Boston Bombing Hero Who ID'd Suspect. Friends ask for Support.

[longship]

From Think Progress. I don't like the title of the TP post -- It's inaccurate.

Here are some excerpts.

In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings on Monday, Jeff Bauman’s image was seared into the American consciousness. An extremely graphic photo of Bauman being escorted in a wheelchair with most of his legs blown off quickly went viral. Bauman’s stock rose even further after reports surfaced that he had looked into the eyes of one of the bombing suspects minutes before the explosion, and that the moment he awoke from emergency care, he gave law enforcement critical information that substantially narrowed their field of suspects. But while police continue to scour the streets for at-large suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the 27-year-old Bauman is scouring the internet for donations to help pay for his outsized medical bills.
Bauman’s friends created the page “Bucks For Bauman!” on the gofundme.com crowdfunding service. The money raised through donations to the site are meant to help Jeff and his family pay the exorbitant costs of his surgeries, ongoing medical care, and physical therapy. Since Tuesday, when the site was launched, Americans from across the country have poured in $158,294 in donations — over half of the overall $300,000 goal.

So, poor reportage contradicts itself within the first two paragraphs. Jeff Bauman is not responsible for this. It's his friends.

Nevertheless, this is an important issue. People have been maimed to an extent that their families will be profoundly affected. Bauman's friends have started a worthy movement to help those whose lives have been cast into turmoil with huge consequences for their families.

More.

The original version of this story stated that Jeff Bauman does not have health insurance. This is incorrect. That claim was based on a quote from Bauman’s uncle, Dale Maybury of Westford, that was cited in The Boston Globe on Thursday. Not only does Bauman have employer-sponsored health coverage through Costco — the company “is also matching donations made by colleagues at the chain’s Nashua location,” according to a more recent Globe article from Friday. Bauman is being forced to raise funds despite this assistance due to the extraordinarily high costs associated with the amount of current and ongoing care that he requires.

And one more.

Bauman has been fortunate enough to receive an impressive number of donations to help him pay his bills, and his uncle plans to buy him his first pair of prosthetic legs. But many other victims in the Boston bombings may not be as fortunate. The cost of treating the bombing survivors’ injuries is expected to exceed $9 million. The out-of-pocket costs associated with that treatment could bury many of the victims financially, even if they do have insurance — unless hospitals, insurers, and charitable foundations swoop in to help, as they did after the mass shooting in Aurora, Colorado.

Here's Bucks for Bauman.

I am sure that there may be places to donate for others effected by the Marathon Bombers or even West, TX. I invite others to add other pleas herein. Please provide adequate descriptions. Thank you.

And please keep this late night thread kicked.

Link to Think Progress post: http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/04/19/1896951/bauman-crowd-funding-medical/

[William769]

1. kick & recommended.

[MADem]

2. There's also the ONE FUND.

http://onefundboston.org/pdf/theonefundboston.pdf

[longship]

3. Please edit your post to provide a brief description.

Thanks. Making people click through before they know what it's about is not good fundraising strategy.

Thanks.

[MADem]

4. Anyone watching TV knows what it is, but it's a fund to provide money to people affected by the

bombing. It was established by Gov. Patrick and Mayor Menino, and it has top-shelf legal oversight.

[longship]

7. There's no cable here, and I've never heard of it.

I suspect other DUers are in the same boat.

Thanks anyway.

[Cha]

13. Here's two paragraphs but nothing happens when I click on The One Fund Boston..

According to Mayor Menino, support from the business community was immediate. “Within an hour, I had calls from business leaders and local philanthropists who, like me, were heartbroken by the impact this hideous tragedy has had on individuals, their families, and friends. And they want to
do everything they can to help these people physically and psychologically in the future.”

The cornerstone donation to The One Fund Boston is a $1 million commitment from John Hancock. “John Hancock is honored to contribute to The One Fund Boston, aiding those who were affected by this terrible event,” said Craig Bromley, President. “The Boston Marathon is about courage and resilience and community. John Hancock, which has been headquartered in Boston for more than 150 years, will continue to stand by our city, the people of Boston, our community partners, the runners, and the Boston Athletic Association as we unite in recovery and in renewal of our commitment to the Boston Marathon.”

To contribute to The One Fund Boston, click on onefundboston.org.

[longship]

14. Wonderful! Thank you. nt

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

5. K&R. nt

[idwiyo]

8. K&R This is incomprehensible. Survivors of a terrorist attack have to ask for donations

to pay medical bills in the richest country in the world. Never mind that NO ONE should be put in a position where they cannot receive medical care while their own government spends hundreds of billions of dollars on military budget.

[longship]

10. I agree.

I am sure there's donations available for people in West, TX, too. Maybe somebody wants to post a pitch for them here, too. Seems like a good thread for it.

It is what it is. We'll all do what we can.

[area51]

15. +1

If we were a civilized, first world country we'd have health care as a basic human right.

[BanTheGOP]

9. I kicked in a few bucks, no thanks to the republicanist bastards

But what really pisses me off the most is that we have the EPITOME of the TOTAL VICTIM. Not just of an act of cowardice by the bomber, but an even GREATER act of cowardice by congressional republicans who DEMONIZED the affordable health care act. Had the republicans not been as oppressively evil as they are, Obamacare would be working without a hitch. And we wouldn't even be HAVING this pitiful discussion.

NO American should EVER have to pay for quality health care. NEVER.

[freshwest]

11. Visiting COSTCO this weekend. Will let people know if we can donate there.

[Warren DeMontague]

12. K&R

[Granny M]

16. K & R

This could be any one of us, our lives turned upside down in an instant.

[defacto7]

17. Big Kick

[GiveMeFreedom]

18. K & R

I put my money where my mouth is. He needs some cash, I gave him some. See? Peace.

[octoberlib]

19. Kick!

[onestepforward]

20. K&R for Jeff!

[frazzled]

21. With all due respect

It was the FBI who identified the perpetrators, not Mr. Bauman, for whom I have a great deal of sympathy. . The images the professionals put out Wednesday afternoon led friends of Bauman to recognize the same individual in one of Bauman's posted images ... A better digital version than the store security video.

it's simply like the FBI put out an old fashioned wanted poster. And the ultimate discovery of the suspect was old fashioned, too: a real life viewing in a back yard.