Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

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Dear elected officials: Trump is temporary, dishonor is forever.

There are some who say that there are too many strawmen arguments on this blog.

Consistently wrong since 2002

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Many life forms that would benefit from greater intelligence, sadly, do not have it.

This country desperately needs a functioning fourth estate.

Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn.

Washington Post Catch and Kill, not noticeably better than the Enquirer’s.

“What are Republicans afraid of?” Everything.

Weird. Rome has an American Pope and America has a Russian President.

Everybody saw this coming.

We’re watching the self-immolation of the leading world power on a level unprecedented in human history.

Radicalized white males who support Trump are pitching a tent in the abyss.

Rupert, come get your orange boy, you petrified old dinosaur turd.

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Disappointing to see gov. newsom with his finger to the wind.

You are here: Home / Anderson On Health Insurance / Claire updates

Claire updates

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As the week wraps up, I want to give you all an update on my niece, Claire.
She is wrapping up her round of chemo shortly.  The technical term that can be used around 9 year olds is that chemo is a butt kicker. She is Philadelphia at the moment and adjusting to the changes and trying to work with whatever her new normal is.
Megan, Claire’s mom, knew that my wife has been coordinating fundraising through a couple of different channels.  My wife mentioned to her sister that Dave’s blog community held a stand-alone event for Claire. She e-mailed the back-end recipient link to Megan so that the fund transfer could proceed.   I think Megan expected to see enough money for gas and tolls or perhaps a month’s worth of rent.  She was shocked at what you Jackals have done for her daughter and her family.  You all have raised a year’s worth of rent plus gas and tolls plus plentiful hospital coffee plus several series of books that Claire wants to read plus who knows what else.
Thank you!  Thank you! Thank you!

Reader Interactions

96Comments

  1. 1.

    Gravenstone

    Hopefully it’s able to help them focus on the important thing of supporting Claire, and not worrying about having a reasonable place to crash when not at the hospital.

  3. 3.

    Jon Marcus

    Oh man, we made them drink hospital coffee? I am so sorry!

    Seriously, glad they got at least a small pleasant surprise against the ocean of crap they’re swimming through. Will be praying for her speedy and easy recovery.

  4. 4.

    RedDirtGirl

    I’m glad to have the opportunity to help. I really love being part of this community of jackals.

  6. 6.

    geg6

    This is the best thing that’s happened around here in a long time.  Just feels good to help and make a difference in someone’s life.  Keep us updated and let them know we’re sending all the good vibes.

  7. 7.

    HumboldtBlue

    @David Anderson:

    Cool.

    Also as was pointed out in the original thread, let us know if cards or notes are needed, pretty sure this gang would jump at a chance to send some cheer.

  8. 8.

    Di

    Holding Claire and her family in my thoughts.

    I don’t comment often, but this place means the world to me. You all have been keeping me (relatively) sane since I stumbled across BJ during the late Bush years. My contribution was the very least I can do.

  10. 10.

    JPL

    I’m so pleased that you reached out to the community, because it highlighted what is truly important.    Thank you.

  11. 11.

    Mary G

    Pleased to have helped take one worry off Megan’s mind  (and the rest of the fam, of course). Tell Claire she has a horde of jackals rooting for her

    ETA: Paige also, too.

  12. 12.

    NW Steve

    I want to say saying about what brought me to donate to this.

    I’m a long time lurker here, but my participation has been completely passive.

    This site and community that lives there has brought me tremendous calm and sanity as I’m immersed in the lunacy that seems to have overtaken us.

    So, time to make a small move from passive to active. The best way I had at that moment was to be part of making things better for Claire and her family.

    Thanks to John and everyone here for being who you are. You have made things better for me. I owe it to you and myself to reciprocate.

  13. 13.

    MomSense

    If Claire would like a knit a blanket/ throw (hospitals can be chilly) let me know.  I’ll make something washable.  I know my kids always liked having a blanket to cozy up in while reading.

  14. 14.

    WaterGirl

    @David Anderson: I hope you will relay to Megan some of the suggestions for some of that money to be used, if they wish, for things like fresh flowers for the apartment every week.

    Maybe this weekend or next, I can put up a G-rated thread where we can all send our good wishes directly to Claire. Can you find out if that would be okay with the parents?

    Also, if anybody in your family has time to put together an Amazon wishlist for Claire, and one for her sister, we can share that with anyone who is interested.  I     can’t think of a better antidote to a week of crap from this administration than to pick something from two little girl’s lists to add some happy surprises into their sea of hard.

