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MY FRIEND NEEDS YOUR HELP - PLEASE READ, REPOST!!!!! URGENT
13 years ago
Friends, watchers, and other talents of FA,
The FurAffinity community has been amazing to me over the years. Ten years ago, when furry was still a budding subculture and I was still drawing wolves in Tripp pants, I never would have dreamed that I would meet so many incredible people, artists and fans, costumers, writers, and friends. Not only has this community allowed me to develop some of my closest and most meaningful friendships, it has enabled me to sustain myself entirely off of my craft - as of 2008, I switched over from a hobbyist to a full-time self-employed artist and costume-maker. I am able to live this incredible life, full of art and love, doing what I absolutely adore, because of you. You helped me achieve so much more than I thought was possible. I have seen so many acts of charity and spontaneous compassion over the years coming from the fandom, so much encouragement towards creativity; I only wish that more groups exhibited these admirable qualities.
Because the fandom has done so much for me - as an artist and a person - I feel compelled to speak to you all on the behalf of a close, real-life friend of mine.
Valyn Calhoun and I have been friends since we were teenagers. We grew up together; shared the same creative spirit and had a lot of adventures together. While I went deeper into the furry fandom he became a photographer, and now that we are in our mid-twenties we have both accomplished a lot. He always supported my interests and had a very open mind, he himself being a gay man. Valyn's photography and artwork has been featured in venues across South Florida as well as in fashion magazines and online journals. Much like furry in many ways, Valyn's work challenges ideas of sexuality and body image. You can see his online portfolio here: http://beinglikewater.wix.com/valynruinedmylife
In many respects his career is just getting started, as is his life.
Over a week ago, he admitted himself to the hospital in our home county. He had dropped down to 95 lbs. very suddenly and did not know why. In the hospital he was told that he had Hepatitis-B and HIV/AIDS. Not only this but that his T-cell count was so low, that he was now in the stage of full-blown AIDS. After 8 days in the hospital, his insurance decided to stop covering his medical expenses. His family is now in the process of selling everything they have of value - which is not a lot - in an attempt to pay for the treatment he needs.
You can read Valyn's story and see his donation page here: http://www.giveforward.com/hivaidst.....atmentforvalyn
When looking at his picture now, I can hardly recognize him. This is how he used to look: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y2.....psf16c15e2.jpg
PLEASE REPOST, SPREAD THE WORD IN ANY WAY YOU CAN. PLEASE DONATE IF YOU CAN EVEN IF IT IS ONLY A FEW DOLLARS. I TRULY APPRECIATE YOU READING THIS.
Thank you so very, very much for reading.
http://www.giveforward.com/hivaidst.....atmentforvalyn
http://www.giveforward.com/hivaidst.....atmentforvalyn
http://www.giveforward.com/hivaidst.....atmentforvalyn
http://www.giveforward.com/hivaidst.....atmentforvalyn
EDIT:
These wonderful, generous people have decided to offer charity commissions towards Valyn's aid.
forevernika - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9640672
rowanwolfe - http://www.furaffinity.net/user/rowanwolfe/
strive - http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/...../#cid:31002494
doofus - http://www.furaffinity.net/user/doofus
EDIT #2:
As of this post (March 2013) Valyn's t-cell count is above 400 and his viral load is lowered. He is still having complications with his Hepatitis B. The AIDS programs within his area have enabled him to afford his medication, which costs $30,000 a year for just one pill a day. There are still issues with some of the government aid programs wanting to pull his coverage. However thankfully he seems to be improving and on the road to recovery. He has begun leaving the house on the weekends and is eating regularly and gaining weight. I am so, so grateful for the help that he has received from the kind hearts of all of you who donated even though you did not know this person. You are all amazingly generous.
The FurAffinity community has been amazing to me over the years. Ten years ago, when furry was still a budding subculture and I was still drawing wolves in Tripp pants, I never would have dreamed that I would meet so many incredible people, artists and fans, costumers, writers, and friends. Not only has this community allowed me to develop some of my closest and most meaningful friendships, it has enabled me to sustain myself entirely off of my craft - as of 2008, I switched over from a hobbyist to a full-time self-employed artist and costume-maker. I am able to live this incredible life, full of art and love, doing what I absolutely adore, because of you. You helped me achieve so much more than I thought was possible. I have seen so many acts of charity and spontaneous compassion over the years coming from the fandom, so much encouragement towards creativity; I only wish that more groups exhibited these admirable qualities.
