Help Rickey: Donate to Fund Life-Saving Liver Surgery

To my dear friends across the sea, Our Surgery happened on the 25th of March, but we are facing many complications post-surgery.

I came to India with my family to donate part of my liver to save my father, who suffers from non-alcoholic liver cirrhosis. While the transplant was successful, he has since been readmitted twice — most recently on April 23rd, when he was taken into the ICU for internal bleeding. He is currently receiving a blood transfusion, and the cause is still being investigated.

Each complication has extended our stay and added to our medical expenses. Though we fundraised before the surgery, we now find ourselves in a vulnerable position. We’re hoping to raise INR 1,500,000 (approx. $18,000 in addition to the previously raised $7500) to cover ongoing hospital bills, medicines, and testing (Target GoFundMe figure is $26,000).

Any support — financial or by sharing this — would mean the world to us. Thank you for standing with us.

Thank you for helping me take care of my family.

With love and gratitude,

Rickey

(GoFundMe does not work in Sri Lanka, so my host family in the U.S. will be receiving donations and sending them to me (Nate Bowditch is my host parent).

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2025.03.05

To My Dearest Friends Across the Sea,

We reached our target amount of $7500. Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity. I am grateful to everyone.

Love,

Rithmaka Karunadhara (Rickey).

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2025. 03. 03

My father has been living with non-alcoholic liver cirrhosis for a few years. Last month, his liver weakened immensely, and he now requires an immediate transplant. I’ve volunteered as his donor and have taken this semester off to save his life.

We need ₹650,000 ($7,500) more to cover the surgery, which is scheduled for March 12. Anything you can spare will go a long way in helping us get through this. If you’re unable to donate, sharing this with others who might be able to help would mean the world to me.

GoFundMe does not work in Sri Lanka, so my host family in the U.S. will be receiving donations and sending them to me (Nate Bowditch is my host parent).

The total cost of the procedure is ₹2,634,600 (approx. $30,000), and this fundraiser will help cover the remaining amount. We traveled to India for the surgery due to low success rates in Sri Lanka. During pre-surgery checkups, we also discovered a heart blockage, which required an unexpected stent surgery, making our financial situation even tighter.

Thank you for helping me take care of my family. Your kindness and support mean a lot.

With love and gratitude,

Rickey