  15. 15.

    Ohio Mom

    I think we all would have liked to have been the fly on the wall to watch Megan strain to comprehend what she was seeing.

    Do you mean the Wayside School series? “Wayside School is Falling Down,” “Sideway Stories from Wayside School,” and I forget the others. I liked those, was sorry to give them away when Ohio Son outgrew them.

  16. 16.

    laura

    I’m grateful to have been of service to Team Claire. I hope that she is well and healthy as soon as can be and I hope that the good stuff gets passed along to other families who can use some hope and grace when the beast of disease comes for their child.

  17. 17.

    arrieve

    As others have said, being able to help Claire was also a help to me, having a concrete action I could take to do a little good in this world. I’m so glad it will relieve a lot of worry for her family so they can focus on the important stuff. And I’d be happy to help again in any way I can.

  22. 22.

    J R in WV

    I was glad to be able to help, and thanks for letting us know about the need.

    It’s kind of a shame we need to do community fund raising for families dealing with an illness, but so glad we have a community that wants to help out.

    She looks like a really sweet kid.

  23. 23.

    persistentillusion

    I, too, am a long-time lurker, dragged from behind my computer by a chance to do something positive.  Thanks for the ability to provide some comfort to a family needing it, through this site’s enormous generosity.

  25. 25.

    Belafon

    @Yutsano: Someone should do a story about how different blogs treat newcomers. Over at LGF, you’re required to bring virtual beer and answer the most important question of all: Should pineapple go on pizza?

  27. 27.

    VeniceRiley

    No one needs to think about all that sh*t while helping a child through serious illness.  No one.  I wish we could do it for all of them. But I’ll settle for us being a mini St. John’s for this one little (and delightful) girl. You can do it, Claire!  We’re all rooting you on.

  28. 28.

    pacem appellant

    @HumboldtBlue: If there is an Amazon wish list for books for Claire (can you do that with Powells or bookshop.org) we can support it directly, but that’s going to be up to Claire’s parents.

  30. 30.

    Redshift

    My wife and I recently took turns transporting a friend to her breast cancer treatments (locally), and afterward I became her “cancer buddy.” By that I mean I was the person who could tell her some things she might expect from the treatment, and more important, say “yeah, that’s normal” when she was feeling exhausted longer than she expected to be.

    The doctors will try to give you all the information you need, but it can still be really helpful to have someone who’s gone through something similar. (I had a cancer buddy, too.)

    So what I’m saying is if anyone in the family needs something like that, I’m sure there are many of us here, myself included, who would be happy to chime in.

  31. 31.

    VOR

    My late wife died from colo-rectal cancer after multiple rounds of surgery, radiation, and chemo. I can’t imagine a 9 year old having to deal with that. I wouldn’t wish it on the worst person in the world. Chemo is hard on you, sucks out all your energy. And hard on the family too, so smoothing the path a little bit was a great pleasure. Keep us informed and I wish Claire all the best.

  32. 32.

    indycat32

    I’d love to make her a quilt to snuggle under.  Just need to know her favorite color.  I’ve been trapped at home since March so I have plenty of time – and as a quilter, plenty of fabric!

  33. 33.

    HumboldtBlue

    @pacem appellant:

    This is a fight in my FB Decemberists fan group. However, the answer is “No.”

    The correct answer is always “no.” That there is a debate is rather embarrassing if you ask me.

  36. 36.

    stinger

    You got this, Claire.  Kick chemo’s butt right back.

    We’ll expect regular book reports, however.

  40. 40.

    piratedan

    @Elizabelle: was thinking that if we raised enough moolah, maybe the writers could be recompensed for their works, didn’t want to put anyone on the spot.  Thinking that reading is probably going to be a primary escape and so was trying to connect some dots…

  41. 41.

    Miss Bianca

    Thank you for the update, David, I was thinking about yr niece this morning. Glad to have been a (tiny) part of this venture.

  42. 42.

    pacem appellant

    @Miss Bianca: May the gods have mercy on your soul.

    (My kids like pineapple on their pizza, too. It’s an abomination they inherit from their mother.)

  45. 45.

