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Sarah Burke Dead: Donations Flood In For Fallen Freestyle Skier (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

First Posted: 01/20/2012 4:00 am Updated: 01/20/2012 9:24 pm

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Donations have been pouring in on behalf of Canadian freestyle skier Sarah Burke who died Thursday at the age of 29 in a Utah hospital.

A fundraising website has been set up by Burke's family for the skier's medical costs and related expenses.

Burke crashed Jan. 10 in Park City, Utah, while training in a halfpipe. The Olympic gold-medal hopeful and four-time Winter X Games champion tore one of the major arteries supplying blood to her brain and went into cardiac arrest.

She underwent surgery and spent nine days on life support at the University of Utah Hospital. But Burke had suffered irreversible brain damage after the fall because of lack of oxygen and blood to the brain.

The website originally set up at www.giveforward.com/sarahburke was organized by her agent, Michael Spencer and has marked a goal for $550,000. Her husband Rory Bushfield, a fellow skier from Alberta whom she married in 2010, is listed as the beneficiary.

Burke, who was born in Barrie, Ont., and grew up in nearby Midland, was considered a pioneer in her sport. She lobbied to add superpipe skiing to the Winter Games program and her arguments won over Olympic officials.

The discipline will debut in two years in Russia, where Burke likely would have been a favourite for the gold medal.

A moment of silence for Burke was observed Thursday night before Canada's women's soccer team played Haiti in an Olympic qualifying match in Vancouver.

SARAH BURKE IN PHOTOS



TWITTER REACTS TO BURKE'S DEATH:
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  • Devon Mahaffey

  • Connor Mullen

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  • Angela Jones

  • Ivar Grøtta

  • Charlotte Florian :)

  • Alex Collado

  • Cindy D. Gauthier

  • Chaviel Harrison

  • Eddie J. Barcker

  • Ashley Sandoval



WATCH: Sarah Burke In Action

Sarah Burke and husband Rory Bushfield on their passion:
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Donations have been pouring in on behalf of Canadian freestyle skier Sarah Burke who died Thursday at the age of 29 in a Utah hospital.A fundraising website has been set up by Burke's family for the s...
Donations have been pouring in on behalf of Canadian freestyle skier Sarah Burke who died Thursday at the age of 29 in a Utah hospital.A fundraising website has been set up by Burke's family for the s...
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Wendell Potter: Park City Vantage Point Puts Tragedy of American Health Care in Vivid Relief

Had Sarah Burke's accident occurred in Canada, her family would not be having to come up with more than half a million dollars to pay for her care. Her care would have been covered because, unlike the U.S., Canada has a system of universal coverage.
Diana Nyad

Diana Nyad: High-Flying Superstar Sarah Burke Dead at 29

After winning 4 X Games gold medals, Sarah was primed to fulfill her long-term vision and win Olympic gold in Sochi, Russia, 2014. That dream is not to be fulfilled.

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Ginnie DAgostino Gibson
2 Fans
09:25 AM on 01/23/2012
I don't understand why the Canadian healthcare coverage isn't paying these bills. I know they won't pay for routine care outside of the country, but they won't pay for accidents?
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tkondaks
75 Fans
01:16 AM on 01/23/2012
“The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long. And you have burned so very very brightly, Roy. Look at you. You’re the prodigal son. You’re quite a prize!”

— Dr。Eldon Tyrell in response to the android Roy Batty’s query whether Tyrell, his creator, could prolong his life expectancy. From “Blade Runner”.
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JDLA
Your bills are not the government's responsibility
381 Fans
10:52 AM on 01/22/2012
This was a terrible tragedy but the cost is not the hospitals fault. They have expenses, nurses, doctors. technicians, MRI's, x rays, sterile equipment etc,. The list goes on and on.

The fault lies with a professional athlete and the managers/handlers that did not insure her against catastrophic accident or illness. Pure negligence on their part.
I'm confident the monthly cost of training and support systems for a world class athlete is much higher than that of an insurance policy.
If you don't carry insurance on your house and it burns down are you going to blame the contractor if you can't afford to rebuild it?
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tkondaks
75 Fans
03:41 PM on 01/21/2012
I cannot understand the reasoning behind setting up this fund.

