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Actress Dawn Wells is financially stranded. Like her character on Gilligan's Island, she's not alone.
Wells, who played Mary Ann Summers on the popular 1960s sitcom on a group of people stranded on a deserted island, is asking her fans for financial help after incurring high medical bills and suffering significant losses in her life. 39; investment.
A friend of the star has created a GoFundMe campaign to raise $ 180,000 to pay for Wells' "hospitalization fees" and the penalties she owes the Internal Revenue Service (the page does not explain why she is owes the penalty fee).
"Dawn is experiencing one of the biggest fears Americans have, an uncertain future," wrote his friend Dugg Kirkpatrick on the GoFundMe page. Wells suffered an unexpected accident and had to endure a life-threatening surgery that left him piles of bills, he wrote.
Over the past nine days, the GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $ 50,000 in donations from more than 1,400 people. "After 2008, like many of us, Dawn suffered the bank crash and lost everything, including his life savings," Kirkpatrick said.
The actress, aged 79, confirmed Wednesday the authenticity of the GoFundMe campaign on her official Facebook page.
"A dear and dear friend, with a big heart, was trying to help me with common problems that we all understand and that some may encounter," she wrote. "I do not know how it happened. I thought I was taking all the necessary steps to secure my golden years. Now here I am, no family, no husband, no children and no money. I'm grateful that God has given me so many friends and fans who care, or all that would be too … overwhelming.
See: This man will help you get out of your expensive medical expenses
Famous or not, Americans fight health care costs
Wells is far from being alone on this issue. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a private non-profit foundation based in Menlo Park, Calif., 66% of respondents say that medical bill problems stem from one-off events rather than chronic disease treatments.
Only 13% of people have problems paying medical bills of $ 10,000 or more, he said. Some 37% of those with annual incomes below $ 50,000 have difficulty paying their medical bills, compared with 26% of those with an average income of $ 50,000 to $ 100,000 and 14% of those earning more. that. Patients sometimes avoid visits to the doctor or purchase prescription drugs because they simply can not afford them.
Health care costs continue to grow as Americans age. According to Fidelity Investments, a couple who retires in 2017 can expect to spend $ 275,000 on retirement health care, a figure that is set to increase indefinitely.
What to do if you are in the same boat as Wells
Some people find a new job or a second job, said Monica Dwyer, Vice President and Wealth Advisor at Harvest Financial Advisors in West Chester, Ohio. Such an effort might involve acquiring new skills or looking for a mentor to enhance your interviewing and networking skills. "Examine your life carefully and make a decision about the kind of life you can lead," she said.
Reevaluate expenditures, seek help and seek government-subsidized programs that could provide relief, such as rental assistance through the Department of Housing and Urban Development or food vouchers, also known as the Nutritional Assistance Supplementary Program. "Pride should be left at the door," said Malik Lee, senior director at Felton & Peel Wealth Management in Atlanta.
Wells' problems show that everyone can experience financial turmoil – and being on a successful TV show is no guarantee of permanent financial stability. Another actor, Geoffrey Owens, who played Bill Cosby's son-in-law in the popular 1980s television series "The Cosby Show," recently photographed grocery bags in a New Jersey Trader Joe's. Celebrities have turned to social media to support Owens. Some noted that actors rarely have stable wages and that no one should judge him for working one day to pay the bills.
She is famous, but many Americans shared her problems
Not everyone believes that GoFundMe accounts are a way to pay bills, even medical bills. Unlike Wells, most Americans do not have a famous name to use. Some people have left outraged messages on the campaign page. One user, Larry Roberts, said his hospital bill was $ 178,000 after an accident and that he could not raise more than $ 50 with his own GoFundMe.
"Still, these show business people who, if they managed their money wisely, would not have too much trouble, just run a GoFundMe page and just like that – already $ 28,000," he said. he writes. "Yeah sorry for your luck, but guess what Dawn, welcome to the real world."
Others were more supportive. "Good luck Mrs. Wells! You've given me (and most Americans) years of entertainment with Gilligan's Island, "wrote Cathy Josey. "It's for me an honor and a pleasure to bring you this little help."
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