More than 50 million Americans do not have health insurance, and even if their family is fortunate enough to have “good” health insurance, serious illnesses often require out of pocket expenses that can become staggering. Medical costs cause more than 60 percent of all personal bankruptcies. Technology has given rise to new solutions for individuals and families without an alternative support for rising costs. Thousands of dollars in increments as little as $5 have spurned countless stories of medical expenses covered, including cancer treatment, IVF and general hospital bills.
Here we outline six health related campaigns who've benefited from crowdfunding:
Larsen Morris Brunel’s Journey
The parents of a one year old diagnosed with Leukemia lauches a campaign looking to raise $2,000 to pay for their child’s Chemotherapy treatments.
SUCCESS: $2,755
Fund for Lucas Hiram Massman
Born six weeks premature, his mother died the day after giving birth to him. Lucas’ father needed help paying for hospital bills.
SUCCESS: Lucas has been doing much better, father raised $11,490 — over $1,490 his goal.
Save a Life: Support Angela Faddis' Advanced Cancer Treatments
A thirty-one year old mother of two young children was diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer out of the blue. Family could not afford expensive treatment procedures.
SUCCESS: 339 people helped the family surpass their goal of $30,000. Gifts ranged from $5 to $1600 and mother is currently undergoing treatment.
Help the Haley’s Have a Baby
After nearly three years of trying to conceive, a couple learned that they have a one percent chance of conceiving naturally. Created a campaign on IndieGoGo to raise $5,000 to put towards the costly In Vetro Fertilization medical procedure that may increase their chances of conceiving.
SUCCESS: The couple has raised over $7,000 and have started the IVF procedure.
The Pastor Marrion Fund
A pastor who has dedicated his life to the people of Congo was diagnosed with acute renal failure and in need of a very costly kidney transplant.
SUCCESS: After a year of intense fundraising, campaign raised nearly $50K for the pastor to receive a kidney transplant on May 26 at Nairobi Hospital. Some complications have kept the pastor hospitalized while the kidney responds and heals.
John Stamler Ran the NY City Marathon Six Months After Open Heart Surgery
Diagnosed with two rare heart conditions, John was determined to give back and raise money for Bens Friends, the organization that not only develops and builds online communities for people with rare diseases but a support system that had guided him through his own experience. In addition, the AVM Survivors, the support portion of the organization, also created a campaign to raise $4,988.
SUCCESS: John completed the marathon in 3 hours and 37 minutes, raising $2,313 over his goal for the cause.