Because the fandom has done so much for me - as an artist and a person - I feel compelled to speak to you all on the behalf of a close, real-life friend of mine.
Valyn Calhoun and I have been friends since we were teenagers. We grew up together; shared the same creative spirit and had a lot of adventures together. While I went deeper into the furry fandom he became a photographer, and now that we are in our mid-twenties we have both accomplished a lot. He always supported my interests and had a very open mind, he himself being a gay man. Valyn's photography and artwork has been featured in venues across South Florida as well as in fashion magazines and online journals. Much like furry in many ways, Valyn's work challenges ideas of sexuality and body image. You can see his online portfolio here: http://beinglikewater.wix.com/valynruinedmylife
In many respects his career is just getting started, as is his life.
Over a week ago, he admitted himself to the hospital in our home county. He had dropped down to 95 lbs. very suddenly and did not know why. In the hospital he was told that he had Hepatitis-B and HIV/AIDS. Not only this but that his T-cell count was so low, that he was now in the stage of full-blown AIDS. After 8 days in the hospital, his insurance decided to stop covering his medical expenses. His family is now in the process of selling everything they have of value - which is not a lot - in an attempt to pay for the treatment he needs.
You can read Valyn's story and see his donation page here: http://www.giveforward.com/hivaidst.....atmentforvalyn
When looking at his picture now, I can hardly recognize him. This is how he used to look: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y2.....psf16c15e2.jpg
PLEASE REPOST, SPREAD THE WORD IN ANY WAY YOU CAN. PLEASE DONATE IF YOU CAN EVEN IF IT IS ONLY A FEW DOLLARS. I TRULY APPRECIATE YOU READING THIS.
Thank you so very, very much for reading.
http://www.giveforward.com/hivaidst.....atmentforvalyn
http://www.giveforward.com/hivaidst.....atmentforvalyn
http://www.giveforward.com/hivaidst.....atmentforvalyn
http://www.giveforward.com/hivaidst.....atmentforvalyn
EDIT:
These wonderful, generous people have decided to offer charity commissions towards Valyn's aid.
forevernika - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9640672
rowanwolfe - http://www.furaffinity.net/user/rowanwolfe/
strive - http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/...../#cid:31002494
doofus - http://www.furaffinity.net/user/doofusEDIT #2:
As of this post (March 2013) Valyn's t-cell count is above 400 and his viral load is lowered. He is still having complications with his Hepatitis B. The AIDS programs within his area have enabled him to afford his medication, which costs $30,000 a year for just one pill a day. There are still issues with some of the government aid programs wanting to pull his coverage. However thankfully he seems to be improving and on the road to recovery. He has begun leaving the house on the weekends and is eating regularly and gaining weight. I am so, so grateful for the help that he has received from the kind hearts of all of you who donated even though you did not know this person. You are all amazingly generous.
Good health and well wishes to him!
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/4210658/
I'll see if I have time to do art for those that donate?
my best vibes for him, for his family and for you, Kil.
Seriously though, will do.
Absolutely inhuman. This is a life threatening condition, and to just up and leave when their client has an undeniable need for coverage? Here, pay into us for your entire life, and we WON'T cover you! Great deal right?
To think that somebody in their offices actually terminated his coverage, with all this knowledge... That is a complete lack of humanity, in every way.
I'll do my best to get this out, even though there are many more that have a much farther reach than I. This horrifies me. I knew that these companies were just for money, but for all things moral, to cancel the insurance of someone who was just diagnosed with TWO incurable, LIFE THREATENING diseases, because the treatment is enormously expensive? That's the entire reason we all have insurance in the first place, so that they will cover egregiously expensive treatments! And to just walk out on your client when it is literally a matter of life and death? Absolutely horrific.
I hope my contribution can do something, at least.
And to think that this is just one case. This happens every day to regular people in dire need. You pay a company your entire life, and then when you need them to uphold their end of the contract, they walk out. Of course, not every company commits this kind of atrocity, but once is too many.
I once heard a great quote about anything contractual a few years back: "A contract means nothing. A contract is made by lawyers so that other lawyers can find holes in it, and then write up another contract, which another lawyers finds more holes in, and so on. A contract used to have meaning--it used to be legally binding. But say, I wish to sell you a grain of sand. If you wish to have ANY legal protection, a 200 page contract must be written, and then read, and then critiqued, re-written, read again, argued over, then eventually signed. Then two weeks later, you find yourself in court, as the defendant in a case where you stole said grain of sand from the very person you sold it to, and lose, paying out many thousands of dollars to not only the crook who used the system to his own benefit, but to the lawyers, for all the time and "effort" they put into writing the seventeen contracts that didn't protect you at all. A contract means nothing."
