GiveForward

There is only one day a year dedicated to the loving mothers that care for us so selflessly, when in reality, they spend much more time being caregivers than we give them credit for.  Estimates of the percentage of family or informal caregivers who are women range from 59% to 75%, and the average caregiver is age 46, female, married and working outside the home earning an annual income of $35,000, according to the Family Caregiver Alliance.

Because moms are known to put the needs of others in front of their own, it is understandable that they have trouble asking for help when they are the one who needs care and support.  In honor of Mother’s Day this weekend, we are highlighting fundraisers that are supporting their mothers going through a medical crisis.  For these three moms, the overwhelming financial and emotional support that their loved ones have shown on their GiveForward page will be better than any card or candy:

The children of Marilyn Gross (AKA Lady M)  have all come together to raise $5,500 so far for her battle against a rare form of kidney cancer. Her pre-surgery mantra: “I Believe I will kick ass. I Know I will kick ass. I Will kick ass!”

Betty Goldberg‘s son, Christopher, says “I’m simply a desperate son trying to help his mom live her last days in relative peace.” He has raised almost $10,500 for at-home dialysis treatments for her to be closer to her family.

While Brenda Flowers is bravely fighting breast cancer AND caring for her 86 year old mother, her 4 children and 11 grandchildren have secretly raised over $8,000, and plan to surprise her on Mother’s Day with the news of the fundraiser.

If you know a mother/caregiver who is in need of some emotional and financial help, consider starting a GiveForward page for them to let the love and support last for more than just one day. Consider honoring your own mom by making a donation to one of these deserving mothers or any other project on GiveForward in her name.

At the GiveForward headquarters, we talk about two things, and two things only: pizza and/or puppies. In our minds, these puppies are picturesque, and most likely wearing a silly sweater or encapsulated in a YouTube video.

However, sometimes there are not-so-nice dogs in the world, and unfortunately 4 year old Levi had to find this out the hard way after suffering from a vicious dog attack. Levi’s story is so inspiring, and seeing the amount of love and support his friends and family are showing him on his GiveForward page resulted in his fundraiser being picked as staff pick of the week!

One day, 4 year old Levi was outside in his yard playing frisbee with his two older brothers when the frisbee landed next to his neighbors fence, which contained 6 dogs. When Levi bent down to pick up the frisbee, two dogs attacked, and attempted to pull him through the fence.

Luckily, his brothers are superheroes in training, and were able to call for help and grab Levi away from the dogs. Levi sustained injuries to his eye, nose, check, jaw, shoulder, and arm.

Doctors are unsure if Levi will be able to regain the use of his right arm and his right eye, and they had to rebuild his entire nasal cavity. Levi’s family is raising money for ongoing treatment and rehabilitation.

We encourage you to check out Levi’s page on GiveForward and send some love his way!

GIVEFORWARD THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE FAKEGRIMLOCK  JOINING TEAM AS ADVISOR!

GRIMLOCK MAKE GIVEFORWARD EVEN MORE AWESOME THAN IS NOW, IF POSSIBLE.

HE PROVIDE GIVEFORWARD ADVICE ON LEAN STARTUP, TWITTERING, AND BACON.

GIVEFORWARD NOW ON PERMANENT NO-EAT-FRIDAY LIST.

Cancer survival rates among people of childbearing age are skyrocketing. Nearly a half a million young people each year overcome cancer.  However, treatments can compromise a cancer patient’s ability to later have children. Emerging technologies give patients and their families options at the time of diagnosis such as the cryopreservation of sperm and eggs.

Young cancer patients may not be aware that these options are available. This is especially true of teens and young adults for whom having children is still some years away.

“Let’s say you’re diagnosed with breast cancer. Your doctor might say, ‘The treatment might affect your fertility, but let’s figure out how we’re going to go ahead and save your life’. That brief sentence might be considered counseling—and the depth of your counseling can have a real impact on your quality of life as a survivor”  – Dr. Mitchell Rosen, Dir. Fertility Preservation program University of California

Dr. Rosen, recently published of a study on oncofertility trends that found that while 61% were counseled on the impact of cancer treatments on fertility, only 4% of surveyed female patients took steps to preserve their eggs or embryos.  Read more about Dr. Rosen’s study in this Huffington Post article.

Research indicates that cost could be the largest obstacle.

Oncofertility is rarely covered by health insurance. Men who participate in sperm banking can expect to pay about $800 for the initial collection and then between $200-400 per year for storage.Treatments for women are much more expensive, starting at a minimum of $8,000 and easily increasing to more than $20,000.

Reform such as Sacramento’s landmark bill requiring insurers to provide fertility options to cancer patients, may help to make oncofertility more accessible. The cost to the provider would be minimal, according to the California Health Benefits Review Program, and would save money in the long run. Research shows that patients facing loss of their reproductive ability often choose less effective treatments, or delay care and as a result get sicker over time necessitating more medical attention and additional expenses.

Online fundraising sites, are helping to allay interim costs.

