In March 2015, when she was diagnosed with stage-four colon cancer, Bengaluru-based Priya Joseph* (name changed) decided to fight it the best way possible and wanted to get the best hands in the field of medicine to treat her illness. The brave 33-year-old knew about the risks involved in her treatment, and received great support from her family and friends. They found her, arguably, one of the best methods in treating colon cancer: the hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. But the costs involved were exorbitant and Priya feared the treatment would become a burden on her family’s depleting financials.

However, her friends found a solution. In August 2015, they signed up on crowdfunding portal gofundme.com, and began a campaign to collect $100,000 (nearly ₹70 lakh) for Priya’s treatment. Within two weeks, the team was able to collect the amount, which Priya would use for her treatment that lasted for nearly two years. She underwent 26 chemos and two HIPEC surgeries and in September 2016 was declared cancer-free. Priya is among many patients in India who are turning to crowdfunding platforms to raise money for treatments otherwise unaffordable to them. Even though the sector works under tight regulations, courtesy stringent SEBI rules, crowdfunding is gaining popularity in India.

Thanks to the advancements in social media technologies and the rise in digital literacy rates in the country and abroad, patients from even Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns and in some cases villages, are now able to tap global crowdfunding channels.

 

 

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