Cancer patient Sandro Grech has passed away early this morning. The 41-year-old father of two had been battling a rare and aggressive form of leukaemia for over three years and had captured the hearts of many Maltese alike in his fight against the disease. Sandro died in a hospital in Beijing, China, where he was undergoing treatment after a nationwide fundraising effort made that treatment possible.
In the last months and weeks of his life, Sandro and his family faced additional hardships beyond his illness. What began as a public appeal for support quickly turned into a remarkable display of solidarity, with thousands of people contributing to raise hundreds of thousands of eEuros for specialised treatment. The Government of Malta pledged €250,000 to support his cause, adding to the funds donated by the public.
However, the family also encountered troubling obstacles, a private air ambulance company that demanded additional fees at a critical moment, delaying his transfer for treatment and prompting accusations of exploitation.
Sandro’s fight, supported by public generosity and compassion, became a defining moment of national unity — even as questions remain about fairness in access to life-saving care and the conduct of some medical and logistical services.
Newsroom
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