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Chinese hospital won't release body of Melfort woman to family until $250K bill paid
Woman died of mysterious illness, says daughter
Emily Pasiuk · CBC News
3 Hours Ago
remi and alicia garlock
Remi Garlock-Cisna, left, and her mother, Alicia Garlock, in 2015. Garlock died last week in China after coming down with a mysterious illness. (Alicia Garlock/Facebook)
264 shares
Remi Garlock-Cisna remembers her mother as "very smart, very stubborn." Thirty-eight-year-old Alicia Garlock of Melfort, Sask., died overseas last week after a battle with a mysterious illness.
The news of her passing came as a shock to her family.
Sask. family stares down $25K medical bill to get husband's mystery illness diagnosed
Garlock had been working as a teacher in China when she fell ill. Her daughter had been working in Cambodia at the time and dropped everything to visit her mother in the hospital when she was first admitted in mid-January.
"The whole time I was pretty positive," Garlock-Cisna said.
"The doctors said a couple times, when she was getting bad, that she would not make it, there was no way. And she pulled through a couple times."
Toronto boy's DNA reveals mysterious new disease — and possible cure
Her mother's strength gave Garlock-Cisna the confidence she could fly back to Canada to visit her family for a week and then return to be by her mother's side, or arrange for her to be flown to Canada.
But the day she landed in Canada, Garlock-Cisna got a call that her mother had passed away.
Garlock-Cisna said the doctors had many theories as to what caused her mom to be sick, but they never confirmed a reason for her death.
Flu could raise heart attack risk, Canadian study says
"They said that they thought it started off as pneumonia and that she caught some kind of influenza, a new strain, but they never actually figured it out."
Body not being released
Garlock's hospital stay in China racked up a substantial medical bill: Garlock-Cisna estimates it's sitting at around $250,000.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family manage the cost.
Garlock-Cisna, 20, said the hospital will not release the body until the medical bills have been paid.
Going forward, she's hoping to get a job to help her grandparents pay off the debt.
'I took it for granted'
Garlock-Cisna said that she wasn't always close with her mother growing up, but that in recent years, they had become very close.
"She was 17 when she had me, and she was working four jobs at some points trying to help raise me and go to university at the same time," she said.
"I took it for granted."
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Skip to CBC accessibility page
CBC.CAMENU
Open news menu
Saskatoon
"
Chinese hospital won't release body of Melfort woman to family until $250K bill paid
Woman died of mysterious illness, says daughter
Emily Pasiuk · CBC News
3 Hours Ago
remi and alicia garlock
Remi Garlock-Cisna, left, and her mother, Alicia Garlock, in 2015. Garlock died last week in China after coming down with a mysterious illness. (Alicia Garlock/Facebook)
264 shares
Remi Garlock-Cisna remembers her mother as "very smart, very stubborn." Thirty-eight-year-old Alicia Garlock of Melfort, Sask., died overseas last week after a battle with a mysterious illness.
The news of her passing came as a shock to her family.
Sask. family stares down $25K medical bill to get husband's mystery illness diagnosed
Garlock had been working as a teacher in China when she fell ill. Her daughter had been working in Cambodia at the time and dropped everything to visit her mother in the hospital when she was first admitted in mid-January.
"The whole time I was pretty positive," Garlock-Cisna said.
"The doctors said a couple times, when she was getting bad, that she would not make it, there was no way. And she pulled through a couple times."
Toronto boy's DNA reveals mysterious new disease — and possible cure
Her mother's strength gave Garlock-Cisna the confidence she could fly back to Canada to visit her family for a week and then return to be by her mother's side, or arrange for her to be flown to Canada.
But the day she landed in Canada, Garlock-Cisna got a call that her mother had passed away.
Garlock-Cisna said the doctors had many theories as to what caused her mom to be sick, but they never confirmed a reason for her death.
Flu could raise heart attack risk, Canadian study says
"They said that they thought it started off as pneumonia and that she caught some kind of influenza, a new strain, but they never actually figured it out."
Body not being released
Garlock's hospital stay in China racked up a substantial medical bill: Garlock-Cisna estimates it's sitting at around $250,000.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family manage the cost.
Garlock-Cisna, 20, said the hospital will not release the body until the medical bills have been paid.
Going forward, she's hoping to get a job to help her grandparents pay off the debt.
'I took it for granted'
Garlock-Cisna said that she wasn't always close with her mother growing up, but that in recent years, they had become very close.
"She was 17 when she had me, and she was working four jobs at some points trying to help raise me and go to university at the same time," she said.
"I took it for granted."
Report Typo
POPULAR IN NEWS
1 2579 reading now
CHINESE HOSPITAL WON'T RELEASE BODY OF MELFORT WOMAN TO FAMILY UNTIL $250K BILL PAID
2 695 reading now
LIBERALS LOOK AT CREATING USE-IT-OR-LOSE-IT LEAVE FOR FATHERS, TRUDEAU SAYS
3 666 reading now
QUEBEC MAN CHARGED WITH 2ND-DEGREE MURDER IN 16-YEAR-OLD COLD CASE DEATH OF ADRIENNE MCCOLL
4 459 reading now
'SCIENCE IS BEING IGNORED': PROMINENT ALBERTA PROFESSOR SIDES WITH B.C. ON PIPELINE
5 419 reading now
TRUMP TO HOLD 'LISTENING SESSION' AFTER CRITICISM FROM FLORIDA SCHOOL SHOOTING SURVIVORS
More from CBC News
B.C. challenges Alberta wine ban under free trade rules
MICHELLE GHOUSSOUB • 5 H AGO
International petition wants GoFundMe to drop fundraiser for Gerald Stanley's family
6 H AGO
New
Cassie Sharpe of B.C. wins gold for Canada in ski slopestyle
28 M AGO
Numerous Sisu vitamins recalled because of glass fragments
2 H AGO
'It's brought us all together': Becca Schofield's lasting legacy of kindness
CODY MACKAY • 3 H AGO
Updated
Quebec man charged with murder of Alberta woman found in rancher's field 16 years ago
DAVID BELL • 13 M AGO
Tell us what you think
Learn about our redesign project opens new window
Share your thoughts here opens new window
Explore CBC
CBC Home
TV
Radio
News
Sports
Music
Life
Arts
Kids
Local
Documentaries
Comedy
Books
Parents
Indigenous
Digital Archives
Games
Contests
Site Map
Stay Connected
Apps
RSS
Podcasts
Newsletters & Alerts
Services and Information
Corporate Info
Public Appearances
Commercial Services
Reuse & Permission
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
CBC Shop
Help
Contact Us
Jobs
Doing Business with Us
Renting Facilities
CBCCBC gem logoRadio-Canada
[emoji767]2018 CBC/Radio-Canada. All rights reserved
Visitez Radio-Canada.ca