Apparently their definition of "all ailments and hospitalizations" meant "all ailments and hospitalizations that still allow us to turn a profit".
CANADA HELP.
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9640672/
I really hope I am able to help and that he gets the care that he needs.
Signal boosted. I'm sorry I cannot offer more currently
He needs to speak with lawyers, a lot of them, until one agrees to take the case. Even a lawsuit that doesn't have odds of winning can shame an insurance company into working out a deal behind closed doors.
I wish your friend the best.
http://blog.everythingdinosaur.co.u.....6/4805009.html
http://www.wired.com/medtech/health...../2005/08/68553
?? It's entered human testing for a while and seems to be doing rather well. Just something to look into.
I'm very sorry this happened to him :c
Also wow person commenting after me, rude and not even VAGUELY okay...
I have gave some to help, but I don't pity people who don't take care of them selfs.
let this be a lessonto you all. be safe and payattechen to what your doing.
have seen to many people die of this in my time.
I sure hope no one close to you is infected with such a nasty disease, doesn't look like they'd find much support in someone like you.
My uncle has the full blown AIDS virus when he was 18! The man now is in his 40s, married and even has children, how dare you saw such a disgusting thing on something you clearly don't know shit about. People are known to live their whole life with the virus.
Hiv/Aids can affect any person any where. You can get it from blood transfusions, drug use, sexual contact, heredity-- it doesn't matter if you are monogamous or promiscuous, gay or straight, young or old, a drug user or straight edge. You should NEVER make a moral judgement about a person just because they have a disease.
How Valyn got infected is none of your or my business. However I can tell you, actually having KNOWN HIM as a good friend for MANY years, that he DID take care of himself. He was never a drug user or irresponsible. He had monogamous, long-lasting relationships. Obviously somewhere along the line he still got infected - and he didn't even know until it was too late.
Yes, he might die. That is a very real possibility. He might die before his thirtieth birthday all because his insurance company decided they weren't going to make a profit off of him any more.
You should think twice before you say something so callous and inconsiderate again. That was completely unnecessary and AWFUL.
but the way it was given was wrong
I just. Wow.
I seriously cannot comprehend why individuals such as yourself have a right to think in this world.
I was born with an immune-system issue. Not HIV/AIDs, but it effects my white blood cells and lymphnodes.
Recently had one removed, but I digress.
Does that make it my fault? Fuck no. Did I share needles or get it from sex? No. I got it from piss poor fucking genetics. Things outside of my control.
We don't want your pity.We want your understanding, and possible help. But no, you're an incredibly rude individual for saying what you did.
"it will kill you just a matter of when...."
Possibly so for myself, All I need is a bad bug or I'll contract cancer in my 30's.
For others? Yes this is true for those who get the full blown HIV/AIDS virus. However, unless you've been to hell and back with any type of illness suffrage you have absolutely no right to state that.I don't wish Ill upon you, but just know Karma isn't a nice lady.
Take your life lessons and shove it.
I work in the medical field and those are some ways but there has been a lot of cases where people contract it from toilet seats, railings ( blood on it and then someone itching their eye), or any public place where someone that has accidentally left some body fluid there. Others have gotten it from helping someone that was injured and didn't know they had it. Please research a little more before you think you know it all.
Grow the fuck up child.
Just... no. Gtfo.
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/4211724/
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/4211738/
^ My journal!
Best of luck to him...
I hope he gets enough money for everything.
so sad that something like this would happen...
Once I'm able to, I'll open up some commissions to donate to his fund. A little booked up at the moment, though.
Florida has several Ryan White programs, including an Aids Drug Assistance Program: ADAP. General Ryan White can be found at http://www.doh.state.fl.us/disease_.....ityAdRule.html . Eligibility should be done in 30 days or less. Having worked with Ryan White and ADAP programs in other states I can say that these programs tend to move extremely quickly.
ADAP can be found here. http://www.floridaaids.org/care/enrollment.html Eligibility appears relatively simple, this program does list itself as having a waiting list, however exceptions are granted based on situation and severity of illness. From what's described here, this is quite severe.
Other medication assistance can be found via http://www.needymeds.org/index.htm Virtually all HIV drugs have these programs. This is also going to be a go-to resource for HepB treatment. Get a jump on these as quickly as possible, as many of these companies will supply emergency medications on short notice. These programs are frequently overlooked.