Until reform is realized, however, patients must foot the bill. Cristina Dosal Alampi  was diagnosed with breast cancer in August of 2011. Because her cancer is affected by estrogen levels, Cristina must take a drug that stops estrogen production. This can be detrimental to a woman’s fertility.  Her doctors recommended embryo preservation, but as is often the case, it was not covered by her insurance; the $18,000 plus had to be paid for out-of-pocket.

This cost in addition to the myriads of expenses faced by Cristina (and other cancer patients) was daunting to say the least. However, using their GiveForward fundraising page, Cristina’s family and friends were able to raise $46,000.

 ”I think my story could comfort other women who are faced with the same struggles I faced back in August. The money raised was an incredible help financially but more importantly, emotionally! I was flooded with love and that is what kept me strong throughout all of this!!” 

If your friend or loved one is battling cancer, consider starting a GiveForward fundraising page to help reduce the stress of oncofertility and other out-of-pocket medical expenses.

Healthcare reform, known as the Affordable Care Act, is being decided by the Supreme Court and the impact the reforms can have has everyone talking.

Recently GiveForward’s founder, Desiree Vargas Wrigley and user Shannah Rodriguez-Torres were interviewed on CNN about the rising costs of health care, healthcare reform and how families are utilizing crowdfunding within their personal networks to raise money for medical expenses.

GiveForward and Health Care Reform on CNN

Like many Americans, the GiveForward team is wondering just how we will all be affected by the reforms, so we put together some highlights of the reforms to give you an idea of what this might mean for you.  Again, these are just a few major points in the reform, for a full breakdown of the reforms, please visit: http://www.healthcare.gov/ OR check out this awesome animation from the Kaiser Foundation.

Changes that became active starting in 2010 to 2011

If you have Insurance:
For all new or modified policies active as of March 23, 2010

• Adult children up to the age of 26 can be covered under their parent’s group health care policy.
• Children can not be denied health care coverage because of pre-existing conditions.
• No more lifetime coverage limits for essential health services.
• The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires health plans to cover a broad selection of free preventive services including
• Blood pressure tests and tests for cholesterol and diabetes
• A range of cancer screenings
• Well-baby, and well-child care up until the age of 21.
• Insurance companies in individual and small group market will be required to spend  at least 80% of premiums dollars on clinical services and wellness activities, 85% for larger group markets.

If you are on Medicare:

• If the cost of your prescription falls within the “donut hole” (wherein Medicare covers no medical expenses between $2,700 and $6,154.), you will receive a 50% discount on brand name drugs.
• The gap in prescription drug coverage will start to shrink by $500 each year until it is gone.
• You will receive  a free preventive health screening  and wellness visit each year.

If you don’t have insurance:

• If you’ve lost your job, you may keep Cobra coverage until the State Health Care Exchanges (2014 deadline) are set up.
• Tax credits for small business may encourage more employers to set up insurance plans

Changes you can expect to see in 2013

Your medical expenses must exceed 10% of your income in order take advantage of tax deductions. Until 2013, the amount is 7.5%.

Changes you will see from 2014 and beyond

If you have Insurance:  

• Income-based sliding scale subsidies will be provided to help people pay for health insurance premiums.
• Check out this handy calculator from the Kaiser Foundation to estimate your subsidies.

If you are on Medicare:

• The “donut” gap will have disappeared, ensuring full prescription drug coverage.

If you don’t have insurance:

• It will be a requirement that everyone buy insurance: or pay penalty The penalty starts at $95 (or 1 percent of your income, whichever is greater) for a single person in 2014, goes up to $325 (or 2 percent of your income) in 2015, and levels out in 2016, when you’ll pay either $695 (or 2.5 percent of your annual income).
• Anyone making up to 133 percent of poverty, (or approximately $14,400 in 2009) will have access to health care under Medicaid.

If you have pre-existing condition:

• Beginning in 2014 insurers will no longer be able to deny you coverage because of a pre-existing condition.
• The high-risk pools will end, people with pre-existing conditions will be required to purchase insurance.

Again, for a full breakdown of the reforms, please visit: http://www.healthcare.gov/.

If you think someone you know is eligible for a high-risk pool and could use some extra support to pay for the higher than average premiums and other out-of pocket expenses, visit GiveForward.com to set up a fundraising page today!

Soldiers risk their lives for our country. Although the government provides services for the nation’s 24 million veterans, many need additional help. Often they may not qualify for a program, or the programs they are enrolled in fall short of meeting their needs. In some cases, benefits may expire even though the veteran still needs assistance.

Most veterans are eligible for enrollment in Veterans Health Administration (VA) benefits, however access to care and benefit amounts are determined by the government’s assessment of numerous factors including severity of service-related health issues and length of service. Historically the VA healthcare system was provided exclusively to veterans with service-connected disabilities, but as of 1996 the VA extended services to all veterans and has become an important “safety net” for many veterans who would otherwise be uninsured.

