Abbie�s fundraising campaign a success
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Thursday January 22, 2015 15:38
Abbie is suffering from a rare form of ovarian cancer known as immature teratoma. The Save Abbie campaign manager, Lorraine Lionheart said they have raised a whooping P703,654.58 in four weeks. The team had initially pleaded with the public to help raise P500,000 for Abbie’s operation and medical costs in China.
However, Lionheart has urged the public and organisations interested in pledging money to continue doing so because the patient would need more funds after the operation. She said Abbie may incur more expenses for intensive care while in China. Moreover, she will require funds for aftercare needs. Lionheart said that Abbie’s mother who to quit her job to care for her will need financial support too. “We have committed ourselves to helping this family, so please let us continue to do so,” she said in a statement.
“We started this appeal in desperation to raise funds for a potentially lifesaving treatment for Abbie. And the focus was placed on reaching the P500,000, which was an estimated figure by a specialist hospital in China based on Abbie’s condition then. Abbie’s condition is progressive and there is a likelihood that her tumors have grown since. It is extremely important that we make you aware that the amount required to get Abbie well could change depending on how well she responds to the treatment,” she said.
Lionheart stated that Abbie’s travel arrangements are now underway and the public will be informed about the details. “At this stage, saying thank you to you all, feels somehow too inferior an expression of gratitude, but from Abbie and family and the fundraising team, Re a leboga! Let us continue the fight to save our gorgeous princess until she is well and addressing you herself,” she added.
She acknowledged the receipt of a generous donation of P100,000 from BOPEU, which she said was included in the totals along with funds from various events and donations from individuals and organisations. Lionheart said that it was important to make people aware that they were still expecting more funds including P50,000 raised by Team-Abbie-London.