Queensland boy Daniel Corzo Remigio diagnosed with leukemia but treatment not covered by Medicare
Daniel Corzo Remigio, a Queensland boy, was diagnosed with leukemia, but the treatment was not covered by Medicare
- Amelia Corzo Remigio launched a fundraising campaign for her son’s transplant
- Family said the operation will continue even if they cannot afford it
A mother in a desperate bid to raise $500,000 for her son’s life-saving bone marrow transplant has been told the operation will go ahead even though she cannot afford it.
Brisbane woman Amelia Corzo-Remigio tried to raise the money for her son Daniel’s surgery after the six-year-old was diagnosed with aggressive B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in January last year.
Daniel underwent several rounds of chemotherapy and went into remission after the first phase of treatment.
But a check-up in July this year revealed the cancer had returned, with little Daniel now in a race against time to get a bone marrow transplant.
Amelia Corzo Remigio had been trying to raise the money for her son Daniel’s surgery after the six-year-old girl was diagnosed with aggressive B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in January last year.
Ms Corzo Remigio moved to Australia from Peru in 2018 with her husband and Daniel when he was just 18 months old, and Daniel’s older brother.
Because they are not permanent residents, they do not have access to Medicare and their insurance does not cover the bone marrow transplant.
‘The transplant is too expensive. “Going back to Peru is not an option because the medical system is already saturated and delays could reduce the chances of Daniel surviving,” the mother wrote in a post GoFundMe.
The fundraiser raised more than $136,000 in just over two weeks, but Daniel’s family was still more than $350,000 short.
Ms Corzo Remigio made a plea to Queensland Health Minister Shannon Fentiman, who incredibly announced on Sunday evening that the operation would go ahead – regardless of whether or not the $500,000 had been raised.
“While we encourage the community to donate if they can, Daniel’s family will not be asked to pay more than they can, either before or after the operation,” Ms Fentiman said.
‘I would like to wish brave little Daniel the best of luck and a speedy recovery.’
Ms Corzo Remigio said she felt like her “soul returned to my body” after hearing the news.
“I feel reassured that Daniel will receive all the care he needs to save his life,” she told the BBC ABC.
Ms Corzo Remigio moved to Australia from Peru in 2018 with her husband and Daniel when he was just 18 months old, and Daniel’s older brother (pictured together)
“We are eternally grateful for every donation… and for everyone’s work that has led us to this point. We thank the Minister of Health … for taking the time to investigate our case.”
Ms Corzo Remigio had moved to Australia with her family in 2018 to pursue her PhD at the University of Queensland.
“Over the past five years, Australia has become my family’s home,” she said.
“We’ve worked and built our lives here and we’re surrounded by a beautiful community.”
Last year, Ms Corzo Remigio completed her PhD and secured a position as a research fellow at Queensland University’s Sustainable Minerals Institute.
When she launched the GoFundMe, the mother said she understood it was a “huge” amount of money.
“We believe that communities are stronger when they come together and that we can make a difference in the life of one child,” she said.
“Every dollar increases Daniel’s chance of survival!”