Community comes together to save athlete battling cancer

“The two-day campaign has been organised only by his friends and family. He needs a bone marrow transplant that requires around Rs 40 lakh. We will take signatures from as many people as possible who visit the mall. We will also be collecting email ids and send them mails giving all the details of his condition and urge them to donate,” says Jijo John, a friend of Blumen and one of the organisers of the event. 

Blumen, a track athlete, a state record holder, a University gold medallist and a national level silver medallist in the 400m sprint, has earned many friends over the years. 

After doing his schooling from Don Bosco, he went on to do his graduation from Loyola College and his Masters in Social Work from Madras Christian College. He started his corporate life with Sutherland Global Services as an HR Business Partner. 

In December 2014, he was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML). His family has exhausted their lifetime savings for three years of medication. 

“He is the strongest person I know,” says Pinky, his sister. Further adding, “It was a shock for the entire family when he was diagnosed with cancer but his strength inspired us to hold up. However, we need financial support and it’s heartening to see his friends and even strangers come together,” she says. 

A crowdfunding campaign was launched recently to raise funds for him. Around Rs 22 lakh has already been collected but they are still yet to reach the target. People have been supporting him on social media by sharing his story. 

In fact, actors Dulquer Salman and Vikram Prabhu have tweeted to support his cause. His friends and family only hope that he returns home soon.