Travel influencer Vanessa Konopka recently died at the age of 28.
“Hello everyone, This morning, on March 7th, Vanessa passed away. She always loved connecting with you all, and her love for the Philippines was beyond words,” Konopka’s boyfriend, Fernando, wrote via Facebook last month. “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.”
Fernando shared a photo of Konopka smiling for a selfie as she stood in the water beside a boat. In another image, Konopka held up her hand in a peace sign as she posed in front of a plane.
“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!” he concluded. “I will forever love you and we may see each other again..”
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Konopka, who hails from Germany, shared vlog channel Happiness Crossing with her boyfriend. The pair, who met in Australia, documented their life in the Philippines including trying Filipino food and spending time on the beach.
In a GoFundMe created earlier this year, Fernando explained that Vanessa was hospitalized in December 2024 in the Philippines. He noted that Vanessa was diagnosed with “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. She needs urgent treatment to regain enough strength to fly back to Germany on a normal flight. Right now, a medical air ambulance—which would be the safest option — costs more than €200,000, which is out of reach for her and her family,” the GoFundMe read.
The GoFundMe continued, “We are trying to raise funds to cover her medical bills and any other care she might need to stabilize her condition. Anything you can give, no matter how small, would mean the world to Vanessa and her family.”
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Fernando noted that the “only thing we need right now is to see Vanessa back on her feet, happy, insipiring [sic], smiling again, no matter what.” He added, “Every donation, share, or prayer helps us get closer to giving Vanessa the care she needs to recover and come home.”
In February, Fernando shared that Vanessa was “out of danger” and reunited with her mother, with the pair in Boracay.
“They will wait a few more days till Vanessa gets strong enough so she can go back to Germany for treatment,” he explained. “We thank you for all your prayers, all donation, all words of support. God will bless you all.”
