A travel influencer who developed a severe illness after collapsing at a New Year’s Eve party in the Philippines died after being left unable to eat or walk following her sudden diagnosis.
Vanessa Konopka, 28, who was known for her online travel vlogs, suffered a lengthy health battle that left her bedbound in hospital for months, according to her heartbroken boyfriend. The Solingen-native internet star was diagnosed with pneumonia and severe liver damage, and was later left bedridden by the illnesses after she attended a doomed party in stunning Boracay.
During this time, Vanessa was unable to speak, sit up by herself or go outside for fresh air. There was a brief glimmer of hope when her condition momentarily improved, allowing her to post online to her fans. In a video shared on TikTok on February 4, Vanessa was seen eating a burger as she captioned the post: “How it feels eating the first burger after one month hospital stay in the Philippines.”
Vanessa and her Brazilian boyfriend Fernando ran a successful vlogging channel called Happiness Crossings where the pair shared footage of their travels. Their channel soon turned into a documentation of Vanessa’s illness, with clips from her hospital bed.
In a video posted on January 25, Vanessa documented her hospital stay, showing her using breathing equipment and attached to a drip while using a wheelchair. She had been receiving treatment at the Asia Medical Center in Kalibo, according to her footage.
In another video posted on January 23, Vanessa revealed she had been sick “three times”, adding her “stomach is completely empty”. She also said she was concerned about the medical bills, adding “I have no idea how to pay”.
Fernando had set up a GoFundMe page in a bid to raise enough cash to get an air ambulance to fly Vanessa home so that she could be with her loved ones.
It appeared the influencer was getting better but on March 7 her partner confirmed she had died after falling unwell again.
He posted: “Once again, I can only ask for your prayers so that God may bring comfort to the hearts of her loved ones. I trust in him, I know he is with Vanessa and I know God is always with us.”
In his tribute, her partner added: “Kushka, if you are perhaps reading this somewhere, thank you so much for teaching me how to love myself, it doesn’t matter what other people think, she showed me how to love myself, and how to follow my dreams. I will forever love you and we may see each other again.”
The adventurous couple met in Australia and moved in together in the Philippines in December 2022. They settled down on the party island of Boracay, where they filmed much of their vlogging content.
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