Unfortunately, even with this expanded scope, not all veterans are covered. A research team at Harvard Medical School found that over 1 million veterans between the ages of 18 and 64 were uninsured in 2008.  About half of uninsured veterans are classified in the lowest priority group, and are not currently eligible for VA healthcare, while others may be eligible, but live too far from VA facilities to access services.

“Like other uninsured Americans, most uninsured vets are working people – too poor to afford private coverage but not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid or means-tested VA care,” said Dr. Steffie Woolhandler, a Harvard professor on behalf of the Physicians for a National Health Program.

Uninsured Americans have trouble accessing medical care, and veterans are no exception.  The study found that in 2008 approximately 25% failed to get necessary care due to costs and 44.1% were not able to see a doctor or nurse at all.

Injuries sustained in combat and ongoing health issues from service-related injuries, sickness or environmental exposure can be detrimental for a military family’s finances.  When a road-side bomb went off near Private Doug Rachowicz’s vehicle in Afghanistan, it killed four of his fellow service members.  Pvt. Rachowicz survived but with serious injuries.

His family, including his mother, father and sister rushed to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to be at his side, despite the fact that some of them are ineligible for the benefits of the Family and Medical Leave Act.  As the cost of travel and lodging for the Rachowicz family pile up, friends and family have started a fundraising page on GiveForward to help.

The Rachowicz’s situation is indicative of the challenges faced by many military families. Military service exacts a heavy toll on soldiers and their families. According to a recent report by the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, the unemployment rate among veterans is 13.1% and many more are underemployed. 21.3% of veterans between the ages of 18 and 24 fall below the national poverty level. Even if their basic health needs are met, service members often have expenses that exceed their income. Bills accumulate while they are deployed and time spent job searching after returning home can cripple their finances.

So far the Rachowicz family has raised $435 towards their goal of $5,000.  Their family and friends have offered an outpouring of support on their GiveForward page.  All Americans deserve access to high quality, affordable health care.  It is especially devastating that the men and women who have sacrificed for their country, often placing themselves in harms way, face difficulties accessing and paying for health care when they return home.  If you know a  military family in need of financial and emotional support, consider starting a GiveForward page for them.

Here at GiveForward, we see fundraisers starting everyday by loved ones wanting to support a family member who is going through a medical crisis. However, there is one fundraiser on the site that isn’t just for one person, but 3 members of one family battling cancer at the same time. We chose The Castillo Family Battling Cancer as this week’s staff pick as a chance to send all three members bravely battling cancer lots of love and positive vibes to get well soon!

In 2004, Lilia was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. Even after extensive radiation and surgeries, the cancer spread to her lungs and bones. A mere 5 years later in 2009, her brother, Marco, was diagnosed with Lymphoma of the throat. Marco is selflessly volunteering as a cancer research patient at M.D. Anderson Cancer Treatment Center in Houston in hopes that he can contribute to finding a cure for this terrible disease. Living through this is the matriarch of the Castillo family, Beatriz. Unfortunately, Beatriz was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. A fundraiser has been created in hopes of alleviating some of the debt that each Castillo family member faces as a result of their illnesses. Like so many cancer patients, their surgeries, treatments, doctor’s visits, and medications make it difficult for each person to stay afloat. Lilia, Marco, and Beatriz struggle to pay for their daily living expenses that are now coupled with their amounting medical bills. Throughout their family ordeals, every member of the Castillo family remains optimistic and embraces every new day with rejuvenated morale and hope.

Everyone at GiveForward is sending the entire Castillo family lots of love and positive vibes, and we encourage you to check out their GiveForward page and show your support!

Making it easy to give is key to increasing donations when you are fundraising.  That is why GiveForward has worked diligently with PayPal to add PayPal as a payment option to our checkout page and make it easier for donors to show their support.

We are excited to announce that as of today, organizers have the option of activating PayPal on their fundraisers.  When donors visit the checkout page of a fundraiser with PayPal activated they will be given the option of donating via our standard credit card payment processing or via their PayPal account.

What does this new addition to the GiveForward checkout page mean?  A few things:

• PayPal allows for quicker payment after a fundraiser closes.
• When GiveForward fundraisers activate PayPal as a payment option, they tend to see a 20% increase in donations (though results will vary).
• The simplified check-out process allows users to donate on their mobile devices, which means they can donate anytime, anywhere!

As always, we’re excited to offer another way to simplify the process of giving support to a loved one in need.  Happy fundraising from the whole GiveForward Team!

Create a fundraiser today to help a loved one who is recovering from Hurricane Irene.

It’s the easiest way to support a loved one in need.

Image Courtesy MSNBC

Start a Fundraiser for Hurricane Irene Recovery Today!

Natural disasters, like Hurricane Irene cost $109 billion a year, globally.  While some costs are covered by insurance, often, homeowners are left with thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses. If they are like most people in this country, they haven’t prepared for that kind of financial burden.  As a friend or family member, you may be wondering what you can do to help.  GiveForward makes it easy.

By creating a GiveForward page for someone recovering from Hurricane Irene, you enable loved ones all over the world to provide emotional and financial support.

How can GiveForward help?