The Buckinghamshire colleagues of a man ill with life-threatening Leukaemia have raised the alarm after he is unable to pay for his treatment abroad.
Joe Pepper-McCrudden from High Wycombe jumped to action after he learnt the heartbreaking situation his data processor colleague Krishna is in.
Krishna, 29, was diagnosed with the life-threatening blood cancer T- Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in India, where he’s based.
But without the support of public healthcare like the NHS he is unable to pay for further treatment, the bone marrow transplant, after already using up his savings and healthcare cover on the initial chemotherapy.
Joe said: “Without the money he can’t have the treatment, and without it his chances of survival are very low.
“It’s potentially a difference of life and death.”
While the fundraiser Joe and his colleagues started has raised more than £23,000 in less than two weeks, Krishna’s bone marrow transplant costs £44,000.
Joe commented: “When it came about that he’s diagnosed with Leukaemia, we realised that what we take for granted is not what he gets unfortunately.
“It felt like an injustice, and that’s where the fundraiser came from.
“A lack of funds impacting your chance of survival must be so upsetting.”
Joe has known people, who have gone through Leukaemia and bone marrow transplant in the UK so “first we assumed that would be the case”
“It was shocking, and then on top of that to find out he won’t have the funds available to proceed with the treatment, because it’s just something else entirely and must be so difficult for him to deal with.
“He’s a father, he’s got a son who isn’t quite yet one-years-old. So sad.”
“It is a lot of money, and it takes people coming together, but we’ve been overwhelmed with the generosity from all over the world from people who don’t know him and are still willing to donate at a time when the financial situation for a lot of people is tough with heating bills etcetera. It’s humbling.”
Krishna was “extremely grateful” for the amazing support so far, but as he is "extremely ill," Joe tries not to bother him too much besides little updates.
Joe pleaded for any donation “big or small”, and for people to share the fundraiser on socials to give Krishna “the best chance of survival” in the “time critical situation”.
Although starting the treatment now was crucial, Krishna and his family still face a gruelling wait.
You can find the fundraiser here.
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