24-year-old on tourist visa faces huge medical bills following cancer diagnosis

When Sala Bureni and her family moved to Nelson in 2022 they wanted to build a better life.

But by the end of 2025 that dream had unravelled for the Fijian family.

Now, they still want to build a life here – but the main goal has become keeping Bureni alive following a shocking ovarian cancer diagnosis for the 24-year-old.

Because she’s in New Zealand on a visitor visa, Bureni doesn’t qualify for health care in New Zealand, meaning the family is facing medical bills of at least $35,000, and potentially up to $100,000.

Bureni arrived in New Zealand in 2022 on a working visa alongside her father and brother, with the aim of building a life in New Zealand.

But, she struggled to find a permanent job and in mid-2025 she had to change to a tourist visa.

Meanwhile, her father was forced to return to Fiji in September after losing his job when the Eves Valley Sawmill was closed and being unable to renew his visa.

That left the family reliant on the income of her mother, Ma Narawa, who secured full-time work at Downer.

Meanwhile, Bureni had become unwell, with abdominal pain and bloating, but when she went to Nelson Hospital in August she was advised to change her diet.

By December it was so severe they begged the hospital to run scans – even though they were warned about the cost due to her visa status.

That’s when they discovered, and drained, 7 litres of fluid from her abdomen. She now has a permanent drain as the fluid keeps returning.

In January results were in, showing she had aggressive ovarian cancer and would require radical surgery to perform a hysterectomy.

For Bureni, hearing she was sick wasn’t a surprise – she knew something was wrong.

But hearing it was cancer and that she would need a hysterectomy, was shocking, she said.

“I felt really sad when I heard that, because I always wanted to have kids.”

The family are determined to try and stay in New Zealand, and returning to Fiji for medical care isn’t an option for them – Narawa lost another daughter, Crystal, to pneumonia at age 1 after being sent home from hospital in Fiji.

The family had hoped to have the surgery performed at a private hospital, but had now been told it was too complicated and would have to take place in the public system, but they need to raise the money before that could occur, and to fund ongoing treatment and care after surgery.

They also need money to bring Bureni’s father back from Fiji and sort his visa status so he can provide support and care while Narawa works as the sole bread-winner for the family.

And, now they need to find a new home after being told they need to move out of their rental.

“I just need help to get the surgery done,” Bureni said.

They are being supported by Downer staff who are running fundraisers and have set up a Give a Little page to raise money for the family.

Narawa just wants to save her daughter.

“When I’m around her I’m trying to be the bravest mum in the world. But when I go into my room, behind the door once I close it, I’m just the weakest,” she said.

“My world just came crashing down.”

She always tried to be brave and strong, she said.

“I’ve lost a daughter already, she’s the only one I’ve got.”

Bureni too is trying to be strong, smiling even though she’s in pain.

The day she was diagnosed she carried on and went to church without telling anyone about the devastating news.

She has been studying marine biology at NMIT, and just wants the chance at a life, she said.

Her goals are simple: “Just find a good job, be happy.”

The family is supported by Lisa Buchanan, who said given the cost in New Zealand they were investigating whether medical tourism to a country like India would be a more affordable way to get treatment.

Getting Bureni’s father back to New Zealand was also a priority, Buchanan said.

“It’s just very hard at the moment without him here.”

Health NZ Te Whatu Ora did not respond to questions before deadline.

Buchanan invited anyone who wanted to help to contact her on fightingforsala@gmail.com

By Katie Townshend, Nelson Mail