Living in the U.S. here, so non-American advice may not be the best thing for me, not sure.
I am living with an undiagnosed serious illness (haven’t eaten for 45 days.) I am off work on FMLA, which is a thing businesses in the U.S. offer to their employees where you can taker time off and they will keep your job for you, but you don’t get paid. We are not exactly poor, but we are going to be surviving for at least a month on a single income. That will be hard, but we’ll make it if we cut back.
HOWEVER.
I have $1000 in medical debt, which will just keep climbing, and I also have a cousin who says that he can get me into the best hospital in New York- I’m in Indiana and we’re not exactly at the forefront of medicine- to get thoroughly tested. I cannot afford either of these things. We do not have temporary disability insurance.
I have a lot of friends and relatives who might donate, but I feel like such an asshole asking for money. Especially when my wife is working and has a decent job. I’ve done everything I can since I was 18 to make it on my own and, while I have had to take handouts in the past, it was at the ‘this or starve’ level, and my doctor hasn’t run out of tests to do on me yet, so I wouldn’t quite put it like that. And what if the money isn’t enough to go to New York and pay for all of this testing? Do I give it all back?
So should I do a GoFundMe? What do you think?
Please, please, please, please do not give me medical advice. I really really do not want medical advice from strangers on the Internet. I leave that to professionals. But I would love this bit of AITA advice.
TL;DR - Very ill, not working, in debt, possible solution in another state. Should I do a GoFundMe?
Do what you have to do. If people give you money, it’s out of their own volition.
Hope you get better.
Ask yourself, if the roles were reversed would you judge a friend harshly for asking for help? Of course not. Do what you need to do to survive.
True, I wouldn’t.
I agree with the post above. As an American and as someone going through something similar, if it comes down to either asking for some funds from friends and family to aid in taking care of your family – or risking medical debt – take any help you can get. As you said in the original post, debt will start to compound and can get out of control fast. Further, managing that debt and your medical issue at the same time may take a wild toll on you and your family.
Take care of you and yours first, pay it forward when you are healthy. People won’t think you’re an a-hole if you are responsible with what they give. Anyone who does think badly of you for asking for help… You maybe should reevaluate your connection with them because id bet people that care just want you back to good health.
Best of luck figuring it all out, I know it can be hard.
I totally agree. Let people know you need help, and if they’re able let them help you! However, I have been financially scammed by sick friend before. Turns out they were sick because they weren’t taking care of themselves and spending the money on the garbage making them sick. I still feel sorry for them, just wish they actually got better
Get your ass to that hospital, money be damned!!
This sounds very serious. At this point, you need to decide if you want to live and possibly be paying medical debt off for a while, or die.
Definitely put up a go fund me, but SWEET JESUS don’t let the thought of medical debt drive you to what is essentially suicide.
Google tells me this:
Medical bills are generally classified as nonpriority unsecured debts, and they’re a type of debt most likely to be discharged, or wiped clean, in a bankruptcy.
A bankruptcy follows you for a decade or less, so worst case, declare bankruptcy.
Until you know what it is, you can’t treat it. Until you treat it, you can’t return to normal for your family.
Go for it
Needing help doesn’t make you a bad person - do it. If it makes them think less of you, them they weren’t very good friends anyway.
Everyone struggles at times. Anyone can fall on hard times. That doesn’t make you a piece of shit, it makes you unlucky - especially when it’s for medical reasons!
FMLA isn’t something that “businesses offer” it’s a legal requirement that they are required to follow.
Only if they have over 50 employees. Mine does not. They offer it.
Hope you get better. Don’t feel bad for asking for help. You aren’t an asshole.
Yes, do so. And share it with lemmy.world.
I appreciate that, but I don’t want to doxx myself, and that would require my real name. Otherwise, I like the idea.
The only thing I have to add is that there is this societal shame associated with asking for help. And it’s fucking ridiculous!
We all need help sometimes, and others often want to help, but aren’t aware you need help if you don’t ask.
I know several people who have done this and it’s helped. I don’t see the down side, unless nobody donates. Then you feel very unloved.
Well… of course… that’s another issue. What if no one donates?
Bake Sale.
You wouldn’t want to eat what I could bake.
Still would work as an ‘excuse’ to ask for money; “Please accept a badly baked cookie as a token of my graditute so that I don’t feel guilty for asking for money.”
Do it and DM me the link please. :)
I’m from the country above, but what you described seems like something worth fundraising for. Not eating for 45 days is scary even as the reader (I understand you probably consume food somehow).
I hope you get the help you need and come out of this strong 🙏
I’m living on Ensure.
Have you inquired about financial assistance from the hospital?
A lot of hospitals offer this service but don’t advertise it. Source: work in a hospital
What’s worse: Having your friends MAYBE “think less” of you for asking for money to fund your medical needs (and if they do think less, they weren’t your friends anyway)…or death? Because this sounds like life or death, dude. A Go-Fund Me isn’t asking 1 person to foot the bill for a large amount, it’s asking many people to give a small amount. My cousin did a Go-Fund Me when she had brain cancer and sent it to everyone she knew, and we all donated.
Do you need the money fir actual medical bills, the ticket to NY, or both? I guess an alternative is taking out a medical bill loan (a quick Google search says they exist), but I don’t know much about them. You said you have good credit, so you should be able to get one. Just because you have debt doesn’t mean they won’t give you the loan.
I’m sorry you’re going through this, and that our American health care system is such shit.
I can see you haven’t done this so it’s not “maybe my friends will think less” it’s"maybe my friends will find out the severity of my disease and abandon me completely because only one or two of them were actually friends" ask me how I know
Don’t assume you know anything about me.
OP doesn’t owe their friends any medical information, even when asking for money for medical bills.
Is your condition stable, slowly worsening, or critical?
Before you do anything, talk to your doctor. They might be able to recommend a specialist in-state or closer than NY. They may even be able to work with a doctor in another hospital. If you want to go to NY, talk to the hospital directly (not through your cousin) and buy the ticket as close as possible. Unless your condition is severe and worsening, they may not be able to take you in immediately. Look at the hospital online and see if they have telemedicine services. You might be able to make an appointment through that.
Lastly, for the incoming medical bills my advice is this:
- See if you qualify for financial aid through the hospital.
- Get an itemized bill and ask if there’s anything that can be reduced.
- Get the lowest payment plan that you can. Never miss a payment. After some time you might be able to pay it off a reduced bill or it may even be forgiven.
Edit: Also, NTA as many people have said. Best of luck, friend.
Apart from my losing a lot of weight, which is to be expected from not eating and I’m overweight anyway, it’s stable. As far as specialists, believe me, I’ve tried. No one has an appointment open within the next three months. But the medical bill advice I really appreciate. Thank you.
