Jay Hamilton

Family and friends of Jay Hamilton are raising money for the nonprofit Help Hope Live to help fund some of his uninsured medical expenses associated with scleroderma and lung transplantation. Please read through this profile to see if you can help out by covering out-of-pocket expenses for a trip to the doctor’s office (about $50), a month’s worth of copays for medication (about $100 — before transplant), or contribute to larger expenses.

Jay has systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) with lung involvement. First diagnosed in 2013, he can trace the signs of breathlessness back to 2010 and is now on oxygen support 24/7. He began transplant evaluation in 2013 and has been in the “on deck circle” since 2016, meaning he has cleared all the medical and non-medical prerequisites for a lung transplant, but has not been sick “enough” to be listed in the New York area. But the time for listing is getting close at hand.

We have set a goal of $10,000 in large part because we just don’t know all the expenses to come. Jay has good insurance, but that only lasts as long as he can work and nasty diseases have a habit of ruining folks’ ability to work. His disease already shapes our lives and our finances, but the really hard part will come after transplantation with increased doctors visits and medication costs.

In 2018 Jay and his family paid out nearly $2,000 in copays for doctors visits and prescriptions. Over the years his disease has led to other out-of-pocket expenses such as a wheelchair ($120), oxygen equipment ($100) and a portable oxygen concentrator ($3000) which enabled him to continue to work and travel the country in 2017.

After transplantation Jay will need to make weekly trips back to the hospital for a few months, then trips every other week and then every other month and so on. Each doctor visit costs over $35 in parking and bridge tolls; plus, co-pays ranging from $20 to $60 per trip (depending on how many tests). And that is the best-case scenario. There will be even more trips with every complication. Then there are the medications. Jay already takes many medications required after transplantation, but in addition to anti-rejection drugs there are drugs to help with the side effects of those drugs. His costs could easily double and blow through his insurance cap. There may also be costs for caregivers’ travel.

Does this cost breakdown seem a little too detailed? What else would you expect from an Economics Professor? Jay teaches at John Jay College in New York City and researches illegal and other “iffy” markets. He has a loving wife and three adult children. He hopes a transplant will enable him to enjoy nature again with lots of hiking, travel to see more of this country and to give him the opportunity to provide his family some financial stability. Donations can also cover end-of-life expenses. Any unused donations made in Jay’s name will be used to fund grants for the Help Hope Live campaigns of those with limited incomes.

Jay has chosen to fundraise for Help Hope Live in part because Help Hope Live assures fiscal accountability of funds raised and tax deductibility for contributors. Contributors can be sure donations will be used to pay or reimburse medical and related expenses. There is nothing “iffy” about Help Hope Lives. To make a tax-deductible donation to this fundraising campaign, click on the Give button.

For more information, please contact Help Hope Live at 800.642.8399.

Thank you for your support!