Ahmed Bellozo GoFundMe raises $10000 as community rallies around civilian reporter battling cancer

Ahmed Bellozo, popularly known for exemplifying the use of social media for independent journalism, recently began a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe. Bellozo shared that he was organising a fundraiser in order to provide for his family as he was unable to work.

Bellozo informed supporters that he was battling with acute myeloma lymphoma (AML), a disease that was struggling with for the second time.

The news of Bellozo’s inability to work and provide for his family was dealt with sensitivity by the community of followers and admirers that he had built on the internet.

The fundraiser has already received donations that total more than $10000.

Ahmed Bellozo, along with the plea for donations on the GoFundMe page, also posted pictures from his treatment at the hospital.

The post for the fundraiser gave further details about Bellozo’s health condition. The post stated,

“My name is Ahmed Bellozo, and I am currently in the hospital facing a difficult battle with acute myeloma lymphoma (AML) for the second time. After being in remission, I was recently re-diagnosed and am now fighting pneumonia and receiving treatment to stop blood clots in my lungs. This has been an incredibly challenging journey, both physically and emotionally, as I work to recover and regain my strength.”

Bellozo is known closely by his followers on social media. Many of his followers come from the same local communities on which he bases his reportage. However, in order to provide a strong case for the need for donations, Bellozo also provided details about his family life. The fundraiser post mentions,

“Throughout this ordeal, I remain the sole provider for my family. My loving spouse, two wonderful daughters, and our dog, three cats, and three birds all depend on me. Being away from home and unable to work has placed a significant strain on our household, making it difficult to keep up with medical bills, hospital stays, and daily living expenses. Your generosity will help us tremendously as we navigate these trials and focus on my recovery.”

Ahmed Bellozo’s life and career

Ahmed Bellozo’s meteoric rise  on the internet is primarily attributed to his distinctive style of reporting local news. Ever since Bellozo first launched his social media account in 2023, he has been appreciated, admired and followed by thousands of netizens for his entirely unique method of news reporting.

Bellozo covers local topics with an unprecedented depth, combining a local’s knack for picking stories that matter to the community with a style that is unconventional yet savvy on the internet.

His approach to journalism has been noted by major publications such as the LA Times.

An important factor about Bellozo that makes him so popular among netizens is his personal story of transformation.

Bellozo had been in and out of jail for a significant portion of his life, starting when he was a teenager. In total, he has spent 23 years in prison, as per another report by the LA Times.

According to the report by the LA Times, Bellozo is self taught, and he learnt and perfected his own language of investigative reporting by observing media reports that appealed to him.

Further, Bellozo’s popularity is based in part on his exemplary ability to use the power of technology and social media to create an entirely new niche of social media based local journalism, which Bellozo’s popularity proves has its own significant market share.