He lost his wife to coronavirus after she gave birth and is now organizing a raffle to pay for the funeral

07/22/2021 12:07 PM

• Clarín.com

• Society

Updated 07/22/2021 12:07

In the last hours, the painful story of Sebastián Betancourt from Bahia became viral on social networks: exactly a week ago he lost Lorena, his 26-year-old wife, who after a month of being in intensive care and giving birth to her second daughter,

died of a

coronavirus

picture

that was complicated.

Now, Sebastián not only struggles with the absence of his partner and the upbringing of his two

young

daughters: he also struggles with the

financial expenses of the funeral

.

In desperation, he turned to Facebook to organize a raffle that would allow him to pay for the expenses that generated the wake and burial of his wife.

The value of each raffle is 200 pesos;

and the prize, a motorcycle. 

Sebastián's publication on Facebook in which he appeals for solidarity.

Photo: Facebook.

“I am very grateful to the people who bought and to those who collaborated.

We made

a contribution bonus to cover the

remaining

expenses

and the burial services that are really very big, ”the Bahiense said in a note made by

TN and the People.

“I have two girls.

The one month old newborn baby and my other 5 year old girl, who has tremendous strength and she is the one who helps me keep going.

But,

there is nothing to comfort this pain

”, admits Sebastián.

Lorena and Sebastián together in a photo published towards the end of March.

Photo: Facebook.

Betancourt works in the

cleaning sector

of the Bahía Blanca

airport

.

But during the past year, and as a result of the pandemic, his salary was cut to half the basic:

 23,000 pesos

.

With that budget he had to take care of the household expenses and now the drama that he had to live with his wife.

Currently, Sebastián Betancourt fights for his workplace because they want to give him leave without pay. 

The couple from Bahia had met 9 years and 3 months ago through Facebook.

"We did not know each other before and I began to write to him on the social network because I liked it," Sebastian reviewed in the note.

Four years later they had Jasmine, their first daughter.

But, the history of this couple was going to change completely as

of June 8

when Lorena began with symptoms of

Covid-19

.

As she was pregnant, they immediately went to the Bahía Blanca hospital.

As a precaution, the doctors decided to admit her, but her condition worsened.

Lorena and Sebastián, one of the photos published by the widower on his Facebook account.

Photo: Facebook.

Shortly after a week of hospitalization, on

June 16 she

began with contractions.

They performed a cesarean section and

Mina was born

.

After the birth of the girl, Lorena's picture became more complicated day after day and on July 15 she passed away.

Since then, Sebastian has been juggling to meet the expenses.

And together with his brother-in-law, who owns a motorcycle dealership, they came up with the raffle to deal with debts.

During Lorena's month of hospitalization, Sebastián uploaded an innumerable number of posts begging for "a miracle" to save his wife.

Publications that had many adhesions, a story that shocked Bahía Blanca.

The raffle, the way to help

The desperate request for financial help from Sebastián Betancourt.

Photo: The Voice.

"With my family and the Pedraza family, we ask for your collaboration through a raffle in which a 0KM motorcycle is raffled to pay for the cost of the burial, since it is difficult for me to cover these expenses because of this situation", posted on social media.

A publication that on Facebook had 212 likes, 195 comments and was shared 726 times.

Sebastián's publication on Facebook of the raffle for the motorcycle.

Photo: Facebook

The motorcycle that is put as a prize is a Gilera Smash, donated by his brother-in-law Matías Mellado, who was essential to promote the initiative. 

AFG