I'm sorry to hear about also, but I would like to advice you don't trust them 100%, especially you are the first time to be an employer, most of them they like to test your bottom line and try to borrow money from you. You better to look look first, may be you can say something make her feel free, anyway don't give them money. Good luck!
my ex-maid also told me her parents have illness and always told me they asked her to send money to them.(i don't know whether she wanted me to give her money for that??)But, i only knew my ex-maid use the money to buy her own stuff like clothes, shoes ,make-up and go to Califonia fitness. So, i think it's the problem herself.