marianne & Shabrina
