We all know that this is no time to be without health insurance, yet some people still fall through the cracks of the healthcare net. This is what happened to Josh. He had worked himself up the career ladder to great job with benefits and a good salary when he was struck down with seizures at work. Neurologists quickly diagnosed him with epilepsy and tried to find medications that would enable him to continue working. However, over time, the seizures continued, and he went through all the safety nets in place: PTO, Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, and finally, he was forced out of work. When his Unemployment Income ran out, so did his ability to pay for any health insurance.

Despite this, in the state of Texas, he was not eligible for Medicaid or Disability. Because of his excellent work record and business acumen, Josh was able to obtain another job allowing him to work from home. However, a severe seizure during an online meeting made it impossible to keep this job.

Josh lives alone and away from family because he was transferred by his employer a few years before his first illness. Seizures at home caused dangerous and multiple, often life-threatening injuries: concussion, Skull fracture, broken ribs, and deep bruising. At the insistence of an Urgent Care physician's assistant, before Christmas, 2022, he went to get an MRI in a local Emergency Room. This one visit of about 7 hours, resulted in a staggering medical bill of over $34,000! No treatment other than fluids and one dose of pain medication for the broken rib. No medications were offered to help him prevent seizures. With no health insurance and despite attempts to work with the financial aid department, he was repeatedly billed for it. Now, more than two years later, that debt prevents him from qualifying for jobs to help him pay off his debt. A crazy Catch-22.

Josh has worked with the hospital to decrease the amount owed, but it is still too much to pay for anyone without income. Although he does not drive anymore, he also cannot sell his car because of damage to the electrical system.

Josh has always been generous with family and friends, the first one to offer to help and has always hated asking for help for himself. As many of us know or have heard, applying for medical disability usually results in an automatic denial, and that was the case for him.

He is in dire financial straits because of this debt, and he has no income. This is why I am starting this GoFundMe page on his behalf.

If you can see yourself able to help through this page, your tax-deductible contributions will go towards paying his medical bills.