We had an exceptional three days connecting with families, partners, vendors, and influencers at the 2022 Abilities Expo Los Angeles! Here are some of our team’s reflections on the experience:
“In three days, we met hundreds of individuals with all sorts of medical conditions, ranging from individuals who use wheelchairs based on a diagnosis they’ve had since birth to people who experienced a spinal cord injury following car accidents, gun violence, and even a poisonous spider encounter. We met people living with limb loss, transplant needs, cerebral, palsy, cancer, and every diagnosis in between.
Across these encounters, there was one common conversation:
We are the only organization in the country where these individuals can find hope to pay for the countless medical expenses not covered by insurance.
We heard stories of insurance refusing to pay for shower chairs, catheters, prosthetics, medications, and so much more. We also heard about the frustration that these individuals experience in figuring out how much money they can earn and how many assets they can have to avoid losing their Medicaid, MediCal, or SSDI.
As these individuals browsed the room looking at adaptive vans, wheelchairs, wheels, adaptive beds, and so many other products, they found our table and learned that they could fundraise in a secure, trusted way without losing their benefits. They walked away from our table with a smile (and some candy).
The overwhelming sentiment was simple: people want to live independent lives and not have to ask for help to do it.
It was our job to explain that by telling their story with one-on-one guidance and support from Help Hope Live, they have the chance to work towards their independence while reaching out to a community of friends who already want to play that positive role in their lives and support those goals.
I hope all the individuals and families we met will turn to Help Hope Live and trust us to be there for them as a source of support.
We met medical professionals who took our materials to share with their patients, and vendors thrilled to send clients our way knowing that we are a trusted fundraising source. These communities share an understanding that many patients and clients simply cannot afford the things they need and want with insurance alone.”
Find Fundraising Help Now
If you learned about Help Hope Live from the Abilities Expo and you’d like to move forward with a medical fundraising campaign, click here to submit a short initial application.
You can learn about our differences from crowdfunding platforms here, or reach out and start a conversation: you can find and message us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Written by Emily Progin
