Fundraising to Stay Alive

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Mary Lou Retton is fighting for her life in ICU with a rare form of pneumonia.

You remember her, right?

Her face was on every television screen - little girl with a huge smile and a lot of talent.

She owned those Olympics. I remember her on a Wheaties box.

She didn’t have health insurance and had to get help through a Go-Fund me to pay her medical bills.

“America! What a country.”

Mary Lou isn’t a one off.

So many people in this country need help to stay out of the soup kitchen once they have a medical problem.

And what are the chances that you’re going to get through life without needing medical help?

We have insurance - pay a hell of a lot for it - we have to spend a lot of money on medical bills that aren’t fully covered.

Want to try a different medication?

Like the ones they advertise on television?

“Three-thousand a month.”

One of the pharmacists quoted that price to Kathy after a doc advised trying it.

“That’s double the cost of our mortgage!”

I simply cringe when I see someone on social media begging for money through a go-fund me.

You see something like:

“My mother has cancer and she can’t afford her treatments because her insurance won’t cover it.”

And I think back to the 1980’s when good jobs came with paid insurance, pension plans and livable wages.

Now a company introduces the new healthcare program and notes:

“You’re going to have to pay more.”

For less.

A former Olympian…

…not only fighting for her life…

…but without help…

…wouldn’t be able to pay her bill.

What the hell happened?

My guess?

Greed.

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