Cash for Hope: Ireland's medical crowdfunding phenomenon

Irish people have given over €15 million to GoFundMe campaigns raising money for potentially life-saving treatments that are too alternative, experimental or new to qualify for funding from the HSE. We hear the stories from patients and families - and explore whether some of these therapies are worth the money.

Ireland is the most generous country in the world on GoFundMe, as half a million people here have donated to causes on the crowdfunding site. But what are these funds going towards? GoFundMe has revealed to the Magazine that half of all funds raised on the site in Ireland were for medical expenses – over €15 million. These funds are not paying for hair transplants in Turkey, or dental work in Hungary; much ...