4 Years Ago Today, Andy Stephenson, died.

[Chris_]

My understanding was that he had to pay $50,000 so he could have his surgery at John Hopkins and that it would have been free at another facility...and so started the scam even $kimmer would be proud of...I wonder what his cut was?

[Ralph Wiggum]

Oh puke....but you knew it was coming....

EFerrari (1000+ posts)
Tue Jul-07-09 07:04 PM
Response to Original message
76. I don't know if I've ever said this but in those days that we were trying
   
to put money together for Andy's surgery, and while the thuggery was trying to kill our effort, DU was astonishing.

I was the money person and the hospital didn't even give me time to set up a checking account because they'd have put a hold on our checks and we didn't have that kind of time. And you all stepped up anyway. What DU did has to be the most beautiful thing I've ever seen any group of people do, or what I'll ever see.

And Andy felt that. He had you all under his sails and knowing that made the rest of his battle a little easier.

You all can be so very proud of that. I know I'm more proud of us than I can ever say.

Beautiful, contentious, stubborn as hell and more loyal than Mom DU.

Thank you so much for letting me witness that.

[Ralph Wiggum]

One more from Beth:

EFerrari (1000+ posts)
Tue Jul-07-09 06:43 PM
Response to Reply #46
69. I thought of you this morning.
   
In those last weeks when everything heated up, Andy called me 10 times a day and my husband grew jealous. I even called Gore to hit him up during the fundraiser and that was how much I loved Andy and how listening to him could be a dangerous activity.

lol

Our best, dear Andy.

Cheers, Stephanie.

 

[thundley4]

My understanding was that he had to pay $50,000 so he could have his surgery at John Hopkins and that it would have been free at another facility...and so started the scam even $kimmer would be proud of...I wonder what his cut was?

According to this, Andy had his $50K surgery at Johns Hopkins.

Months of illness and diagnoses followed. In April, Johnson says, the cause of his illness was determined. "He has pancreatic cancer," says Johnson. After researching the best options for his care, Stephenson chose to have his surgery performed at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Md.

There was one little problem: Stephenson didn't have health insurance or much money. He says the operation cost $50,000, and Hopkins demanded payment in full before the operation for an out-of-state, uninsured patient. (A Hopkins spokesperson would not elaborate on the bill, citing concern for patient confidentiality.)

Enter San Francisco's Elisabeth Ferrari. She has never met Stephenson in person, but had gotten to know him through postings on Democratic Underground. When she became aware of his need, she decided to raise as much money as she could through an Internet appeal. On Friday, April 28, she put out a fund-raising request on Democratic Underground. Other progressive outlets and activists including blogger/author William Rivers Pitt, Sirius Satellite radio's Thom Hartmann, Air America's Mike Malloy, and numerous Web sites picked up the fund-raising message. By Monday, May 9, she had raised all $50,000—most in small donations of $25 or less. "Democratic Underground has 60,000 subscribers," says Ferrari. "Andy has many, many friends there. He is a people magnet."

It was a remarkable achievement and a real testament to the power of Stephenson's activism. Johns Hopkins professor of surgery Dr. Charles Yeo says he performed a Whipple procedure—sometimes called the "Olympics" of surgery because of its duration and difficulty—for treatment of Stephenson's pancreatic cancer at Johns Hopkins Hospital on Thursday, May 26. The surgeon removed a "golf-ball-sized tumor" from Stephenson's pancreas, according to Johnson. Stephenson came back to Seattle to recover and prepare for his oncology treatment. Says Johnson, "He needs chemo and radiation probably."

Link

I checked and there is a doctor by that name listed at JH.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Back to some juicy responses to an earlier post:

Hissyspit (1000+ posts)
Tue Jul-07-09 01:13 PM
Response to Original message
26. Murdered.
   
By many individuals and a system.

MessiahRp  (1000+ posts)
Tue Jul-07-09 04:31 PM
Response to Reply #26
55. Exactly.
   
Cold heartless bastards. Every single one of them.

Rp

EFerrari(1000+ posts)
Tue Jul-07-09 06:46 PM
Response to Reply #26
73. And, he knew it. n/t

He knew that "we were murdering him"?   Nice logic, meat-head.

