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The story of a total of 5 billion won being raised in Japan for the cost of transplant surgery for a 1-year-old girl suffering from heart disease has become known.



Recently, local media such as the Mainichi Shimbun reported that about 530 million yen (about 5.1 billion won) of donations were collected to the Japanese organization 'Meeting to Save Aoi'.



"We planned to raise money for three months, but we reached our goal in one month," he said.



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Born on October 31 last year in Toshima-ku, Tokyo, Aoi Sato was diagnosed with congenital heart disease, a hole in the heart wall shortly after birth.



She underwent 4 surgeries, but since her surgery last June, her heart function has continued to deteriorate, and she has been sustaining her life through an artificial heart.



However, she was at high risk of contagious disease and she was concerned about complications, so she needed a heart transplant as soon as possible.



As a result, Aoi's parents, who had financial difficulties, hoped to have surgery in Korea.



However, after looking at the heart transplant situation in Japan, she had no choice but to go to the United States.



A support group helping Aoi explained that "in Japan, the number of heart transplant cases in children under the age of 6 is very small, about 3 cases per year in recent years."



Afterward, he received a reply from Columbia University Hospital in the United States that surgery was possible, but surgery in the United States was not covered by Japanese medical insurance, so he needed a huge cost.



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Accordingly, Aoi's parents and support groups started raising money on the 14th of last month, and Aoi's unfortunate story quickly spread through local broadcasting and various social media.



And within a month of starting her fundraising campaign, more than 27,000 people participated and donations exceeded the target amount.



Aoi plans to visit the US as early as the end of next month, and early next year she will have a heart transplant.



Her mother, Kiyoka, said that she "gained her courage with the encouragement of many people" and that she would "do everything in her power to save her child."



(Photo = Aochango救う会 (Aoi Support Group) website, Twitter)