Among the diseases that still create great fear in the minds of most people, cancer is the primary one. However, medical science has been able to find out ways of controlling and managing the spread of cancer. Therefore, cancer is now easily detectable and, treatable.
Cancer treatment is however expensive. It is expensive to the extent that many people find themselves unable to access treatment even when they are seriously ill. The pitiful condition of the healthcare system in India worsens the circumstances of these people. Private healthcare is expensive and government hospitals are understaffed in many places making things difficult for patients of cancer who are financially underprivileged. One way to overcome this system that has become popular in the recent past is crowdfunding. Medical fundraising has become an integral part of crowdfunding.
One of the most common cancers is Basal Cell Carcinoma. Basal Cell Carcinoma appears as a raised area on the skin often looking similar to psoriasis or eczema. This kind of cancer originates in the basal cells of the skin and is different from a melanoma. Thought to be a result of ultraviolet ray exposure, Basal Cell Carcinoma occurs more frequently among Caucasian people.
However, with ozone layer depletion, they are becoming increasingly common in other populations. Basal Cell Carcinoma is rarely life threatening. However, when not treated timely, it results in permanent damage to the body. Similarly, Basal Cell Carcinoma is not likely to spread to other parts of the body but one should treat it in order to avoid complications. A good way of treating this illness is through cancer crowdfunding.
If you or anyone close to you has this cancer and you think that treatment may be difficult, there are certain things that can be done. For example, you can set up a fundraiser on any of the many crowdfunding sites available to you. There are certain processes you must follow in order to do crowdfunding for cancer. Here is a basic guideline:
- Make a list of all the crowdfunding sites that can host your fundraiser. Out of these, choose one site that suits your needs the most. You need a site that has experience in medical crowdfunding. You should also look for a site that provides you a managerial service in exchange for money. Impact Guru is a good choice.
- Write your fundraiser. Your fundraiser should not be too long and too complicated. However, you need to explain what your conundrum is and why you do not have the funds to treat yourself. In order to create credibility around your claims, you need to upload medical documents. If possible, you can also upload a picture of the person being treated. Since Basal Cell Carcinomas only happen on the outer part of the body, you can upload a picture of the cancer too.
- You need to publicize your fundraiser. This means going on social media and other internet outlets where people are likely to pay you money. You need to interact with people personally too. Moreover, you can message them and email them your fundraiser asking them for funds.
- Once you have your money, you can start your treatment. However, remember you should send “thank you” messages to all the people who helped you in this journey. This is a good crowdfunding practice which popularizes the culture of crowdfunding. Similarly, you also need to keep these people in the loop about your progress.
Remember that crowdfunding is an ultimately risk free and low investment way of raising money. It is a great tool in our hands and we should use it well.
