NYC woman erases $44.9M debt for 51,000 people

Casey Ryan McIntyre 2 — The New York City woman helped erase $44.9 million in medical debt affecting about 51,000 people across nine US states

In 2023, Casey Ryan McIntyre, a 38-year-old mother announced her own death in an Instagram post on November 12 from ovarian cancer. But what is even more surprising is that the New York City woman helped erase $44.9 million in medical debt affecting about 51,000 people across nine US states. McIntyre wanted to celebrate her life by paying off other people's medical debts, according to a report by the BBC.

What did Casey Ryan McIntyre write in her post?

In a social media post, Casey Ryan McIntyre wrote, "If you're reading this I have passed away. I loved each and every one of you with my whole heart and I promise you, I knew how deeply I was loved... to celebrate my life, I've arranged to buy up others' medical debt and then destroy the debt." Her passing away was just the beginning of a legacy poised to touch the lives of thousands. McIntyre's parting gift to the world was a mission of compassion—to purchase and eradicate others' medical debt in celebration of her own life. She declared, "To celebrate my life, I've arranged to buy up others' medical debt and then destroy the debt."

According to her post, she spent the last five months of her life in hospice care with friends and family in Virginia, Rhode Island and New York, moments she called "magical".

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She added that she was lucky to have access to high-quality medical care while battling stage four ovarian cancer and wanted others to have the same. According to Undue Medical Debt, the campaign’s first round abolished $44.9 million in debt affecting about 51,000 people across nine states. The first round used approximately $300,000 of the more than $1 million raised. The fundraiser began with an original goal of $20,000.

How much medical debt did Casey Ryan McIntyre help erase?

According to Undue Medical Debt, the first round of McIntyre's campaign abolished $44.9 million in medical debt affecting approximately 51,000 people across nine states.

The first round of McIntyre's campaign abolished $44.9 million in medical debt affecting approximately 51,000 people across nine states.

The campaign used around $300,000 of the more than $1 million raised to achieve this first round of debt relief. The fundraiser had initially set a goal of $20,000, but donations far exceeded that target, allowing the initiative to reach many more people than originally anticipated.

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Why did McIntyre want to pay off other people's medical debt?

McIntyre's decision was influenced by her experience of receiving treatment for advanced ovarian cancer. She recognised that access to quality healthcare could make a significant difference in people's lives and wanted to help those who did not have the same financial security.

Medical bills can leave patients and their families struggling to manage everyday expenses while dealing with illness. By directing donations towards debt relief, McIntyre sought to ease some of that burden for people she would never meet.

Her plan offered a different way to celebrate her life. Instead of asking for traditional tributes, she arranged for donations to support a cause that could have a direct financial impact on thousands of people.

The first round of debt abolition alone reached approximately 51,000 people across nine states. The $44.9 million in debt relief represented a substantial impact compared with the roughly $300,000 used to achieve it.