Overview

• Akin’s GoFundMe seeks £3,500, which he says would help fund private medical care he cannot access promptly on the NHS.
• He lists conditions including sciatica, a stage two hernia and two degenerated lumbar discs, and says he wants operations he estimates at around £37,000 in total.
• The fundraising drive is described by Akin as a “social experiment,” with a pledge to document information shared by donors.
• He writes that he doubts he would receive state benefits if unable to work, though he says he has continued working except for two procedures in the past year.
• The Sun reported that £10 had been raised at the time of its publication, and coverage in UK tabloids and the Mirror highlighted mixed public reactions and suggestions such as launching a Patreon.