Greta Van Susteren Raises $150K On GoFundMe To Provide Liberian Orphan With Critical Medical Care

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Nov. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, GoFundMe announced that a crowdfunding campaign created by Greta Van Susteren to raise $150,000 for Sampson, a child in Liberia who needs urgent surgery, surpassed its goal within three days. Thanks to the overwhelming response from thousands of supporters, Sampson is able to travel to the U.S. to get the critical medical care he needs.

Sampson is an orphan from Liberia whose father died two years ago from Ebola. He has a facial deformity that has already caused blindness in one eye and, without intervention, would soon cause total blindness. Van Susteren, an American political commentator and former Fox News host, learned about Sampson's condition after tweeting about her upcoming trip to Liberia with the relief organization Samaritan's Purse to dedicate a new hospital. Someone tweeted back asking if she would help Sampson.

Van Susteren then received a photo of Sampson that immediately inspired her to get involved. The staff at Samaritan's Purse in Liberia tracked him down in a jungle village, three hours away from Monrovia. The staff brought Sampson to a doctor in the capital who said he needed an MRI, but the closest MRI was two countries away in Ghana, and Sampson had neither a passport nor funds.

Van Susteren created the GoFundMe campaign to raise money to bring Sampson to the USA to get surgery.  It is expected that with his serious problems, it will be multiple surgeries.  Within 3 days, 4,200 people donated $154,000 and counting to pay for this urgent medical care. As soon as the U.S. Embassy issues Sampson a visa to come to the USA, and that is expected to be any day, and soon as the medical treatment arrangements are worked out, he will be on his way to the USA to receive the medical care he so desperately needs.

"Without GoFundMe and all the big hearts of so many generous people, this would not be possible," said Van Susteren. "When we all work together, we can do so much. Thank you to GoFundMe and thank you to all those who gave."

Help Sampson Campaign Fast Facts
Total raised: $154,143
Total donors: 4,204
Largest donation: $5,000
Smallest donation: $5
Total shares: 17k

About GoFundMe

Launched in 2010, GoFundMe is the world's largest social fundraising platform, with over $3 billion raised so far. With a community of more than 25 million donors, GoFundMe is changing the way the world gives.

SOURCE GoFundMe