Nantou County’s Puli Junior High School has opened a bank account to raise funds for one of its students who has been diagnosed with cancer, and called on the public to make donations.
Nantou County Commissioner Lin Ming-chen (林明溱) and Department of Education Director Peng Ya-ling (彭雅玲) on June 19 visited the 14-year-old student, surnamed Ho (何), who is from an impoverished single-parent household, to deliver a financial aid package and raise awareness about the school’s education savings account.
The first-year high-school student was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year after a traffic accident in January, when his grandfather was taking him to school on a scooter, his relatives said.
Ho was taken to a hospital, where doctors initially diagnosed a swelling on his right shoulder as a contusion, but Ho’s teachers became suspicious when the swelling did not heal and urged him to undergo more further medical examination.
Doctors at the Taichung Veteran General Hospital found that he has malignant osteosarcoma, his relatives said.
The tumor has grown to the size of a football, from his right shoulder to arm, they said.
Chemotherapy was ineffective, with Ho’s weight falling from 43kg to 35kg, they said.
He has started undergoing target therapy, with improvements to his health, they said.
Ho’s family owes about NT$200,000 in medical bills, as his father and grandfather had to quit their jobs to take care of him, while his grandmother supports the family by working at restaurants, earning less than NT$20,000 per month.
Each round of target therapy costs NT$40,000, with Ho also needing a triple dose of drugs that costs NT$9,000 per dosage. Add in transportation costs and hospital room fees, the family is having difficulty paying for the treatments, they said.
The school said that its staff and the parents’ association have applied for academic grants and student insurance, and have received donations from the Puli Shanming Lions Club, Puli Dimu Temple and other charitable groups, but the money is not enough to cover Ho’s long-term needs.
The school said that information about the education savings account has been posted on www.edusave.edu.tw. People can send donations via the Web site by selecting Nantou County and entering case number 105-03587, or call the school for assistance.
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