Athirampuzha residents raise Rs 91 lakhs in 5 hours for boy’s treatment
KOTTAYAM: An endeavour to raise funds for the bone marrow transplant of a six-year-old boy has received a tremendous response from the residents of Athirampuzha panchayat in Kottayam. While the panchayat aimed to collect Rs 30 lakh for Jerome K Justine’s medical expenses, the drive saw a whopping Rs 91 lakh raised in just five hours on Sunday. The door-to-door drive proved more effective than the digital crowdfunding model, the more popular choice for such initiatives these days.
The beauty of the fundraising exercise was that all families in the panchayat, irrespective of their financial status, came together to support a family in distress. The panchayat has now decided to set aside the excess amount of nearly Rs 61 lakh for similar medical expenses of other people in the region. “The response was overwhelming,” said Athirampuzha panchayat president Biju Valiyamala.
Jerome, who is to enter the world of letters in the next academic year, was diagnosed with blood cancer seven months ago and was advised treatment that involves replacing the bone marrow, he said. “However, the family didn’t have the financial capability to raise the money. So the Athirampuzha panchayat took up the case and decided to seek the help of the people. The idea was to carry out a door-to-door campaign through squads created in each ward,” said Biju, who represents the ward where Jerome’s family resides.
The drive was carried out from 9 am to 2 pm involving 108 squads in the 22 wards of the panchayat.
The drive was carried out under the aegis of the Athirampuzha Jeevan Raksha Samithi, a committee formed to raise medical aid, in association with the charity organisation Changanassery Prathyasha.
Justin Varghese, the boy’s father, runs a small grocery shop in the ward and was finding it tough to arrange the money, Biju said.
Headed by a ward member, the squads had seven members each and leaflets were printed and distributed among the residents. The panchayat even organised vehicles to announce the campaign. “While there was no upper limit for donation, it was decided to keep a lower limit of Rs 500. But the way the money poured in shows that every family in the panchayat came together to save the child,” said John Joseph Parapurathu, the general convenor of the Athirampuzha Jeevan Raksha Samithi.
Jerome’s treatment has already begun at a hospital in Kozhikode.“The first step involves completely destroying the existing bone marrow in his body and then transplanting a healthy one. He is undergoing radiation treatment,” explained Biju.
The money has been deposited in the cooperative bank in the name of the panchayat president, vice-president and the convenor of the Samithi, he said. “The cost of treatment will be released as and when the hospital sends in the bill,” Biju added.