A crowd-funding initiative to support veteran musician Ray Phiri has turned sour after the Stimela hitmaker's family pulled the plug on attempts to raise funds for his cancer treatment.
Ray Phiri's apparent battle with lung cancer hit the headlines this week and saw an outpouring of love and support.
Ray's condition was revealed recently when a crowdfunding page was set up by a friend to help Ray with his medical bill.
"Ray Phiri is currently in the Nelspruit Mediclinic suffering from lung cancer. Please help by donating funds as he has exhausted all his private funds. Ray has touched so many people with his music and to friends in the industry with his infectious love of life. We are wanting to show our support by creating the campaign that will ease the costs of his cancer treatment while also acknowledging what he has meant to all who came in contact with him‚" the plea from Richard Mitchell read.
However‚ the page was shut down just hours after it had started‚ at the request of the family. Before it was shut down it had amassed just under R3‚000 of its R50‚000 goal- with donations from around the world.
Speaking to TshisaLIVE‚ Richard said he started the page after getting a call from Ray asking for help.
"I got a video call from Ray on Friday morning telling me he was in hospital and needed help. I started the donations page because I wanted to help my friend of over 40 years. I wasn't trying to be malicious or anything. I really just wanted to help‚" Richard said.
He said that the family was angry with Ray's condition being made public.
Ray's daughter Nonku refused to comment on her father's condition and would not be drawn on whether the family had shut down the donations page.
Meanwhile‚ musician Mara Louw has also distanced herself from the situation‚ after initially sharing the plea on her own social media accounts.
"You should call the family. I didn't initiate any pleas to help Ray and I am not involved in this‚" Mara told TshisaLIVE.
Source: TMG Digital.
Controversy over pleas to help Ray Phiri with cancer battle
Ray Phiri's apparent battle with lung cancer hit the headlines this week and saw an outpouring of love and support.
Ray's condition was revealed recently when a crowdfunding page was set up by a friend to help Ray with his medical bill.
"Ray Phiri is currently in the Nelspruit Mediclinic suffering from lung cancer. Please help by donating funds as he has exhausted all his private funds. Ray has touched so many people with his music and to friends in the industry with his infectious love of life. We are wanting to show our support by creating the campaign that will ease the costs of his cancer treatment while also acknowledging what he has meant to all who came in contact with him‚" the plea from Richard Mitchell read.
However‚ the page was shut down just hours after it had started‚ at the request of the family. Before it was shut down it had amassed just under R3‚000 of its R50‚000 goal- with donations from around the world.
Speaking to TshisaLIVE‚ Richard said he started the page after getting a call from Ray asking for help.
"I got a video call from Ray on Friday morning telling me he was in hospital and needed help. I started the donations page because I wanted to help my friend of over 40 years. I wasn't trying to be malicious or anything. I really just wanted to help‚" Richard said.
He said that the family was angry with Ray's condition being made public.
Ray's daughter Nonku refused to comment on her father's condition and would not be drawn on whether the family had shut down the donations page.
Meanwhile‚ musician Mara Louw has also distanced herself from the situation‚ after initially sharing the plea on her own social media accounts.
"You should call the family. I didn't initiate any pleas to help Ray and I am not involved in this‚" Mara told TshisaLIVE.
Source: TMG Digital.
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