Raising Money for Medical Expenses
Timothy was in love. His fiancé was just about to finish her doctorate, and he and she were eager to start a family. But, neither Timothy or his fiancé could prepare for the challenge that crept-up on their dream life; while on a road-trip to austin, Timothy’s fiancé was bitten by an insect carrying lyme disease, a debilitating disease that affects you both physically and mentally. Now, it is a struggle just for them to keep up with the bills.
Luckily, they are finding some substantial help from GoFundMe, a resource for those with medical expenses that's growing in popularity.
From this example and from our own lives, we know that health insurance doesn't always cover everything (An understatement to say the least!), and when times are tough, people have to rely on help from their families, friends, and community efforts to take care of the big bills and other loose ends.
And, if you can't get help, the effects of dealing with an illness can be painful: debt, loss of property, and plenty of stress. That's why the emergence of a new way to raise money for medical expenses is more than welcome.
What I'm talking about is a encouraging new phenomenon online called medical fundraising. It's a form of crowdfunding (Crowdfunding is asking asking a crowd of people to donate a defined amount of money for a specific cause), and it can help you recover the costs associated with an illness:
- Lost Wages
- Rent/Mortgage
- Utilities
- Food
By setting up a site on GoFundMe, one of Daily Crowdsource's sponsors, anyone can request funding for their friends, family, or others who are facing medical bills. It's a really awesome thing in our opinion!
From causes covering wisdom teeth removal to fighting cancer, many are meeting and surpassing their fundraising goals. For example, Timothy, who I mentioned before, asked the crowd for $4,500, but received over $7,000 to deal with his fiancé's battle with lyme disease. Another project asking for help for three young sisters with a rare genetic disease raised close to $75,000.
While you'd expect it to be mainly friends and family to contribute, there are also strangers with big hearts that are donating on GoFundMe and becoming the heroes that make change in others' lives. One quote I saw from a donation page to someone fighting cancer really stood out to me:
"I know I don't know you, but I know cancer...and I want you to kick its butt!"
Would you consider using raising money for medical bills for yourself or a loved one? We would. In fact, I have already suggested it to friends.
Let us know how you could use medical fundraising in the comments below.