So about an hour ago I posted my dad’s story to Reddit with the hope that reddit might show their unbelievable goodwill that they have in the past here, with my dad’s situation. The situation is this: My dad is facing more then 10,000 in debt, most of which is for his hospital bills in the past two weeks. Some of it has to do with the IRS and documents he can’t get his hands on because his former employeer went out of his way to manipulate him into not leaving that company.

My dad just wanted to be paid wages people in his position made. He stayed in that position a lot longer then most people would, and when he finally told his boss that he was leaving, his boss made sure he couldn’t find a job anywhere else in the Florida restaurant supply market.

We’ve watched the IRS situation came crashing down around him, and then the new cancer on his ear. We saw his earlier medical bills, dealing with California public health care system and it’s bureaucracy (which said he made 126 dollars too much on unemployment to qualify for state benefits and this is California’s health care system telling him that for shit’s sake). It’s just absolutely unbelievable. We had to do something right? At least, we’d thought that we’d try… try and ask total strangers to help a guy they’ve never met try and break even after everything that could go wrong did. He’s been looking for work since November and can’t find anything.

We’re not asking for huge donations from people we don’t know. Maybe a dollar, maybe 50 cents, maybe even an up vote so that it might reach front page.

I was a little uncomfortable putting this on reddit. The causes that redditors champion have blown me away in the past. I think about the things that redditors contribute towards and I know that generally they are these dire situations. I worry that people will see this blog and just dismiss my dad’s need off hand because he’s not at death door.

Not yet at least. Until the pathology comes back on his ear we’ll have no idea whether or not the cancer will escalate. We have no idea what kind of payment plan the IRS will put him on if we don’t find some way to help him pay for this. How long it will be before he can get back on his feet financially? Will he have to go into bankrupcy and start from scratch once he’s in his 60’s?

No one should have to do that. And I know people do but if theres a way we can help him, I’ll find it. He’s my dad and there is nothing I wouldn’t do for him.