Hitting the road for kids
After 25 years in the professional world of consumer finance, I decided to take a break, recharge and get some new perspectives on life. Rather than catching up on my Netflix shows or hanging out at the Starboard, I hatched a plan to fulfill a longtime dream of mine and bicycle across the United States. Specifically, I will be cycling from Anacortes, Wash., to Rehoboth/Dewey Beach in Delaware, where my parents live and where I spent a good part of my formative years as a kid.
Traversing 3,500 miles with my trusty steel bike, some clothes and camping gear is the plan for this self-supported journey along with my wife of 29 years. As I write this article, we are 1,000-plus miles into the journey in rural Montana on a rest day, pining for the Starboard and the Atlantic Ocean. So far the ride has been going well despite massive climbing, unfriendly winds from the east and the occasional bout of hypothermia brought on by rain and 40-degree temperatures. Isn’t it supposed to be summer?
On a positive note, we are experiencing our vast country on a slow, human scale, which has invigorated our souls and reinforced our faith in humanity. But I’d like to focus on a key part of the journey that has nothing to do with pedal strokes, spandex or unexpected sores in unexpected places.
Today, 44 million Americans carry medical debt totaling $1 trillion, which creates a pernicious cycle of poor financial and physical health outcomes. Researchers report high levels of financial debt are associated with mental illness, acute biological ailments and poorer overall health. Financial stress begets high-risk behaviors, which often lead to poor health outcomes. Stories about the human costs of medical debt and cancer diagnoses are all too common and heartbreaking in equal measure.
Today, much of Americans’ outstanding consumer debt is discretionary, but medical debt is a large and uniquely American problem. For instance, 66% of all consumer bankruptcies are tied to medical debt, 25% of all outstanding credit card debt is used to finance medical debt, and 50% of Americans report forgoing medical care due to its high costs. Even more frustrating are the stories of children who suffer life-threatening mental and physical ailments that further burden their stressed-out families with medical debt.
I hoped this bike ride might capture some interest, so I started a fundraiser to lighten the financial stress of children’s medical emergencies. I set an initial goal of $15,000 to help support life-changing medical and mental health care for children across the U.S. As of late June, 90 individual donors have given $19,600 to help close funding gaps for critical medical services, and deliver joy, hope and smiles to young patients.
While I’m under no illusion that these funds will solve the medical debt problem in our country, I hope others will consider donating to the best of their ability at fundraise.givesmart.com/vf/Downhill/GeorgeHofheimer.
I hope to see a bunch of you sometime in early to mid-August to welcome us as we dip our tires into the sweet Atlantic Ocean.
