Travel blogger Vanessa Konopka lifeless at 28 after excessive illness left her ‘unable to talk’
A travel influencer has died after collapsing at a New Year’s Eve party in the Philippines and spending weeks ‘unable to eat, walk and speak.’
Vanessa Konopka, 28, passed away on March 7 after spending months at a hospital on the island of Boracay.
The German native ran a travel vlog channel called Happiness Crossing with her boyfriend, Fernando, where the couple documented their life in the Philippines.
The couple first met in Australia, and moved in together in Boracay in December 2022.
But on December 31, Konopla was hospitalized after ‘experiencing severe swelling throughout her body.’
She was diagnosed with extreme liver damage and pneumonia and spent months in the hospital battling jaundice among other symptoms.
‘[She was] diagnosed with a severe liver damage and pneumonia, which have made her extremely weak. She is still in the hospital, unable to eat properly, walk, or even speak easily.’
The couple kept their followers updated on Konopka’s condition in social media posts from her hospital room.
Photos showed Konopka was frequently bed ridden as doctors worked to determine her course of treatment.
Vanessa Konopka, 28, passed away on March 7 after spending weeks at a hospital in the Philippines unable to ‘eat, walk and talk’
Konopka was hospitalized on December 31 after ‘experiencing severe swelling throughout her body’
She would regularly post TikTok videos of her eating the meals she received from the hospital.
Fernando launched a GoFundMe to raise money for her medical bills and to get Konopka a medical transport to Germany.
In recent weeks, Konopka’s condition appeared to be improving and she was able to go outside.
‘After a very scary time, Vanessa has made some progress. She was finally able to leave her room and get some fresh air, which was a big step,’ Fernando said on January 17.
‘She’s now able to eat, speak normally, and move her hands again. Her lungs are still not in the best condition, but she will be having more tests today to monitor her progress.’
On January 28 he said, ‘We are so happy to share some good news today: Vanessa’s condition improved a lot! The pneumonia is almost gone, and the swelling in her hands, tongue, legs, and arms has gotten much better.
‘Yesterday, she managed to walk for the first time with the help of a walker. It was such a big step forward and gave us all so much hope.
‘She’s now doing daily physiotherapy to regain her strength. However, there is still concern about her liver. We are waiting for news from the specialist this week to understand how advanced the damage is. We’re praying it will show signs of improvement too.
The German native ran a travel vlog channel called Happiness Crossing with her boyfriend, Fernando (right)
In recent weeks, Konopka’s condition appeared to be improving and she was able to go outside
She was diagnosed with a severe liver damage and pneumonia, which made her extremely weak
‘Unfortunately, Vanessa is still not strong enough to fly back to Germany, but we’re hopeful that it won’t be too long before she can finally return home.’
On February 20, Fernando said she was ‘out of danger’ and her mother was able to come to the Philippines and escort her back to Germany.
However, two weeks later Fernando announced that Konopka had succumbed to her illness.
‘This morning, on March 7th, Vanessa passed away. She always loved connecting with you all, and her love for the Philippines was beyond words,’ he said.
‘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.
‘Kushka, if you are perhaps reading this somewhere, thank you so much for teaching me how to love myself 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.’