Frank Cannon  (1000+ posts)
Tue Jul-07-09 08:11 PM
Response to Reply #26
83. Took the word right out of my mouth
   
****in' asshole Freepers.

WillYourVoteBCounted(1000+ posts)
Tue Jul-07-09 08:12 PM
Response to Reply #26
85. he was attacked by a very jealous person whose name will not be said
   
In Memory of Andy Stephenson

1962-2005
A good man, a tireless activist, and for too short a time, a friend.


Mostly a very very jealous person who could have been great except for a baseness,
a selfishness, a viciousness that led her to attack Andy and even publicly claim
Andy was faking illness.

This evilness resulted in the medical paypal account being frozen, which meant
Andy's surgery was delayed about 2 weeks. That was precious time he couldn't afford to lose,
and he lost his life because of it.

It was sad to see a supposed e-voting activist turn on her own and help drum
up hatred against someone so dear.

Andy had a trip planned to North Carolina but got very sick a few months before it could happen.
He would answer his phone, talk to people, share information, and teach.

I never had the honor to meet him in person, but those conversations by phone and email, and PM
meant alot.

He encouraged us to all continue, and he would be proud of how much we have achieved so far.

The E-voting movement is a very powerful one. In part, thanks to Andy's contributions.

Lots of revisionist history going on at the DUmp tonight.

I suspect once the DUmmies start self-medicating as the night wears on, we'll see more baseless accusations about "Freepers" killing Andy.

[franksolich]

I checked and there is a doctor by that name listed at JH.

Of course there is.

Scamdy checked this out, first thing.

But the source of the quote was Doug's ex-wife, not the physician himself.

[thundley4]

Of course there is.

Scamdy checked this out, first thing.

But the source of the quote was Doug's ex-wife, not the physician himself.

That was the first source outside of here and the Island that I had ever seen mention Andy.  Hard to believe that he was a nationally known activist for vote verification.  Of course , with ACORN in play, vote verification is the last thing DUmmies want.

[BadCat]

Why have they not mentioned that he croaked in a hospital in Seattle, from complications of a surgery "we" were trying to "prevent"?

[franksolich]

Why have they not mentioned that he croaked in a hospital in Seattle, from complications of a surgery "we" were trying to "prevent"?

One of many very good questions.

[Chris_]

I must be one sneaky SOB...I helped kill someone and didn't even know it.

[franksolich]

This is for Delilah; everyone else can ignore this.

This comment by Doug's ex-wife, about the bank "wouldn't let" her "set up a checking account in time"--this is surely something new.

Doug's ex-wife was questioned many times by primitives, about why the money went directly (ostensibly) to the late red round one, when she was the chief fund-raiser, and so the money should have gone through her, and then to the late red round one.

Doug's ex-wife never gave this excuse during the Scamdal.

Also, Doug's ex-wife announced the fund-raiser was going to start, a week before.

Why didn't Doug's ex-wife just start the fund-raiser right then and there, rather than waiting a week?

It's all so phony.

[crockspot]

WillYourVoteBCounted(1000+ posts)
Tue Jul-07-09 08:12 PM
Response to Reply #26
85. he was attacked by a very jealous person whose name will not be said
   
In Memory of Andy Stephenson

1962-2005
A good man, a tireless activist, and for too short a time, a friend.


Mostly a very very jealous person who could have been great except for a baseness,
a selfishness, a viciousness that led her to attack Andy and even publicly claim
Andy was faking illness.

This evilness resulted in the medical paypal account being frozen, which meant
Andy's surgery was delayed about 2 weeks. That was precious time he couldn't afford to lose,
and he lost his life because of it.

It was sad to see a supposed e-voting activist turn on her own and help drum
up hatred against someone so dear.

Andy had a trip planned to North Carolina but got very sick a few months before it could happen.
He would answer his phone, talk to people, share information, and teach.

I never had the honor to meet him in person, but those conversations by phone and email, and PM
meant alot.

He encouraged us to all continue, and he would be proud of how much we have achieved so far.

The E-voting movement is a very powerful one. In part, thanks to Andy's contributions.

At first I thought the "jealous person" referred to here was Will Pitt, since he did attack and accuse Andy at one point. But I think this is referring to Bev Harris...

Damn, I thought us freepers killed scamdy.

