Neighbor Launches Crowdfunding Campaign to Help Family with Funeral Costs

Neighbor Tjeerd is in the breach jumped for Berry and Renate, both of whom are on social assistance. He talks about the sadness that happened to his downstairs neighbors and the misery they were subsequently confronted with due to the costs of the funeral. “I have a good relationship with them. They are people with their hearts in the right place.” On November 16, Tjeerd received a terrible phone call from neighbor Renate: Kaylee was dead.

Bad luck

The girl was sick. The chickenpox. She was droopy and had a fever. In the evening the parents put her to bed, says Tjeerd. “At half past three in the morning they heard a strange noise and they immediately grabbed her. At that moment she breathed her last.” Father Berry resuscitated her, but it was in vain. The trauma helicopter and all emergency services could no longer do anything for the girl.

The doctor thinks that the chickenpox in combination with a serious infection, pneumonia and possibly meningitis has been fatal to her. “An exceptional combination of circumstances, stupid bad luck,” says Tjeerd.

Wrecks

After the phone call in which he heard the news, he immediately went to his neighbors. He found deep sadness. Kaylee, normally full of liveliness, lay quietly on the couch. “She was completely pale and cold. What can you say? Nothing at all. I held her father and mother.”

Now, more than a month later, Tjeerd can still be found with them almost every day. “They are two wrecks. Their two older sons are also having a hard time with it. The whole house is full of cuddly toys, in one corner they have a memorial place with photos.”

After the girl’s death, a funeral had to be arranged. Kaylee’s parents are both on welfare, says Tjeerd. “Fortunately, the school wanted to help. That is very special. It also came as a big blow. The teachers said she was always cheerful. Whenever they had an off day, Kaylee made them happy again.”

Partly thanks to the help of the school, it was a special funeral that lasted longer than three hours, says Tjeerd. “She lay in a beautiful pink coffin, there was lots of music and beautiful speeches.”

Sober grafje

Kaylee ended up in a modest child’s grave, because the parents had no money for extras. “Her father comes from the camp. They love splendor and splendor there, that’s just their culture. They only have a little peace when the grave becomes really beautiful.”

This requires money, 15,000 euros to be precise. “Then it can become a beautiful grave with a large marble stone and a marble angel on it,” says Tjeerd. He didn’t think twice and decided to raise money for his neighbors. “You just do that when you see the sadness of those people.”

He was advised to set up crowdfunding, so he did. The purpose of the action is still far from being achieved, but Tjeerd hopes that he can make the parents a little happy before Christmas. “It won’t get Kaylee back, but it can give them a lot of comfort.”

Funeral costs

According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), a funeral costs an average of 7,500 euros. If there is no funeral insurance, surviving relatives must pay the costs of the funeral.

Funeral director Diana Greefkes says that deceased adults for whom there is no money are given a ‘technical cremation’. “That is very austere and no one is allowed to be there.” She would never do that with children. “Then I’ll run my hand over my heart a little sooner. It’s not right for parents to bury their children. The least you can do is offer a dignified funeral.”

She sees that friends or acquaintances often help when there is not enough money. It occasionally happens that a crowdfunding campaign is set up when someone has died, as in the case of Kaylee. If there are any special wishes for the grave, you must also pay for this yourself.

2023-12-19 13:14:48
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