Coimbatore: Close to Madukkarai, on the outskirts of the city, 3,000 residents of a village have come together to raise funds for a 12-year-old boy, who needs a heart transplant.
Prithiviraj, son of a welder in Kurumbapalayam, was diagnosed with heart failure in March. PSG Hospitals, where he is admitted, has put him on the heart transplant waiting list. The surgery costs Rs 25 lakh.
For the last one month, youngsters of Kurumbapalayam have been approaching every avenue they know to raise the money. “We first did a door-to-door collection through the entire village and began approaching neighbouring villages,” said Senthil Kumar, a resident and member of the fundraising team. “We then appealed to our friends on WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. We also contacted friends and relatives settled in other countries, the Tamil diaspora, Rotary clubs, Lions clubs and even submitted petitions to the Coimbatore collector, health minister and chief minister for help,” he told TOI.