Family trying to raise $500,000. by Thursday for son's bone marrow transplant

[Contrary1]

Only 19, and his lifetime insurance benefits have already been reached. What a shame that the insurance companies seem to have a limitless amount of money to lobby in Washington, or sue some poor scmuck for return of monies they paid out.

Community joining fight to raise money for Noblesville teen

"One family is reaching out for help and relying on the power of a chain e-mail letter to help raise funds for a teenager in need of a bone marrow transplant.

Tom and Kelly Treinen received word Friday their son Michael has reached a lifetime cap for insurance and the family would have to pay $500,000 for the transplant out of their own pocket.

Michael is battling Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. He was diagnosed in May 2007, went into remission in December 2007, but the Lueukemia struck again in January.

The Treinens have set up a trust fund and e-mailed friends asking for a $20 donation to be sent to Harris Bank in Noblesville. In the e-mail, they ask recipients to send the letter to at least 20 people. The transplant operation would take place in the Children’s Hospital in Seattle, Wash. The insurance company informed the family the money is needed by Thursday.

“We are no longer the typical American family and like most of you do not have $500,000 to send them,” The Treinens wrote. “I know that many of you do not know us. I can assure that a year ago we would never have believed that we would be asking not only our friends and family, but complete strangers to help us pay to save our son’s life. Believe me when I tell you this is the last thing we want to be doing. But, you do what you have to do.”

More: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/michaeltreinen

[rurallib]

1. Kick this up to the front page folks

[Uben]

2. This is more important than any campaign

All who can afford it should donate. I'm bookmarking this to see if they have a link to donate to tomorrow.

[Beaverhausen]

3. Kick

a friend of mine had a similar form of lieukemia and the bone marrow transplant saved her life.

[Th1onein]

4. This is NOT a hoax. This is for real, guys.

http://www.county29.net/cms2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3703&Itemid=1

This young man has had a hard time. I'm going to give some money to his cause. I hope you do, too.

It's pretty pitiful that, in one of the richest nations in the world, this young man has to depend on the charity of strangers, to get necessary and lifesaving medical care.

[Th1onein]

5. I sent it directly to him. Here's the address:

Michael Treinen
7028 Okaybay Dr.
Noblesville, IN 46062

I might be wrong, but I think when you give on the website, you're giving to the CaringBridge, not to the patient.

[Contrary1]

7. Michael is in Seattle right now...

The hospital there has more experience with this type cancer than the children's hospital here A local bank is handling it. All funds that exceed Michael’s medical needs will be donated to the fight to cure cancer.


Michael Treinen Medical Trust Fund
c/o Mr. Sid Loomis

Harris Bank
107 W. Logan St.
Noblesville, IN 46060

[latebloomer]

15. my niece had a Caring Bridge membership

Caring Bridge doles out the donations to the family, depending on whether they think it's a legitimate medical expense for which the family is seeking money. The main advantage of donating thru Caring Bridge, rather than directly giving it to the family, is that it is tax-deductible. Can be frustrating for the family, though, when they can't access all the donations. But they will leave it in the fund for future medical needs.

[lightningandsnow]

6. Kicking.

How sad that the family has to pay for this out of pocket.

I wish I could donate.

I hope other people do.

[samsingh]

8. K&R

[margotb822]

9. The book "My Sister's Keeper"

by Jodi Picoult, addresses this type of cancer. I learned a lot about how hard it is to navigate the medical world. Although, I did not know there was such a thing as "lifetime insurance cap." This is incredibly sad.

[HuffleClaw]

10. WTF is 'lifetime insurance benefits' ????

some way for insurance companies to screw people i guess

[northzax]

14. many insurance plans have a lifetime limit

of benefits that can be paid out. mine is ten million dollars. others can be as low as a million.

[Contrary1]

11. The local news has finally posted the video from their story

I would be interested in knowing how many DUers were able to help this family. So, if you don't mind sharing, please do so. No $$ amounts necessary.

"NOBLESVILLE, Ind. -- The family of cancer patient Michael Treinen says it hopes friends and strangers can help them pick up where his insurer left off.

The 19-year-old's family says it is trying to raise $500,000 so he can get a bone marrow transplant at a hospital that is known to excel at the procedure.

The Noblesville teen (pictured) had health insurance, but he already has received his policy's lifetime limit of $1 million.

"The only thing we felt we had left with such a critical time issue was just appealing to our friends and family and what, in the end, will turn out to be perfect strangers coming forward and helping us with this goal that we need to meet," said Treinen's father, Tom Treinen..."

Story and video at link: http://www.theindychannel.com/call6/15757002/detail.html

[Contrary1]

12. Kick.

[samsingh]

13. kick