help a family in need
The Badger family is, well...I don't think any of us really have the words to describe what they're going through. I don't, at least.
- Badger is a pseudonymous blogger, ABD and teaching at a uni in Oregon
- Badger has a 12 year-old son
- Badger has a 34-year-old husband who is an artist
Sounds like a lovely family to me. Here's the catch: Mr. Badger is dying of liver cancer; currently it's in stage four.
Mary McKinney, aka
Academic Coach, has set up
a fund for the Badger family. Here's an example of why:
Cost to date for surgery, CT-scans, hospital stays, doctors' visits, and labwork: $79,000. Insurance benefit left for year: $21,000. Days left until new benefit year: 145. Response from Social Security Administration when I went down to their office with our 2004 tax returns to prove our lack of income: Priceless.
There's nothing I can do for you. Come back in two years.
Prognosis of someone with stage four liver cancer: 3 months.
[read her entire post]
This is a real family in a horrible situation. Despite all this, Badger
writes eloquent posts about...everything...all the things the rest of us in the blogosphere write about, except we're not facing the imminent loss of a husband and father.
For some of us, classes are starting soon. Students are anxious about readings and paper topics and leading discussions in class (ok,
I am). Profs are gathering course materials, making syllabi, making last-minute room adjustments, etc. Seems really, really, really insignificant compared to Badger doing the same thing
and taking care of her husband and her son.
So when
The Badger Family Fund was started—not by Badger but by Mary McKinney (Academic Coach)—you're darn right I contributed, and I'll keep doing it as long as it's needed.
So can you. Spread the word. Do good.
technorati tags: fundraising, healthcare, cancer
