Tiffany's Emergency Appendectomy

Hi, I'm Leah, and Tiffany is one of my best friends and one of the best people I know. Early this morning she went to the ER with abdominal pains. Literally, over 12 hours later, she's finally been diagnosed with Acute Appendicitis and is currently awaiting surgery. Hopefully, her appendix hasn't ruptured by the time they get to her.

Tiffany is a fellow freelance performer. She is immensely talented, hardworking and responsible, and has been making a living in recent years through performing as a lead singer on cruise ships. She has full coverage insurance when she is on contract with the ship, but, of course, this medical emergency has chosen to occur during her few short weeks of hiatus in between contracts when her insurance has lapsed. Also, due to the fact that she isn't a current resident of California, she isn't able to apply for financial aid through the hospital.

I know there are a lot of fellow artists out there who have experienced a lapse in insurance simply because the cost of healthcare in this country is catastrophically high and it's near impossible to qualify for insurance as a freelancer. I, myself, didn't have health insurance when I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer almost 20 years ago, and then had to deal with the difficulty of qualifying for insurance after a cancer diagnosis. When I received my diagnosis, I was surrounded by a community of artists who came together to support me emotionally and financially, so I'm hoping to pay it forward to my dear friend, Tiffany. Any little bit helps, even if you are just able to share with your social networks. Any funds collected will go to Tiffany's medical expenses which will include her ER visit, ultrasound, CT scan, hospital stay, cost of surgery and follow up care. Thank you!