The family of Abby Hartley - the Kiwi mum who fell critically ill during her second honeymoon, unaware that she had become the centre of fierce debate back home as she lay in a coma in a Bali hospital - have penned a loving tribute to her.
"Mum is at peace now and we are extremely grateful for the many years of joy and love mum brought us," her daughter, Sophie Hartley, said in a statement today published by NZ Herald. "She will forever be held in our memories and hearts and without a doubt she will make her presence known when she is watching over us."
The 41-year-old's death was announced this morning.
For weeks, Ms Hartley's dire situation has been the catalyst for a larger debate about how far the Government should go to help Kiwis who have fallen ill overseas. Governments spanning both major parties in years past have declined to organise medevacs, worried about the expensive precedent it could set.
Ms Hartley had travel insurance but the company determined that she fell ill due to a pre-existing condition she had not disclosed, and so refused to pay for her medevac back to New Zealand. Through Givealittle, however, Kiwis had raised $237,000 for the effort.
But many Kiwis, argued that New Zealand should make an exception in Ms Hartley's case.
"We have no bad feelings towards the Government and we understand their decision to not assist us with getting mum home," Sophie Hartley said in the statement, thanking everyone for their support that "has made everything that little bit easier".
Abby Hartley’s insurer didn’t pay out after she became ill on the Indonesian Island.
On TVNZ1's Breakfast today, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she was "absolutely gutted" by the news of Ms Hartley's death. But she defended the decision to refuse a medevac.
"The thing that I find tough to know is there will, of course, be other cases like this," she said. "In those cases, we're always hoping the insurers do their bit to support New Zealanders when they have that insurance."
SHARE ME