Isaac is a young man from a low income family in Vellore, Tamil Nadu. His uncle, Jacob suffered liver cirrhosis. Since he was the only breadwinner in his family with a young son to look after on a meagre income, Jacob had no means to afford his treatment. Seeing the family despair drove Isaac to take it upon himself to find them a solution. That was when he came across crowdfunding and created a campaign with Impact Guru.
Medical crowdfunding helps thousands of patients across India afford their liver cirrhosis treatment in a single year. Platforms like Impact Guru see underprivileged, low and middle income families raise funds from their networks around the world for their ill loved ones. Many first-time crowdfunding campaigners are able to raise the money they need in a few weeks and quite often, a matter of days.
Jacob was an employee at an IT firm, earning just enough to sustain his family of four until he was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis. Doctors also discovered that his kidney was damaged and a single day’s admission at the hospital cost the family more than Rs 30,000. Moreover, he would need surgery to survive the ordeal. With his wife constantly switching between caring for their child and visits to the hospital, Isaac chose to run the medical crowdfunding campaign himself.
Unfortunately, Jacob lost the battle to his failing organs and passed away weeks after the fundraiser was created. His family still has dues to settle with the hospital to be able to retrieve his body back. With a heavy heart, they have chosen to continue crowdfunding. Friends, family, colleagues and other well-wishers continue to contribute to their campaign.
Isaac’s efforts to save his uncle are truly commendable. Crowdfunding has been helping patients and their families take timely action after diagnosis, but a lack of awareness still holds back many patients who either never come across crowdfunding or find the option too late. However, more and more of India’s urban and rural population both are beginning to choose crowdfunding before considering loans today than ever before and are able to raise funds without making burdensome sacrifices or promising payback.
If you know someone who needs medical treatment for a chronic illness or an emergency medical situation, don’t hesitate. Take timely action by choosing to crowdfund today.