Firstly, if money is owed to the hospital, it is owed by the deceased Sarah's estate. If the estate has any net assets, these will be liquidated and paid to the debtee, the hospital.

Secondly, the medical tab -- be it $550,000 or whatever -- is "retail". What that means (and Canadians are NOT familiar with how these things work in the States because they are used to their own universal Medicare system) is that it is negotiable. Hospitals in the States routinely charge whatever they want and then an individual's healthcare providers (ie, their private insurers) routinely negotiate the tab down to a reasonable amount, usually about 50-60"% of the invoiced amount. So a hospital bill of, say, $550,000 will be negotiated down to about $300,000 which is the actual amount accepted by the hospital and the actual amount the insurance company will pay. Indeed, there are companies that will do that for you if you don't have a private insurer (they take as a fee about 10% of what they will save you).

Thirdly, it is law in the U.S. that hospitals MUST treat you when you come in for an emergency. Hospitals in the States each year eat up literally 10s of billions of dollars in unpaid bills by, for example, illegal immigrants who do not have individual insurance or Medicaid.
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billdfalls
5 Fans
12:44 PM on 01/21/2012
It was a hughly sad day for Canada losing Sarah Burke. It was great how quickly Canadians step up to the plate & contributed in excess of her medical bills allowing a foundation to be formed
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iwtra
0 Fans
11:28 AM on 01/21/2012
A very sad loss indeed... however I cant help asking - she was a professional athlete - didnt she havehealth insurance for goodness sake? As for her husband being the beneficiary of this targeted $550,000 fund, sorry but it sounds fishy - there should be some supervision on the management of that money.
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Matt Blanc
138 Fans
11:54 AM on 01/21/2012
Pretty much my thoughts. Surely she had special medical insurance for participating in a high-risk sport outside of the province. Whenever we travel to the US we take out extra travel insurance to cover medical emergencies. If the skiing association she belongs to - or her manager/coach/whoever - didn't take this insurance out for her, then they should be made to pay the price.

And as to those who complain about BC's insurance program: note the price tag for her care in Utah. That's not unusual, it's typical costs for surgery and intensive care treatment. And a US insurance policy for someone like her engaging in a high-risk sport might be $12-15,000 (US) a year in premiums -- that's just what you pay the insurance company to have insurance. After that there's a deductible amount that you have to pay before the insurance company kicks in, and that can be up to another $10,000 depending on your policy. And THEN, you pay anywhere from 0 - 40% of the price that the INSURANCE COMPANY DECIDES your medical care should cost - NOT WHAT IS ACTUALLY CHARGED. So, if you are in an accident, and the care bill is, say $5,000, the the insurance company may say that the charges should have been only $2500, so they pay perhaps 80% of that. So if you've met your deductible, the insurance company may pay $2000, leaving you with a $3000 bill. ON TOP of those premiums.
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iwtra
0 Fans
03:33 PM on 01/21/2012
Jeepers, I had no idea it was that expensive.... However, she was a professional athlete carrying out an extrmely risky sport - not to mention training the half pipe which has a high injury record. How she could be allowed to do this without insurance baffles me - as you say, her coach/manager at the very least should have ensured this.

