Kohima: A six-day social media appeal successfully raised Rs 4.66 lakh for a young lupus patient named Bendangla. The funds will now allow her to travel from Dimapur to Apollo Excelcare Hospital in Guwahati on August 11 for critical medical follow-ups. Her family, including a father who works as a church caretaker, previously missed a February appointment because they could not afford the costs.
Kewe Mero, a local YouTuber and content creator, launched the campaign on August 1 after personally visiting the family to verify their medical reports and financial state. Mero has a history of vetting cases before asking for money. He stated, “After seeing her condition and understanding what the family had been going through, I felt that I should step forward and use my platform to help raise funds for her treatment.”
Donations flowed in from across Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Assam, Manipur, and Meghalaya. The support came from strangers and acquaintances alike. Students and young children contributed from their own savings. The campaign quickly expanded beyond money, as followers offered prayers, medical advice, and emotional support.
Mero views his 200,000-subscriber platform as a tool for public service rather than just numbers. He previously raised over Rs 13 lakh for a child battling leukemia. He noted that the response to Bendangla’s case involved all generations. The raised money covers her travel, medicines, consultations, and ongoing treatment needs. The family had not been able to return to the hospital since November 2025.
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