Sarah Burke’s family sets up website to pay hospital bill ($550k)

[Blue_Tires]

Donations have been pouring in on behalf of Canadian freestyle skier Sarah Burke who died Thursday at the age of 29 in a Utah hospital.

A fundraising website has been set up by Burke’s family for the skier’s medical costs and related expenses.

Burke crashed Jan. 10 in Park City, Utah, while training in a halfpipe. The Olympic gold-medal hopeful and four-time Winter X Games champion tore one of the major arteries supplying blood to her brain and went into cardiac arrest.

She underwent surgery and spent nine days on life support at the University of Utah Hospital. But Burke had suffered irreversible brain damage after the fall because of lack of oxygen and blood to the brain.

The website originally set up at www.giveforward.com/sarahburke was organized by her agent, Michael Spencer and has marked a goal for $550,000. As of noon Friday, the site had raised more than $94,000.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/article/1118587--sarah-burke-s-family-sets-up-website-to-help-pay-for-her-medical-bill

[Blue_Tires]

1. ttt

[Earth_First]

2. At the risk of sounding insensitive: skiing is an inherently dangerous activity...

I'm fairly certain that most competitive activities require it's participants to sign insurance liablity waivers, I've had to sign them in past high-endurance activities in the past; stating that I was adequately insured to participate and completely indemnify the events' organizing structure from liability due to extreme illness/injury/death.

If there was not adequate healthcare insurance for this athlete, why was she permitted to participate?

If there was no insurance, why participate in such a dangerous activity?

I am without health insurance right now.

I enjoy rock climbing/bouldering.

However, being uninsured, it's a risk that I am not willing to take and place a tremendous amount of economic strain on my family as a result of a decision I made to risk my personal health and safety over..

[PassingFair]

3. Apparently she is Canadian. In her own country, this would not even be a consideration.

Shame on US.

[Earth_First]

4. She is Canadian...

I scaned right over that, unfortunately.

It still doesn't change a lot of my opinion, however.

She should have not been able to participate, then, if she was not adequately insured.

[RichGirl]

5. I don't get it....

She was an adult. She was in the hospital. Isn't she responsible for her hospital bill? And since she died...she can't pay it...oh well hospital. Why are her parents responsible for it????

Why is it that big business...and yes, healthcare is big business...always has to get paid. If while she was in the hospital she was having a plumber fix a leak, and she died, he wouldn't go after her parents, he would absorb the loss.

I would question what exactly the hospital did for a patient who was in a coma, that added up to half a million dollars. If you've ever seen an itemized hospital bill (I have) they are ridiculous. $10.00 for an aspirin, the generic kind that you can buy a bottle of 100 for a few bucks.

[SoCalDem]

9. Hospitals routinely try to get family to pay for the treatment of a deceased patient

When my friend's son died from car accident injuries, they harassed the hell out of her to pay them, even though they kept him artificially alive for a lot longer than they should have (they wanted the organ donations).

She finally convinced them that she had no money (she had to borrow to bury him), and they finally stopped bothering her.

[RichGirl]

13. Wow...that's awful!!

When I got a divorce I specifically asked the law firm how much it would all cost. They gave me an hourly rate and estimate of total fee. Then they raised the hourly rate and had lawyer and assitant show up in court, both getting hourly rate. The bill got huge. I paid what was originally quoted. After that everytime I got a bill (which was for the full amount I "owed&quot I would send them a check for a dollar. They stopped "bothering" me.

[woolldog]

15. lol

great story.

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. k&r

[SidDithers]

7. It's a strange situation...

as a member of Canada's National Freestyle team, she's insured for practices and sanctioned competitions. Unfortunately, she was injured while performing at an unsanctioned event, hosted by her sponsor, Monster Energy Drinks.

Updated story today revised down the medical costs to ~$200,000 - still astronomical - but the good news is that more than $250,000 has been raised so far.

Donations above what was needed will be used to set up a charitable foundation in Ms. Burke's name.

