Mangaluru: Social media influencer Fayaz Madoor from Mangaluru has completed a crowdfunding drive for a two-year-old boy from Mandya district suffering from Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 2, raising over Rs 2 crore. He announced that the donation bank account has been closed.Madoor undertook padayatras across the state after learning about the family’s struggle to meet treatment costs. He told TOI that people from all religions united for the cause.“For the child’s life-saving medical treatment Rs 2,06,50,520 has been raised,” Madoor said, thanking every donor, volunteer, organisation, and well-wisher who stood by the family.The child’s father said the campaign witnessed unprecedented public participation. “It was impossible for us to arrange such a huge amount. Fayaz Madoor took up the responsibility and conducted awareness campaigns, public fundraising drives, and volunteer outreach programmes in various towns and cities for about 45 days. Thousands contributed according to their capacity, while countless others helped spread the message through social networks,” he said.The Gowda family and the child will leave for Indonesia on July 19 for treatment. “In India the treatment cost will cost about Rs 16 crore. Meanwhile, in Indonesia, an alternative treatment is available for Rs 2 crore. We will have to stay in the hospital for two weeks,” he said.He added that Rs 6.5 lakh from the total amount raised has been contributed to support other children suffering from SMA and similar life-threatening illnesses.Dr Ramesh Konanki, pediatric neurologist at Rainbow Children’s Medicare Ltd, Secunderabad, certified that the child was under his care. “This is a life-threatening disease and can be fatal, if untreated. For his treatment, the medicine, Zolgensma single dose, is required. This life-saving drug is currently not manufactured in India,” Dr Konanki stated.The campaign has also triggered a social media debate on the govt’s responsibility to ensure free treatment for such rare diseases. Activist Shashidhar Shetty said, “It is the primary responsibility of the govt to safeguard the health, nutrition, safety, and education of any child. The ministers, who have taken an oath on the Constitution, have the responsibility to protect the fundamental rights guaranteed by it.”
