Veteran journalist Bandula Jayasekara is calling for added contributions to help him reach the required budget for his urgently needed cancer treatment at a specialist hospital in Singapore.
In his public appeal, Jayasekara says:
“It has been almost one-and-a-half months since I appealed for your help to get treatment for the cancer that has taken over my body. You have all contributed from Rs. 50 to Rs. 500,000. Contributions have come from people who really care about me, and even people who don’t know me – friends, well-wishers, total strangers, viewers of the TV program and readers of my column. Some have even contributed their poor pensions. Others sold lunch packets to raise money for me. Words can’t describe how moved and humbled I am by your gestures.
“Doctors in Singapore have confirmed that they have found a full-matched donor for me. If we can get to the target amount, that means a cure is certain. Your generosity has meant that a life-saving bone marrow transplant is still within reach. So far, we have raised Rs. 20,611,717. We are still short of Rs. 9,388,282.
“We hope to do the transplant in February. Any further donation will go a long way. Sharing my appeal with your friend groups or in social media can also encourage others to donate. Your compassion and love means everything to me – it is no less than my life.”