Sid

[otohara]

8. My Son Did Extreme Skiing

for a while.
So glad he survived with only a broken shoulder bone - while in Canada.
They took such good care of him.

One the other hand, I was fearful of this sort of outcome and being disabled myself I pleaded with my son
to stop - I was not prepared to take care of him if something horrible happened and it would bankrupt us.

He stopped - now he hula hoops and is a yoga instructor.

[SoCalDem]

10. This Mom understands..

Our youngest was our jock, and was always injuring himself in football/soccer/basketball..
(knee surgery/ankle surgery/concussions/broken bones/back surgery.)

Thank goodness he survived it all, and is now a semi-responsible adult.

[a la izquierda]

14. My mom says that she holds her breath every time I call her...

my husband and I mountain and road bike. I've had a few severe injuries. I've also taken up crossfit, and had a couple injuries there, too. I called my mom once and asked her if it was a big deal that a very deep wound hadn't started bleeding.

She was mortified.

[99Forever]

11. Well..

... I'll consider helping pay for Canadian's health care the day after every United States citizen has adequate, affordable health care.

Sorry. Charity begins at home. Most people i know who are desperate for needed health services didn't get that way by doing anything as nearly risky as this young lady did.

Besides, where the heck is the highly acclaimed "socialist" Canadian health system in this? I smell something not quite on the up and up.

[laundry_queen]

16. Only in America.

So what I'm hearing is that her family doesn't deserve these donations because her activites were too risky. I suppose you are the same type of person that thinks people should be responsible for the costs of any rescuing they might need because of a 'risky' activity? See, here in Canada we believe that people are free to choose their activities, and that they are also free to take that risk, however since we also care about our fellow citizens, we believe in helping them when they get into trouble. And instead of judging and lecturing, we instead launch educational campaigns to try to reduce the risk to people participating in those sports as much as possible.

Fancy that.

FWIW, it's mostly Canadians making the donations - WE get what a fucked up system you guys have and we don't want one of our own to be stuck with a bill because of your idiotic system.

Also, there is a certain amount that the provincial health care system will cover out of country - they are trying to figure that out at the moment. Canadians know, for the most part, that they need travellers insurance if they travel out of country, but that some costs may or may not be covered. Pretty much common knowledge here. As another person mentioned, this was a strange situation because she was so severely injured in training, which apparently was out of the insurance coverage that she had (she was covered for competitions). I don't know what you are smelling, but the odor is not coming out of Canada.

[99Forever]

17. Back off lady.

Don't try lay a guilt trip on me because I'm more concerned with my own nation's citizens than I am with yours. Let me know when you've paid the bills for US citizens in need of health care, then we'll talk.

[laundry_queen]

19. Make me. Anyhow, that's not 'why'.

I'm letting you know that your 'concern' that americans are paying her bills instead of paying for their 'own kind' is ridiculous because you AREN'T paying for a fricken thing. Us Canadians can take care of ourselves TYVM. Let ME know when you get your act together and get some single payer going so your citizens can finally stop suffering. Your post was rude to anyone who has lost someone to any sporting accident and I won't back off, not until my American friends can get sick, or injure themselves playing a sport (to stay in shape and get healthy, no less) and NOT end up bankrupt. Sometimes it's your best friends who tell you what you NEED to hear instead of what you want to hear. Deal with it.

FWIW because it's neither here nor there, but I've donated MANY times to help some of my American friends cover their ridiculously inflated medical bills. So I may not have paid the bills straight out, but I help out when I can. I have many Canadian friends who do the same thing because we feel so goddamn sorry for y'all.

[SidDithers]

18. Well said...

especially this part:

FWIW, it's mostly Canadians making the donations - WE get what a fucked up system you guys have and we don't want one of our own to be stuck with a bill because of your idiotic system.

Sid

[onethatcares]

12. I understand this but

would Sarah Burkes' parents contribute to my medical costs and related expenses?

I highly doubt it.

"and it probly wouldn't interest anybody
outside of a small circle of friends"