Cancer patient Zelia Castello is in India receiving treatment but her funds are running low.
Castello left for India on October 2 with US$15,000 for a bone marrow transplant, after the medical officials at the hospital in India agreed to accept only a down payment to begin her treatment.
After paying medical expenses, accommodation, food and transport, she now has less than US$1,500 left.
However, she said donations have stopped coming in and she has no other means of raising money.
“People stop donating, people stop because based on feedback, a lot of people are of the interpretation that I would have got through with everything but the hospital agreed based on how critical my situation was, they agreed to at least assist me.”
However, Castello said her treatment going forward will now be on consignment.
“It have a bill that will have to be cleared off before I leave in order to come back home,” she explained.
Castello expressed gratitude to everyone who contributed financially and supported her with words of encouragement and prayer.
But she still needs help.
“I would like to ask persons to continue contributing to my cause because it wouldn’t feel good to know the medicals going up and everything here is being counted in US currency. It is a big bill and I just glad to start (the treatment) but I would just like to be paying for my treatment at the same time to try and eliminate as much as expenses as I can.”
Castello began her first round of chemotherapy at Fortis Hospital this week, but she is expected to remain in India for about four months.
Diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma last January, Castello, a municipal police officer, began raising funds for treatment earlier this year.
She was told then that the procedure would cost US$200,000. Anyone wishing to help can donate to Zelia Christiana Castello First Citizens account number - 2283611. She can also be contacted at 329-1688.