Florida has a Medicaid waiver program called PAC, Project for AIDS Care. Unfortunately, these are generally county specific, so the best I can do here is refer to http://www.doh.state.fl.us and a suggestion to look up by County and 'PAC'. Medicaid enrollment is generally somewhat slower, and unfortunately Florida has one of the messier, more overloaded and poorly managed programs. However, this is a good possibility for getting access to higher quality long term care.
On the subject of the insurance, if the program he was with was fully-insured it is possible to do some very serious damage to them via your state's insurance regulatory board. If it is a self-insured program (more common with unions, certain employers), things may be more problematic.
If there's anything specific you're looking for, or need some specific questions answered, please get in touch.
Look into getting some sort of fax service, if it's not already at hand. Much of the health care industry, from insurance, to physicians to pharmacies are subject to fairly severe restrictions on sending out information. Email is an insecure medium with respect to these standards. Faxes, while dated, ironically meet these standards. Much of what's going to happen is going to require sending various documents to prove the situation: disenrollment letters, lab results, financial info. Since it can't be emailed, without a fax option available it's going to default to snail mail, which will significantly delay things.
Thank you very, very much.
I wish all the best for your friend, I will spread the word!
In Houston you can go to the foundation in person and see what they can do to help. So I'm giving you the slightly direct link to positive healthcare
http://www.aidshealth.org/positive-healthcare.html
Best of luck to your friend. I hope he gets the treatment he needs.
There are times where we should just try to help each other out, no? People's people, and you can't deny that.
That insurance company is making my real sick.
Tell people to check out my art page,
It's the least I can do ;__;
This is bullshit, I will share, good luck on his fight. Please send him my best.
It's the only reason I was able to pay for my cancer treatments.
I hope he gets enough. No one needs to suffer like that.
I'll also post a journal about it linking back here.
This just hits close to home for me. I lost my cousin the end of last summer to AIDS. He was someone very important to me and I couldn't let someone else go through that pain without helping. I really truelly hope it helps.
Needless to say, if I come across any extra money, it's going to go toward him. I do wish you the best of luck, and I'll spread the word where I can on this site and others I frequent, yet it seems you and I have at least this much in common. He'll be in my thoughts. At least there is a sparkle of hope for your friend. From what I've read, there is a possible cure for AIDES. The problem is that it is Very costly, and either it will cure him, or it will kill him. The choice will have to be his on whether or not it's worth the risk, but so far it has shown a very good success rate. Hopefully, maybe through donations and help, his family can raise enough money that this can at least be an option for him.
Again, I wish him the best. Never give up dear.
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/4222768/
I hope Valyn gets all the medical attention he needs and more. <3
Just donate, and tell Kilcodo and myself in a note and I'll make good.
If you go for one of the charity commissions, let us know and I'll do the same, up to $10.
Due to my own lack of funds, this is unfortunately only good for the next FIVE donators.
I threw 100$ at him. ;3;
Ohdear Oh dear Oh dear. ;3;
I hope he is going to get better.
May the goddess look over him with good fortune.
https://www.weasyl.com/journal/7031
Reposted on both sites. I don't have one cent, but I hope I can at least do something with this. Tell Valyn that he's not alone, we're all hoping for his recovery.
Stay strong.
I just posted a journal about it
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/4244835/
Posted to twitter and facebook
and I will donate as soon as I get my pay check this weekend
treatment they don't want to cover you. It makes no sense at all that is the whole point to health coverage to pay for it and to get treated :/
I am really sorry to hear about this. I hope he pulls through in the best way available.
for the company Rite Aid I was on Full time and I had the full medical coverage through my company. Here in Massachusetts health care is
mandatory if you don't have it they will penalize your taxes if you make under 22,000 a year. Ever sense when the state had to make it mandatory
over half my medical coverage was not covered any more even in the Dental coverage. I had a friend that had mental problems but he was a case
that when he took his meds they actually worked for him and he acted normal and you would never know that he had it. Well he was on a program
through his medical and they didn't cover it anymore and his pills were like $750 a month and he couldn't afford them. The government told those
companies not to cover us on most of the important things that we do need. And yes your right the insurance companies are doing a lot of
damage themselves which is not helping us at all. It sucks and the only real way to reverse this is try to vote them out and get new people in. Ok
sure no politician has ever gotten into office with clean hands they all have done something wrong somewhere but hopefully it can be changed
back to the way it was.