It is hard for them to ask but Lexy and Dion Correia are in need of help.

About a month ago, Mr Correia woke up jaundiced. Doctors were initially puzzled but a series of costly tests eventually revealed the cause – gallstones blocking his bile duct. Surgery overseas was necessary but there was one major obstacle: the Correias had no health insurance.

For years, the couple had poured their hearts into running DNA Creative Shoppe, a beloved art supply store. But in 2023, the lingering effects of the pandemic forced its closure and their livelihood vanished overnight.

Since then life has been tough as, despite their best efforts, neither Mrs Correia, an artist, nor Mr Correia, a graphic designer, has been able to find steady work in or outside their fields. The kindness of friends helped them get by until January, when, because of Mr Correia’s illness, their financial struggles took an even more devastating turn.

“He apparently had been having gallstones for a little while and didn't know it. Every now and again he would be in pain for a few days but he actually just thought it was really bad gas,” Mrs Correia said.

They believe it was at the start of the new year when the gallstones passed through. The pain Mr Correia had been having disappeared and his eyes became noticeably yellow.

His wife was immediately concerned it was a liver issue, which puzzled her since they rarely drank. With no health insurance they were reluctant to see a doctor, but “it got worse”.

Friends donated funds, which allowed Mr Correia to sign up for HIP, a basic health insurance plan offered by the Government.

Through it he was able to have an MRI at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, which revealed two gallstones. The recommended surgery could not be done in Bermuda and HIP would only cover 60 per cent of the cost of flying overseas to have it done. The cost of airfare and hotels would have to be paid out of pocket.

The Correias also had to find money for emergency passports, as both of theirs had expired.

First Mrs Correia turned to LCCA, a charity that lends money to people in medical need, and then to social media.

“I put a plea out, just on my personal page saying, ‘We're in a situation and we need to pay for a lot of stuff just to get him out of here’,” she said.

The appeal raised enough for Mr Correia to fly to Lahey Hospital in Burlington, Massachusetts, for surgery, a week later.

Doctors there discovered that, unlike most people, the 53-year-old had a curled bile duct instead of a straight one.

“Up until this point, he'd never had an issue. It was scary, because he was feeling more and more ill and his skin was a cartoon colour, it was chartreuse. And his eyes were going from fluorescent yellow to dark yellow to an orangey colour,” Mrs Correia said.

Doctors assured her that sepsis – a life-threatening condition caused by the body's improper response to infection – would take time to develop. But after three weeks of her husband's discolouration, she was anxious for him to receive treatment.

“The gallstones basically got stuck there, so he was backing up into his liver; nothing was getting processed in his system.”

Doctors put a stent in to correct the issue. Mr Correia will need to fly back to the United States to have the stent removed, adding to the family’s financial stress.

“We've only survived because of friends – people buying us groceries, helping pay our bills, initially helping us to pay our rent. And now we owe,” said Mrs Correia, who described herself as “an eternal optimist”.

“It's been tough. Our challenge has basically been to keep our heads in a positive place and not to spiral down, which would have been easy to do. I just kept thinking things will get better, something's gonna happen.”

As it stands, the couple needs $30,000 to cover “medical expenses and mounting loans”. They are grateful that nearly $14,000 has been raised through a GoFundMe page created on their behalf by Valerie Bradley, a dear friend. Meanwhile, a temporary fundraising licence (#T2133) is enabling them to make a public appeal here in Bermuda.

“It took us a very long time to ask for help. It took us until we got to a point where we were like, we have to ask for help because we can't stay in this situation. Ironically, I think it's because we have animals. We have two cats, so I had to ask somebody, ‘Can you help me get cat food?’,” Mrs Correia said.

“So we are absolutely grateful. There have been some emotional moments for both of us because some of the donations have been very generous. And then there are people we haven't seen in a long time and we see their names pop up [as donors] and it's good for the spirit. The Bermudian spirit – we know that it's there and we've seen it in action, but when it's directed at you, it's very meaningful that people want to help you. It's very humbling.”

• Support Dion and Lexy Correia by making a donation here:https://shorturl.at/2X7Sd