16-Year-Old Student Raises Over R210k to Offset Strangers' Medical Bills

• Harshini Anand, a high school student, rallied well-wishers to raise funds to offset people's medical debts
• Anand started the drive as part of a school project, but the teacher cancelled it due to the pandemic
• However, the young girl went ahead with the project and partnered with a charity organisation, touching many lives

A high school student has touched many people's hearts after raising funds for people unable to pay their medical bills.

Harshini Anand, 16, worked with a non-profit organisation to benefit people from across Michigan in the US.

According to Fox 2, Anand started the program as a school project where she was tasked with finding a community service project that would have the most impact.

Medical debts

Anand said that while researching the assignment, she came across the story of a woman discharged from hospital but wished she had not as she would be paying the bill for the rest of her life.

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"I came across an article of a woman detailing her experience with medical debt. One thing that stood out to me was that she wished she had never made it out of the hospital,” the young girl said.

Assignment cancelled

When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, the assignment was cancelled by her teacher, but she decided to make it her mission to help people settle medical debts.

She teamed up with RIP Medical Debt and wrote letters to friends, family and business owners seeking donations.

Anand reaches her target

“It took a lot of back-and-forth communication. But thanks to over 100 people willing to donate and hear me out as well as local businesses, we were able to reach a goal of KSh 1.6 million,” she said.

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Even though her campaign is finished, for now, the teen said she would most likely pursue similar ventures.

"Just take action. Whether big or small, the first step is what matters. If I had not taken that first step and none of this would’ve happened," she encouraged others.

Well wishers raise funds for man who rushed into fire to save twin daughters

Well-wishers have raised over R6.3 million for a Michigan man who ran into a house fire to save his twin daughters.

Ray Lucas and his girlfriend Shi'Ann Brown had gone out to run errands, and when they returned home, they found their house on fire with their twin daughters trapped inside.

Brown said that his mother, who was watching the kids, managed to escape, but the 18-month old twins were still in the house. Without thinking twice, Lucas ran into the burning house.

Source: Briefly News