Question Help out a friend of mine

A good friend from my grad school years needs some assistance.

She and her husband were costume and lighting designers for my thesis production, but he has since passed - and is one of my reasons for supporting single-payer/universal health care. Bram was an awesome guy, generous to a fault, but he needed medical care and medication that he couldn't get/afford because it was 'pre-existing' and the cost of treatment in the US was more than a thousand dollars a month. That was beyond what a couple young college professor/theatre designers could handle and it eventually caught up with him.

Michelle is now a single mom and a university professor in costume design, originally from Minot North Dakota she's currently teaching in Kirksville, MO... but she relies on hearing aids to be able to hear. Hers failed and she needs assistance to afford new ones. Her university provided health care doesn't provide for hearing aids (they are considered cosmetic!?!). We're hoping to raise her enough money to get new digital ones that can act as bluetooth devices, which would allow her to actually hear phone conversations for the first time in decades. We're also looking into other options... so she doesn't HAVE to raise the full amount and get the more expensive model... but I suggested that she aim for the good ones and then get what she can, depending on how it works out.


So, if you have a little spare change in your 'helping others' funds this month, please consider a donation for my friend, Michelle's gofundme page for her hearing aids:

Thank you, anyone who joined in helping Michelle out. She met her goal of $5000 this morning when an anonymous contributor donated the outstanding balance of $3415 in one swell foop.

As it happens, today was also her birthday; so getting the support to get something she needed so significantly has her a bit overwhelmed. I am led to believe there are quite a few tears involved.

Thanks again, everyone.

I just found out ... somewhat accidentally, because she was trying to figure out who they were via searching online ... that the big donor who covered a majority of the costs of Michelle's hearing aids is a member of THIS community. So, I'm not going to ruin the anonymity unless they want to.. but I want you all to know that despite all the horrible shit going on right now.... That there are good people and some of them are closer than you know. This particular person contributed a significant amount of money to help restore hearing for someone they don't know and have never met. Just because they could.

What I hadn't mentioned about Michelle is that she also struggles with anxiety and depression.. she lost her soulmate in their mid thirties... so the outpouring of support that she got... the first fifteen hundred in about fifteen hours and numerous promises of 'on payday'... And then and enormous contribution from someone she didn't even know... really lifted her spirits. There were a lot of wet eyes and cheeks this morning.

I know who the anonymous donor is, so they don't get to escape this completely unscathed. I know you didn't do it for any sort of compensation... But this weighted scales heavily in your favor, if there's ever anything I can do to help you... Please ask.