Bermudian medical student Aisha Basset has reached her goal and will be able to do a medical internship in Belize thanks to Body & Soul readers. The Royal Gazette and urged others to help as well.

An article earlier this month highlighted Ms Bassett's need for financial aid in order to take advantage of a medical internship in the Central American country.

Belize has one of the highest cancer rates in the world.

Ms Bassett is interested in specialising in oncology and felt that the experience she would gain there would help her in treating Bermudian cancer patients in the future.

The article touched many readers and Ms Bassett said she quickly reached her financial goal after the article published.

"I was pleasantly surprised by the quick response," she said.

Sixteen readers, each of whom asked not to be named, helped Ms Bassett meet her goal.

"Those who e-mailed me were very encouraging. People didn’t give a reason why they wanted to help and they each encouraged me to continue with my medical pursuits. Some shared with me that they wanted to help because they saw my trip as a worthwhile endeavour and wanted to support me in reaching my goal," she said.

"I was very touched by these individuals’ generous sponsorship. I am very grateful and thankful for their generosity and for investing in me.”

As a result of the article Jenefer Brimmer of the Asthma and Allergy Relief Centre and the Belize-based company HI Group Marketing & Consultant Ltd, donated $500.

Ms Brimmer announced her donation in a subsequent article in

Ms Bassett said she reached her goal very quickly after the original article on April 2. In fact, she was offered more money than she needed.

"I have reached my goal and told several people that if they would still like to give then I can donate any additional funds to the hospital in Belize and the Belize Cancer Centre," she said.

"I have told these individuals that I will update them on what I have learned and how their investment has not only helped me but also the people of Belize that I will be meeting. Their gifts have given me a boost and have made me even more excited and motivated to go to Belize and gain as much as I can from every experience I encounter there.”