Every year, more than 400,000 new leukemia cases are diagnosed in China, making it the country's deadliest childhood disease. However, the case a two-and-a-half year-old girl named JiaJia has sparked an urgent fundraising campaign among the expatriate community.
Since being diagnosed with acute megakaryocytic leukemia in April, JiaJia has undergone three unsuccessful rounds of chemotherapy since, costing her parents RMB100,000. Now, JiaJia's only chance is to receive a cordblood stem cell transplant, which will cost RMB300,000. The hospital has already located a
matching donor for the transplant, but her parents are unable to pay for the operation.
JiaJia's story came to the attention of a group of volunteers at the Magic Hospital, an organization dedicated to providing for the emotional as well as the physical well-being of sick, handicapped, neglected and abused children (the philosophy featured in the movie Patch Adams). The hospital decided to commit to donating RMB50,000 towards JiaJia's surgery fund, and volunteers are actively trying to raise the rest.
"It was harder for me not do something than to do something," explained Magda The, a Magic Hospital volunteer and one of the campaign's organizers, when asked why she decided to take up JiaJia's case. "Just because there are countless cases that never get attention does not make it right to ignore the cases where we can help." So far, the RMB100,000 has been raised for JiaJia's surgery fund, and volunteers are urgently trying to find the rest of the money in the short window of opportunity JiaJia has to complete the surgery.
If you are interested in donating to JiaJia's, please contact Magdalena The at 1380-110-9830 or email: magda.the@magichospital.org.
