Man Walking Extra Mile To Raise Money For Blind Boy
Boy Needs Brain Surgery Totaling $350,000
POSTED: 7:55 p.m. PDT May 30, 2003
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- A local man is walking the extra mile to save a Lamont boy with a brain tumor.
Lloyd Marshall, (pictured, left), plans to walk across the country to raise money for the boy's alternative treatment.
Zack Fritz, 7, has had the tumor for three years. He has already gone blind in one eye.
"I just help out anybody, anybody who needs help," Marshall said.
Fritz has had 15 surgeries and has a drain tube in his neck. The tube goes from his head to his stomach.
According to KERO, the tumor has grown two centimeters since January and Fritz is now blind in his right eye.
A surgery to remove the tumor will leave him permanently blind in both eyes. His only help is an alternative peptide treatment in Houston, but there is one problem.
"It's an $18,000 deposit and then $7,000 a month for a total of $350,000. Being a truck driver I don't make that much money," said Kevin Fritz, Zack's father.
Marshall has made it his mission to raise the money by walking across America and speaking to the media, churches and organizations to try and get Fritz, (pictured, right), his treatment.
"I'm gonna go and let people know who Zack is and I'm gonna get the money, there is no doubt in my mind," Marshall said.
"Both of them said they were gonna get me back there. This is my only chance, last chance to get a lot of help," Zack Fritz said.
If you would like to donate to Zack's operation, a fund has been set up at the Kern Central Federal Credit Union in the name of Zachary Fritz.
Marshall is leaving on his walk across America Saturday morning from Lamont.
So far, $8,000 has been raised.
Lloyd Marshall, (pictured, left), plans to walk across the country to raise money for the boy's alternative treatment.
Zack Fritz, 7, has had the tumor for three years. He has already gone blind in one eye.
"I just help out anybody, anybody who needs help," Marshall said.
Fritz has had 15 surgeries and has a drain tube in his neck. The tube goes from his head to his stomach.
According to KERO, the tumor has grown two centimeters since January and Fritz is now blind in his right eye.
A surgery to remove the tumor will leave him permanently blind in both eyes. His only help is an alternative peptide treatment in Houston, but there is one problem.
"It's an $18,000 deposit and then $7,000 a month for a total of $350,000. Being a truck driver I don't make that much money," said Kevin Fritz, Zack's father.
Marshall has made it his mission to raise the money by walking across America and speaking to the media, churches and organizations to try and get Fritz, (pictured, right), his treatment.
"I'm gonna go and let people know who Zack is and I'm gonna get the money, there is no doubt in my mind," Marshall said.
"Both of them said they were gonna get me back there. This is my only chance, last chance to get a lot of help," Zack Fritz said.
If you would like to donate to Zack's operation, a fund has been set up at the Kern Central Federal Credit Union in the name of Zachary Fritz.
Marshall is leaving on his walk across America Saturday morning from Lamont.
So far, $8,000 has been raised. Copyright 2003 by TheBakersfieldChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
