When Luke Senigasau was informed that his daughter needed urgent surgery which would cost a significant amount of money, his anxiety mounted as he had only $16 to his name. This scenario was presented in an article published by The Fiji Times on Thursday, March 17, 1994.
Ten dollars were in his savings account and six dollars in his pocket.
“Upon learning of the situation from my wife, I showed her the money in my pocket and my bankbook, and we both realized it would be a challenging start. We did not know where to begin,” said Mr. Senigasau, who worked as an assistant to a surveyor.
However, the problem was soon addressed as doctors at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital wrote letters to the Fiji Sixes, which agreed to contribute funds.
This marked the beginning of the appeal for 14-year-old Elenoa Dinacika.
Elenoa had contracted rheumatic fever in 1991, necessitating life-saving medical treatment. She was so unwell that she missed school for two years.
“Though everything seemed bleak initially, I maintained my faith in God because I believed everything was in His hands, and only through His will did things happen,” stated Mr. Senigasau.
“Subsequently, an advertisement in The Fiji Times about the appeal led to people donating, and before long, we had collected nearly $2000. I also withdrew money from my Fiji National Provident Fund, and with the $3000 raised through the Fiji Sixes, my daughter could travel to Brisbane for the treatment.”
In February 1994, Elenoa was flown to St Andrews War Memorial Hospital in Brisbane with her mother, Laite Senigasau, for a critical operation. Air Pacific covered the airfares and other expenses for both Elenoa and her mother, while Mr. Senigasau provided pocket money from the appeal funds.
In late February 1994, doctors at the hospital performed surgery using pioneering cell-saver technology during open-heart surgery, saving Elenoa’s life.
“A few days before the operation, my wife sent me a fax stating that the surgery was scheduled for the following Tuesday and assured me that Elenoa was in good health.”
The day after the operation, Mr. Senigasau received a call from his wife informing him that the operation had been successful, but Elenoa would need to stay in bed for the next three days due to weakness.
“On Saturday after the operation, Laite called again, saying Elenoa wanted to speak with me. Her first words were ‘Hello Ta.’
“I was overjoyed to hear her voice. Later, my wife told me that a local television crew and some media personnel were coming to the hospital for an interview.”
“I asked her to fax me a copy of the story once it appeared in the local paper, and she did,” Mr. Senigasau shared while displaying a faxed copy of the article from the Sunday Herald.
Mr. Senigasau and his younger daughter, Mere, eagerly awaited the day Elenoa and their mother would return from Australia.
“The other day, we received a fax from Elenoa saying she was fine and looking forward to coming home.
“She mentioned she would bring chocolates.
“Just last night (Tuesday), Mere wrote a note to Elenoa asking me to fax it. In the note, she reminded Elenoa to look after herself and not to forget her chocolates.”
When asked if he had any plans for Elenoa, Mr. Senigasau said, “Of course, I do.”
“When I last spoke to Elenoa, she told me she wanted to eat love when she gets back, and I will make sure she gets that.”
Elenoa and her mother would not be returning home for another two to three weeks. And would Elenoa be going back to school?
“She will, as it is our priority to ensure she returns to school. We don’t mind if she is a few years behind because she is a smart girl and learns quickly.”