Dear Sulu, or realistically, Everybody Else...

tl;dr This young dude has operable cancer and a shitfest lack of insurance. He needs help. I don't often put something like this up because there's that teensy level of "what if it's a scam? I don't want to send my friends to a scam," but this is the kind of situation that I'd rather get scammed for $10 than let the shitfest insurance industry take over and turn this into another tragedy. So, make up your own minds, of course! Take a look, email the lady, maybe help out if you can?

Originally posted by kunzite1 at Dear Sulu, or realistically, Everybody Else...

This is an entry from the perspective of my wife, Laura E. Sanders (Trethewey). More information can be found at http://miketrethewey.blogspot.com/.

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Hi, I'm Laura, and I am Mike's (kunzite1's) wife. This is the first letter I have written:

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Dearest George Takei,

First of all thank you for your time if either you or a member of your team is reading this. I would like to ask for your help. My husband and I are in a fantastic pickle, and any and all help, awareness and compassion is so very greatly appreciated.

In August of 2011, my husband was diagnosed with stage two, metastatic testicular cancer. And although we were able to finish a couple of rounds of chemotherapy, we were unable to get a life-saving surgery before our insurance ran out.

Testicular cancer is actually quite curable (one of the most curable cancers around). He is not currently terminal because he is still curable, because of this OHP (Oregon Health Plan) will not cover him because they haven't been accepting applications for anyone since 2004 (unless you are terminal, or pregnant, fortunately my husband is neither). I have of course, attemted to utilize other government programs that are normally available (I won't waste your time by listing all 10+ that I have found or been referred to) and he either doesn't qualify for lots of silly reasons (not the right kind of cancer, not the right minority, not sick enough, not a father, etc) or it will take a minimum of a year to maybe get him coverage. We don't have that kind of time. The aformentioned life-saving surgery is needed to remove metastatic tumors in several locations, and he is at this time a ticking time bomb. At this rate (if nothing is done) he will not see the age of 30. Mike is currently 28.

This is strange I know, I find myself asking the same question "How is this happening?" Well to be honest, I believe I have an answer, it would take many words to explain, the short verson: "My husband found the unluckiest loophole in the United States' healthcare system." We have fallen through the cracks, and I will not wait around to become a widow. If the government is content to sit around and wait for my husband to die, I am not, I don't think anyone should be.

A good trekkie friend actually recommended that I start writing letters to my favorite celebrities, not to complain, or whine, but to signal boost. And Mr. Takei, thats how I would like it if you could help us. Post, talk, or even suggest to a couple of well-connected friends. Whats going on, and why. We have a website at http://miketrethewey.blogspot.com/ , to hopefully verify and elaborate on our story. We are at this time accepting monetary donations, and a couple of very loved friends are running some fundraisers.

We do have a goal and a plan. The goal is to get his surgery. After more phone calls than myself or the phone-company really want to count I was able to locate a program called Federal Medical Insurance Pool (FMIP). It costs about $400 a month, has a fair deductible and we don't have to jump through so many hoops. It will take us a year to get coverage. At this rate we might be able to get his $100,000.00 surgery done by April of 2012. The problem is currently we are living on a $500 a month budget, and it is my job as an advocate to my husband to make sure the guy at least has a roof over his head while he's battling cancer. That's not cheap. We need to raise about $5,000 and that will be enough to get him better, that is our financial barrier. I'm confident that with enough love, and hard work, and patience this can be accomplished.

Mr. Takei, I'm glad that we got this far, but at the end of the day, Mike and I aren't necessarily your biggest fans. But to me you're an actor, and icon; and an activist I so enjoy, and can so easily get behind. I've enjoyed your work as a kid and a young adult, and your humor, and your strength and steadiness of character. Help me create awareness, I don't want this to happen to other people. I know like so many other issues, if enough people are angry, long enough and loud enough, they simply cannot be ignored.

Thank you for your time.

Live long, and prosper,

Laura E. Sanders (Trethewey)

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And again, that site is available at http://miketrethewey.blogspot.com/.

Thank you.