[crockspot]

What a pity for the late red round one, who of course is in a time and a place where it doesn't matter to him any more.

wikipedia must have deleted the article about him some time ago.

Now, entries for "Andy Stephenson" lead to articles about.....a prominent vote-fraud activist from the western coast.

Yes, it was some time ago. For those interested in that bit if obscure history (the deletion of scamdy's article from Wikipedia), here is a link to the deletion discussion, in which I play a humble part.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/Andy_Stephenson

[Chris]

According to this, Andy had his $50K surgery at Johns Hopkins. Link

I checked and there is a doctor by that name listed at JH.

So he actually did get his treatment at Johns Hopkins.   

Medical care is not an all-you-can-eat buffet -- the admission price is for one performance only.  Just because JH lets you in once doesn't mean you have an invitation to stay there.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Yes, it was some time ago. For those interested in that bit if obscure history (the deletion of scamdy's article from Wikipedia), here is a link to the deletion discussion, in which I play a humble part.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/Andy_Stephenson

I just scanned a few parts, but that is pretty funny stuff.

[crockspot]

I just scanned a few parts, but that is pretty funny stuff.

Yes, I just reread some of that. I forgot how hilarious that was. I was actually referred to as a "well known conservative activist Wiki editor." Plenty of our friends and enemas make an appearance as well.

[delilahmused]

My understanding was that he had to pay $50,000 so he could have his surgery at John Hopkins and that it would have been free at another facility...and so started the scam even $kimmer would be proud of...I wonder what his cut was?

That's the "official" story. But at one time he (supposedly) had Medicaid. He was cut off because of those elusive freepers. Of course, he would be the only person in Washington state history to be cut off while an investigation was pending. All it would've taken was a referral from his primary care doctor and the state of Washington would've paid for his surgery at JH. I've always wondered why she didn't do that. And then there was the fact that Virginia Mason, in his own backyard was more successful at treating pancreatic cancer at the time. So much so that other cancer centers (including JH) adopted their protocols. Well, I guess some things will always remain a mystery.

Cindie

[delilahmused]

My God, madam, how many templates did they have?

Six or eight or ten?

And they could never got on the same page at the same time.

I've always wondered how they justify so many diverse story lines without seeing any of the contradictions.

Cindie

[delilahmused]

This is for Delilah; everyone else can ignore this.

This comment by Doug's ex-wife, about the bank "wouldn't let" her "set up a checking account in time"--this is surely something new.

Doug's ex-wife was questioned many times by primitives, about why the money went directly (ostensibly) to the late red round one, when she was the chief fund-raiser, and so the money should have gone through her, and then to the late red round one.

Doug's ex-wife never gave this excuse during the Scamdal.

Also, Doug's ex-wife announced the fund-raiser was going to start, a week before.

Why didn't Doug's ex-wife just start the fund-raiser right then and there, rather than waiting a week?

It's all so phony.

That's right, frank. I remember one thread over there when they were discussing ways this fund raiser would've seemed more legit was if Beth had set up a bank account for funds to go directly into. At the time Beth claimed ignorance. Banks don't particularly care why one opens an account. Even people who can't get a checking account can open a savings account. Now they get to be another faceless corporate monster that contributed to Andy's untimely demise. My she has a hard time keeping her story straight.

Cindie

[franksolich]

Well, this memorialization of the late red round one, the fourth, was a dud when compared with past years; I'm truly saddened.

How fleeting fame, how tempus fugits.

Thanks to thundley4 here, who pointed out something I've never thought about the past four years, I've decided to "accept" the primitive version that $50,000 was raised, and the late red round one had surgery at Johns Hopkins; that it all succeeded.

From which one logically and reasonably concludes that "freepers" did not "kill Andy."

It was all so phony.

The one regret I have here is that I do not recall why the comment of the surgeon was found to be specious; all I remember is that it was.  Scamdy had been a pretty diverse organization, and one regrets that this diverse group has since scattered to the winds, enjoying the "kharma" that is dispensed to those seeking openness and honesty in all things. 

No one from Scamdy has since failed to flourish and prosper.

Compare that, please, with the subsequent destinies of the primitives on the other side.

As I said in the beginning, at the creation, on P-J Comix's most-excellent DUmmie FUnnies, during the height of the Scamdal, the whole thing was a good example of a modern medieval morality tale.