Help Karl PUMP it up!
Donation protected
Hello,
My name is Matthew Hawkins and I am starting this crowd funding page for one reason, my partner Karl A Johnson. Karl has been living with Type 1 Diabetes since he was 17 years old. To find out more information on Type 1 Diabetes, please follow the link (Type 1 Diabetes) It’s not very pleasurable. We have tried many times since we've been together to try to fund, save, raise money between the two of us and it’s just not possible.
For those of you who know Karl, you know he is a friendly and warm person. Karl spends copious amounts of time trying to fix others problems. So much so, he often neglects his own. His daily routine is usually work, some work, and more work! Karl works as a video game programmer for the company Cyan Inc. located in Spokane/Mead WA. Cyan is the company that made such wonderful games as Myst, Riven, and the highly anticipated game, Obduction! Karl’s free time is usually dedicated to video games, playing with his dog Wally, his two nephews, and his family and friends. He makes us all laugh and smile, with killer impersonations, jokes, and just a general happiness. What most may not see is that the problems he cannot assist or work on are his own health issues, Karl’s diabetic syndromes are constantly fighting against him making him tired, weak, upset, and even depressed. You see, as a programmer his job is fixing problems and with income restrictions, lack of insurance or financial assistance it’s beating him at every punch.
We have looked at his different insurance plans through his work but needless to say, they are of little to no help, ever since the American Healthcare Act and insurance policy changes. It is to a point, where he is forced into a situation that is neither healthy nor fair for him to have to keep up. He is constantly being switched to different insulin pens, generic and faulty test strips and testing supply machines. It is exhausting and scary. From an outside perspective and having to watch him literally suffer, let me give you some insight of what this experience is like. Imagine waking up multiple times throughout the night and having to force down another cup of orange juice because your blood sugar has dropped so low to where you cannot talk or move. On the flip side, imagine having something from a menu that has inaccurate nutritional information. Causing you to not take enough insulin and your blood sugar goes to a level where you have to force more insulin into your system and not able to enjoy, sleep, or relax. This is not all fun and games. If anything slips or something happens while he’s asleep like his levels adjust or fall and he doesn't get sugar in him or cannot wake me up to help him with it... it becomes a situation where he could easily slip into a diabetic coma. For me, living with this knowledge, knowing at any point defective materials or testing supplies can make me lose the person I love is absolutely terrifying.
Now some may say this is excessive or not needed. Well in most cases, people who use an insulin pump not only have more effective and safe ways of monitoring and getting insulin, it also leads to an easier and healthier life style. (www.ahrq.gov/news/newsletter/research-activities/aug12/0812RA15.html) No slips, no worries of lows and highs and a constant monitoring system. Karl was actually on a pump for a small period of time however, they were disposable and ended up eating up most of his income, becoming such a burden sending him back to an syringe/pen system. We are at a point where he’s testing multiple times a day and burning through constantly changing medications and pens.
So I have pored over the internet in search of ways to fund his insulin pump and system. Without him being completely unemployed or on a different insurance program, we are looking at costs in the $7,000 to $9,000 range. So here is where I reach out to all of you for help. because If you know Karl, he is far too humble to burden others with or ask for help. It is my mission to assist him in any way possible. I am setting the funding to eight thousand dollars, this allows us to cover insulin pump costs, doctor visits, and supply fees for his set up. He and I would greatly appreciate anything you can spare to help.
My name is Matthew Hawkins and I am starting this crowd funding page for one reason, my partner Karl A Johnson. Karl has been living with Type 1 Diabetes since he was 17 years old. To find out more information on Type 1 Diabetes, please follow the link (Type 1 Diabetes) It’s not very pleasurable. We have tried many times since we've been together to try to fund, save, raise money between the two of us and it’s just not possible.
For those of you who know Karl, you know he is a friendly and warm person. Karl spends copious amounts of time trying to fix others problems. So much so, he often neglects his own. His daily routine is usually work, some work, and more work! Karl works as a video game programmer for the company Cyan Inc. located in Spokane/Mead WA. Cyan is the company that made such wonderful games as Myst, Riven, and the highly anticipated game, Obduction! Karl’s free time is usually dedicated to video games, playing with his dog Wally, his two nephews, and his family and friends. He makes us all laugh and smile, with killer impersonations, jokes, and just a general happiness. What most may not see is that the problems he cannot assist or work on are his own health issues, Karl’s diabetic syndromes are constantly fighting against him making him tired, weak, upset, and even depressed. You see, as a programmer his job is fixing problems and with income restrictions, lack of insurance or financial assistance it’s beating him at every punch.
We have looked at his different insurance plans through his work but needless to say, they are of little to no help, ever since the American Healthcare Act and insurance policy changes. It is to a point, where he is forced into a situation that is neither healthy nor fair for him to have to keep up. He is constantly being switched to different insulin pens, generic and faulty test strips and testing supply machines. It is exhausting and scary. From an outside perspective and having to watch him literally suffer, let me give you some insight of what this experience is like. Imagine waking up multiple times throughout the night and having to force down another cup of orange juice because your blood sugar has dropped so low to where you cannot talk or move. On the flip side, imagine having something from a menu that has inaccurate nutritional information. Causing you to not take enough insulin and your blood sugar goes to a level where you have to force more insulin into your system and not able to enjoy, sleep, or relax. This is not all fun and games. If anything slips or something happens while he’s asleep like his levels adjust or fall and he doesn't get sugar in him or cannot wake me up to help him with it... it becomes a situation where he could easily slip into a diabetic coma. For me, living with this knowledge, knowing at any point defective materials or testing supplies can make me lose the person I love is absolutely terrifying.
Now some may say this is excessive or not needed. Well in most cases, people who use an insulin pump not only have more effective and safe ways of monitoring and getting insulin, it also leads to an easier and healthier life style. (www.ahrq.gov/news/newsletter/research-activities/aug12/0812RA15.html) No slips, no worries of lows and highs and a constant monitoring system. Karl was actually on a pump for a small period of time however, they were disposable and ended up eating up most of his income, becoming such a burden sending him back to an syringe/pen system. We are at a point where he’s testing multiple times a day and burning through constantly changing medications and pens.
So I have pored over the internet in search of ways to fund his insulin pump and system. Without him being completely unemployed or on a different insurance program, we are looking at costs in the $7,000 to $9,000 range. So here is where I reach out to all of you for help. because If you know Karl, he is far too humble to burden others with or ask for help. It is my mission to assist him in any way possible. I am setting the funding to eight thousand dollars, this allows us to cover insulin pump costs, doctor visits, and supply fees for his set up. He and I would greatly appreciate anything you can spare to help.
Organizer
Matthew Hawkins
Organizer
Spokane, WA
