The family of a Winnipeg woman who died while on vacation in the Dominican Republic is now dealing with thousands of dollars in medical bills and funeral costs on top of trying to get her body back to Canada.
Holly Twoheart arrived back in Winnipeg Monday, greeted by family and friends to mourn the loss of her 26-year-old daughter Danielle.
READ MORE: Winnipeg mother returns home without answers after daughter’s death in the Dominican Republic
Danielle died on Friday after allegedly falling from a hotel balcony in Punta Cana just hours after the two arrived at their all-inclusive resort.
She was taken to hospital where her mom said she was put on life support before she passed away that afternoon.
But on top of losing her daughter, Holly said now she is left on the hook for thousands of dollars, partially because Danielle did not have travel insurance.
“We never thought this was going to happen so she thought ‘okay I don’t need it,'” Holly told Global News.
WATCH: Holly Twoheart is greeted by family and friends as she arrives home from the Dominican
The medical bills started adding up even for the few short hours Danielle was still alive in hospital. Holly started calling family and the fundraising began.
“They wouldn’t let me leave the hospital until her bill payment was paid,” she said.
Holly said the bill was thousands of dollars. But that was just the beginning.
“Next step now is to get my daughter back to Canada. I have to get in contact with the funeral people out there. They have her body. They said I have to get $5,100 to get her (body) released.”
Holly is hopeful she will be able to get Danielle’s body back to Winnipeg by the end of the week but she is still waiting for answers.
She said right now there are a lot of unknowns that remain. What exactly happened? How did her daughter die?
While they still wait for those answers, the family is hoping to be able to lay Danielle to rest where on Sagkeeng First Nation where she was born.
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