#40andForward: Responding to COVID-19 (Weeks 26-30)

We’re looking back at 40 of the most significant moments in Help Hope Live’s history to celebrate our nonprofit’s 40 years of trusted medical fundraising.

Join us for #40andforward – share your own Help Hope Live memory with us on social, or pledge your “$40 for 40” to support our General Operating Fund today:

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Catch up on the moments you missed! Find recaps here for Weeks 1-25.

TEXT: Week 26/40: COVID-19 Changes Everything #40andforward IMAGES: Three bubbles with photos. Image 1: Beth, Double Lung transplant, Beth has short light-colored hair and light-colored skin. She is sitting with her very large family, with daughters, sons and grandkids, and they are all smiling right at the camera. Some are seated on the couch and the others are seated around her and standing around her. Image 2: Judy, Spinal Cord Injury. Judy has light-colored hair and light-colored skin. She is sitting in her wheelchair outside wearing a fleece jacket and dark colored pants. Image 3: Samantha, heart transplant. Samantha has dark-colored hair and light-colored skin. She is wearing a light-colored long sleeve sweater and earrings. She is outside looking up to the right.

In 2020, everything changed—for all of us.

The country began to shut down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a team, we committed to finding a way forward—to keep offering help and hope, no matter what.

Week 27/40 Seamless Support #40andforward There are three bubbles with an image in each. Bubble #1: Sean, who had a heart transplant. He is laying in a medical bed with a dark-colored ball cap and dark-colored tshirt. He has some facial hair. He is seated next two a young woman and young man. Bubble #2: Sarah, who has cancer. Sarah has short, light colored hair and is wearing glasses and is leaning on a tall man who has light-colored hair and facial hair. He is wearing long sleeves and they are both outside. Bubble #3: Ariel is standing next to a tall gentleman in a kitchen. Ariel is bald and has a dark-colored mustache. He is a wearing a light-multi-colored shirt and smiling.

In 2020, overnight, our entire team began working remotely.

From Finance to Outreach to Client Services, we committed to seamless support.

New clients continued to find our trusted medical fundraising.

Medical debt didn’t stop during the pandemic. Neither did we.

Graphic text: Week 28/40. Staying connected. 40andforward. Image: There are three bubbles with images. Bubble #1: Xavier, who has cerebral palsy. He is a young infant, with tan-colored skin and dark-colored hair. He is wearing clear glasses and smiling. He is sitting in his highchair. Bubble #2: Michael, who has a spinal cord injury, is seated in his wheelchair and is pulling a woman behind him on a skateboard. He has light-colored skin and is wearing a hat, a dark-colored shirt and light-colored pants. Bubble #3: Tony, who had a liver transplant, is seated, looking at the camera, with his wife hugging him from behind. Tony has dark-colored skin and dark-colored hair. He has a little facial hair and is wearing a light-colored button-down dress shirt.

We all learned to navigate a new post-pandemic world together.

Over the past three years, we’ve stayed closely connected to one another—and you.

We found ways to make our support more streamlined and efficient than ever.

For our community, help and hope never stops coming.

A graphic reads #40andforward: Week 29/40, COVID-19 Medical Debt with three photos of Help Hope Live clients. Tanisha, spinal cord injury, is a young woman with brown skin in a black hoodie on a tennis court using a walker with her hands and braces on her legs. Rachel, ALS, is seated and strapped into her wheelchair with a loved one leaning over her behind her chair. She has light skin, brown hair, and sunglasses. Helena, lung transplant, is pictured in a hospital bed wearing a gown with a loved one seated beside her wearing a face mask. Helena has light skin, short curly brown hair, and a breathing device attached to her nose.

In 2021, up to 12.5 million Americans had COVID-19 medical debt.

The average COVID debt amount: $5,000 to over $9,000.

Those debt burdens continued as COVID-19 survivors became long-haulers.

We knew we had to take action.

WEEK 30/40 COVID-19 fundraising #40andforward IMAGE: There are three bubbles with Help Hope Live clients. 1. Elaine, who has muscular dystrophy. She is sitting in a wheel chair wearing a sweatshirt and has a blanket on her lap. She is seated infront of an indoor water fountain, and her husband is standing behind her. Elaine dark-colored hair, and has her hair pulled back with a headband. She is wearing glasses. 2. Josh, who had a double lung transplant, is sitting in his hospital bed wearing his hospital gown. He has light-colroed skin and short, dark-colored hair. He is holding up peace signs in both hands. 3. Ian, who had a kidney transplant, is standing smiling at the camera. He has dark-colored skin and short, dark-colored hair. He is wearing a dress shirt with a tie and a vest overtop.

We couldn’t sit by and watch COVID-related costs create financial burdens for families.

We opened our doors to this new diagnosis as a financial lifeline.

COVID-19 campaigns allow communities to rally.

Our trusted medical fundraising provides help every step of the way—for the long haul.

We post these weekly moments on our socials so you can engage with our mission, share your own Help Hope Live memories, and showcase our mission to your own community. Follow along – follow us now!

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Written by Emily Progin