    Steeplejack

    I am so glad to hear this. Donating to the Claire fund was the high point of my week, especially coming right after the visuals of the right-wing truck convoy barreling through Portland. That had me pretty down, but the jackaltariat’s rapid response to Mayhew’s post buoyed my spirits in ways that I can only partially apprehend. Yes, “there are good people out there.” Yes, “we helped out a family in need.” But there was something more to it. Maybe a reminder of the power there is in solidarity. We’ve got this. A good message in these times.

    And good on you, Mayhew. I missed commenting in the earlier thread today, but I want to say that your unstinting generosity in writing here at Balloon Juice—and extending personal help and advice to the many individual questions you received—has been much appreciated. I’ve said it before, but I’ll repeat that just because a post of yours doesn’t get many comments doesn’t mean that it isn’t read and valued by many here.

  46. 46.

    Villago Delenda Est

    I will wager that Claire, even in her current state, has a much firmer grasp on the moral of Green Eggs and Ham than Rafael Cruz does.

    Keep up the fight, brave Claire and family!

  48. 48.

    SiubhanDuinne

    I love WaterGirl’s offer of putting together a safe-for-a-kid thread of comments for Claire. Wish I could remember some good jokes that made me giggle when I was nine.

    If we’re allowed to send notes and cards by snail mail, I recall that at around that age I adored simple codes and ciphers. It would be fun to provide Claire with the cipher key and send her “secret messages.”

    What about Paige? Of course I know that she’s not being neglected in any way, but it has to be disconcerting to experience all the upset and changes in the family and in her sister. Is there something we can do for her as well, now or later?

  50. 50.

    Bostondreams

    I don’t know if this is worth passing along, but when I was young, my little brother came down with a brain tumor, and it was massively difficult to deal with as his brother. I was bitter and angry that my parents were focusing on him at the expense of my sisters and I, not quite understanding how serious it was, even though I was a (very immature) early teenager. Claire’s sister will need just as much love and support as Claire; she is going to be so scared and worried, and maybe a little angry. I am so glad that this extra money will help towards supporting the whole family and ensuring those family bonds remain strong and beloved.

  51. 51.

    Steeplejack

    @NW Steve:

    Welcome into the circle of light—and the maelstrom of collegial yammering. Please comment as you see fit. New voices are always welcome.

  52. 52.

    Barbara

    Best wishes to Claire.  It isn’t often we get to make such a tangible, readily apparent contribution to ease a deserving person’s path.  I just wish they didn’t need it and that I knew that all the others out there with similar needs had a way to to meet them.  Plus, you deserve a few smackaroos for your service.

  55. 55.

    Steeplejack

    @Belafon:

    Someone should do a story about how different blogs treat newcomers.

    Here it’s likely to be “Say what, nym I’ve never seen before?!” So it’s good to start with something safe like “Cats are cool” before you get to your six-point plan to reform the Democratic Party from the far left.

  56. 56.

    la caterina

    Thanks for the update/reminder! One of us (mea culpa) forgot to donate the other day.  Sending prayers for Claire and all the family.

  58. 58.

    CaseyL

    I was unable to contribute anything (for now) but good wishes, and am so glad to see the rest of the Jackalariat came through.  A Wishlist, whether on Amazon, Powell’s Books or elsewhere, would be terrific, and give me a chance to kick in, too.

  59. 59.

    Josie

    Thanks for giving us the opportunity to do something positive for someone.  It was a lift to my spirit and I’m sure to many others.  Let us know if Claire would enjoy receiving cards and/or messages now and then.

  60. 60.

    Alison Rose

    Adding my voice to the “I will happily send this darling girl some books” chorus. As a hardcore bibliophile, it is my duty to help put books in everyone’s hands. David, if the family is able to set up an Amazon wishlist with books Claire would like, that would be terrific. That way they don’t have to give out their address, no one has to worry about going to a post office or whatnot, and IIRC the list will automatically remove anything someone has already bought so she won’t get a bunch of dupes.

  61. 61.

    Leto

    @David Anderson: Avalune and I are in the Philly area, so if there’s anything they need please don’t hesitate to reach out. Even if it’s just coffee/snacks/cheesesteak/whatever. You guys were there for us, if we can return the favor we’ll do it in a heartbeat.

  62. 62.

    BruceFromOhio

    @WaterGirl:

    Maybe this weekend or next, I can put up a G-rated thread where we can all send our good wishes directly to Claire.

    You know us so well.

    Echoing what has already been suggested – if appropriate please provide regular updates on her progress, would love to send a card or note of good cheer, or link to a good book. or heck, a good book.

