A fundraiser for four children who were orphaned by COVID-19 has now raised over €180,000.

Miguel Plangca, died as a result of the virus last week, leaving behind his four children, Mikee, Michael, John and Chekie.

Their mother died six years ago and they are now under the care of their aunt.

"Very good man"

On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Mikee Plangca said her father moved to Ireland from the Philippines 19 years ago.

She said he was a “very good man” who spent close to half his life living and working in Ireland.

She said he first started feeling unwell at the end of March.

“He only had a cough and he was shivering for only a week,” she said.

“He was trying to call the GP to get some antibiotics but they wouldn’t give him any medicine. They told him to self-isolate, so that’s what he did.

“Then on Thursday April 2nd, he asked me to call an ambulance because he could hardly breathe. That is when he to the hospital and he was taken directly to the ICU.”

Shock

She said his death came as a terrible shock to the family.

“We didn’t expect it all,” she said. “I thought he was just fine. His cough was not that bad and then we didn’t have any idea that it was COVID-19.”

Mikee said she has since tested positive for the virus, along with her aunt and her brother.

“We were worried so I asked my GP if we could have a swab and for my other brother who has an intellectual disability,” she said. “He is 19-years-old.

“Thank god, the doctors let us have the swab and we tested positive. But we are OK, we don’t have any symptoms at all. We are just worried.”

Appeal

Mikee said she is really thankful to everyone who has donated and to the Kildare Filipino Community president Aina Conway who set up the online appeal.

“We don’t really know what to do but she is helping us with all the effort and support for our family,” she said.

“I am just really thankful to her.”

She said things are really difficult at the moment but said her family will recover from the tragedy.

“Time will heal and life must go on,” she said.

You can donate to the appeal for the four children here.