Effiong Eton: Boy With Giant Eye Tumour Saved By Facebook Appeal

Tuesday 23 February 2016

Boy With Giant Eye Tumour Saved By Facebook Appeal

A YOUNG boy can have the life-changing operation he so badly needs thanks to a viral Facebook post.

A giant tumour grew from Anil Arya's left eye after he developed a rare eye cancer. But the six-year-old's family had no way of raising the cash needed for his surgery –which will cost more than £1,000.

But thanks to a good samaritan who shared a photo on social media, the youngster from Bageshwar in India has been flooded with donations from all over the world.

Gurvinder Singh Chadha wanted to help Anil so he launched a Facebook appeal which quickly went viral.

He said: "We had tried everything and wrote to various government officials regarding this issue but to no avail.

"Then I thought to use the social media as a platform to seek help.

"I am really happy to see such a positive response."

In the post, Gurvinder explained that the boy is suffering from a retinoblastoma, a rare malignant tumour of the retina that normally only affects very young children.

And in just 24 hours people from New Zealand through to America had pledged money and raised the total sum.

The campaign included a link to a bank account for the family, which meant people could donate cash directly.

Anil’s operation has already been booked and he’s due to meet with experts from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi.

According to doctors, the disease is a rare form of cancer that rapidly develops from the immature cells of a retina – the light-detecting tissue of the eye.

It is the most common malignant cancer of the eye for kids and it almost exclusively affects young children.

During the surgery, most or part of the eye has to be removed which means patients risk losing their vision.