I have noticed that many of the comments have become a USA vs. Canada Healthcare debate, and to be honest I cannot comment as I live in Europe, but at the end of the day, it was highly irresponsible not to have taken out adequate insurance. Nevertheless I feel very sorry for the family and for their terrible devastating loss. Rest in Peace Sarah.
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tkondaks
75 Fans
03:43 PM on 01/21/2012
You're thinking correctly, iwtra. See my post,above, on this subject.
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iwtra
0 Fans
08:42 AM on 01/22/2012
I agree with you. Why the hospital has become the "bad guy" in this tragedy is beyond me. I have no doubt that they did their utmost to save her. Maybe there is a need for a scapegoat.. I would not dream of setting foot in the US without health insurance, let alone on a skiing trip, and not to mention a professional athlete undertaking high risk training exercises. The US vs. Canada healthcare debate is immaterial in this case in my opinion. I feel very sorry for the Burke family, for Sarah's husband and all her friends, but insurance or no insurance, sadly the outcome would not have changed - freestyle skiing is a high risk sport, and Sarah was well aware of it. At least she lived a full life and died doing what she loved best. RIP Sarah.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
a2948
The left is not on the right side
160 Fans
10:59 AM on 01/21/2012
Why should there be any bills? If you don't perform, you don't get paid. They did not perform, and save her life, so they should not get paid. Doctors and lawyers are the professions that sometimes fail to perform, yet they still want to be paid.
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toothm6
1 Fans
07:21 AM on 01/21/2012
I tired of the Canada vs America BS! Did we deny her treatment. No! No doubt she had the best possible care available, as Kevin Pearce was in that very same hospital with a TBI. The out come is unfortunate, very sad. She was a wonderful skier, and a HUMAN BEING! ...the healthcare system is broken in both countries. Yes, she may have been presented with a huge bill....but at least she didn't have to wait 3 mins to receive care. Neither system is without flaw!!!! Suck back those comments until you know both systems!!!!
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toothm6
1 Fans
07:24 AM on 01/21/2012
*months*...auto correct strikes again! :/
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Opygollopy
The more I talk to people, the more I love my dogs
1581 Fans
03:28 AM on 01/21/2012
She was a terrific athlete and a pioneer among women in her sport to open up areas for equality in that sport. This was a tragic accident and Canada lost one of our best and brightest.

When I travel outside of Canada, my first priority is making sure I have health coverage in case of accident or just plain illness from eating contaminated food (which happens more than you think).

You would think that athletes, who go all over the world to compete, would do this automatically. Its a no-brainer really, they break ankles, have sprains, etc. Maybe this tragedy will make sure that any athlete or citizen gets coverage when they travel. Health costs should you need them outside of your country or province can bankrupt a person.

My private coverage from Manu-life has a travel supplemental rider that covers everything up to 5 million in my lifetime and I pay less than a hundred a year for it Thats less than 9 bucks a month. It is just part of my coverage package, but you have to check off that travel box when you apply.

There are many companies that provide it and prices are different for each one. You can also get it through your work coverage BUT you have to ask for and add the travel insurance specifically, if you don't, you do not get the coverage.
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brianmouland
25 Fans
 
03:25 AM on 01/21/2012
Tears are the final thank you for a life well lived. R.I.P. Sarah
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Adreen Linley
1 Fans
09:05 PM on 01/20/2012
It's just so sad that in this situation, after losing their daughter and wife that they should even have to think about medical costs.She was an elite Canadian athlete and our government should step up and foot the bill!
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Samalex
2 Fans
08:51 PM on 01/20/2012
CBC has an updated story that says they expect the bill to be about $200,000 and they received donations yesterday of $194,000. Any excess donations will be used to create a foundation in Sarah's name.The agent also said the following: "Once charges are finalized, the University will work with Health Canada to determine what type of coverage may be available and what their contribution will be, as Sarah is a Canadian citizen," said the statement.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
YankeeCanuck
dog
1037 Fans
06:44 PM on 01/20/2012
This is the story on medical coverage--some is apparently available. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/more-sports/sarah-burkes-family-receives-enough-donations-to-offset-medical-costs/article2309534/
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Hourglass2
0 Fans
05:31 PM on 01/20/2012
When an athlete that represents our country wins a medal we all rejoice and share in their victory. It is time we show our support in a time of need. I challenge all Canadians to share in her final expenses. If we all send a dollar or two there will be more than enough money to pay her expenses and set up a fund for other athletes that face similar situations.
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zilou
9 Fans
05:30 PM on 01/20/2012
Shame on america
Look at what happened when hurricane Cathrina hit New Orleans.
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