    And its okay to use a little of that extra scratch for decent coffee in the apartment, or a bouquet of flowers if the day is dark and there is need for light. That’s the purpose of the thing.

  63. 63.

    Steeplejack

    I second the recommendation to do a wish list or something for sister Paige so that she doesn’t feel left out in the proceedings.

    Also, heretical thought, maybe the yoots of today like things beyond books, like a tablet or a hand-held gaming device? Just spitballin’ here.

  65. 65.

    MoCA Ace

    @Steeplejack: I’ve said it before, but I’ll repeat that just because a post of yours doesn’t get many comments doesn’t mean that it isn’t read and valued by many here.

    This x 1000!  I have learned so much from David since his arrival to the blog (so much better than that Mayhew fellow) but never have anything useful to add.  Not that this stops me from commenting on other posts!

    And I’m so glad I could help support Claire and her family.  All the best.

  66. 66.

    currants

    @HumboldtBlue:  Seconded!  (Not least to sneak ideas for my 8 yr old granddaughter.)

    In all seriousness, so glad to be able to help, and again, as always, even as a lurker, to be a part of this community.

    Here’s to this collective!

  69. 69.

    The Pale Scot

    @WaterGirl:

    an Amazon wishlist for Claire,

    Yes, I was caught short this month, but a Christmas present for Claire is just what I’d like to do

  71. 71.

    wvng

    What everyone else said. Claire may well have been adopted by this whole giving community. Best wishes to all the family.

  72. 72.

    currants

    @BruceFromOhio: Great–that’s good to know!  Thank you.  (She –and her family– currently reside in Ohio, too!)

    ETA this is fantastic–she is decidedly more interested in animals (and mastering anything physical she can try) than people.

  73. 73.

    RSA

    Best of luck to Claire and her family. My wife had leukemia as a child, in the 1970s when the survival rate, so I’ve read, was around 50%. She was one of the lucky ones.

    Fifty years later, given advances in medical understanding and treatment, I think Claire has a much better chance for a full and rich life.

  76. 76.

    Proudgradofcatladyacademy

    Hi Dave,

    Coming out of semi lurkdom for 2.5 years to say it was a pleasure to give back to a community and to a person who helped me off line at my job for an insurer.

    Well wishes to Claire. If her sibling needs a boost and a little attention too, and there’s an Amazon wishlist I would love to provide a gift. It can be rough on siblings when one child is undergoing treatment.

  79. 79.

    gene108

    I think a wish list for Claire, Paige, and parents is a good idea. The whole family can use something that might help a bit, even if it accomplishes little more than letting them know someone out there is rooting for them.

  81. 81.

    Bluegirlfromwyo

    Sign me up for contributing to a wish list, or decent coffee, or whatever. Contributing where I can does me good in these times. A little child shall lead them, right?

  82. 82.

    Alison Rose

    @Lymie: Of course I prefer to support indies, but sadly Amazon is honestly the easiest method for this kind of things. Most indie shops won’t have usable wishlists on their site, which would mean the family would have to give out their address. And even though obviously no one here who do anything nefarious, I wouldn’t blame them for not being comfortable doing so.

  86. 86.

    Gemina13

    We are planning a memorial service for my 25-year-old nephew, who died of Stage 4 lung cancer that metastasized from osteosarcoma last year.  Reading this has made me so glad for people like you, who reached out to Claire and donated to help her get through this ordeal.  Having seen what chemotherapy and surgery did to Ryan, I can’t imagine the strength and bravery Claire possesses to get through it, and I pray for the best possible results for her.

    Cancer is a real monster, people.  In my book, you’re all Slayers.

  87. 87.

    J R in WV

    @Gemina13:

    Cancer Sucks so hard!!!

    I’ve lost two beloved cousins, and my father, and a good friend survived but sorely debilitated from all the chemo and radiation.

    Cancer SUCKS!!

  92. 92.

    am

    It was a such a pleasure to repay your invaluable posting over the years, even in a small way. I’ve learned a lot from you. And to help out any family dealing with adversity is a privilege. I can’t express how much I hope for a well tolerated course of treatment and her recovery.

  94. 94.

    Gemina13

    @J R in WV:  It does.  Oh, God, it does.

    My dad died of lung cancer when I was 17.  When my nephew was first diagnosed, my brother called me up sobbing, because he just *knew* it was going to get worse.

    I want Claire to not just survive, but thrive.  As soon as I can, I would love to donate or do something for the family.

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