One of the biggest medical expenditures in America’s healthcare system is directly tied to chronic kidney failure (CKD).
Annually, the U.S. spends around $3.5 trillion in total healthcare costs which comes out to around $10,000 per person on average. Of those costs, CKD treatment accounts for $3,000 of that figure, according to Ethos Biosciences.
The National Institutes of Health reports that at any given time there are 786,000 Americans per year who are suffering from some form of renal disease/failure. Nashville-based TikToker Joey Phillips (@jphillips1126) is one of them.
He’s been documenting his experience in dealing with kidney failure to his roughly 2,200 followers and has posted several videos to his page expressing the financial difficulties he’s been facing ever since he discovered his kidneys are failing.
In many of his clips, he’s posted his Venmo and CashApp handles and implored strangers on the internet to send him anything so that his car isn’t repossessed and he’s able to continue to be able to afford housing for him and his son. He also launched a GoFundMe page with a $10,000 goal, which has accrued $4,810 as of this writing.
@jphillips1126 GoFundMe in Bio 🙏 i Love All of You #kidneyfailure #fyp #kidney #pray #Love #helping ♬ Commercial (short) – TimTaj
Phillips says in one video, “I just left the doctor, I gotta have another surgery next week. I’m just about over this I can’t… I’m just tired of having this damn tube in my chest. I’m tired of trying to make side money with this damn boot on. I’m just, I don’t have nobody… I don’t even have the money for my car payment. I’m just drowning. Like I’m drowning; this dialysis is making it worse. I’m in pain, I have nowhere to go. I’m just, all the prayers I appreciate it but like I wonder when they’re gonna kick in. I just, man, I just, I don’t have nothing and… I’m not used to it, I don’t have anything my car’s about to get repossessed… if anybody can help me… I appreciate it and I need it.”
In a recent video he posted to his account, he said that he was able to find a promising housing option that may work with him when it comes to his initial payment, adding that although he wasn’t feeling too good upon undergoing dialysis treatment, he was “DoorDashing” to earn some extra cash.
@jphillips1126 #kidneyfailure #fypシ #Love #gofundme #Sick #jesuslovesyou #pray ♬ original sound – Joey Phillips
Viewers who saw Phillips’ clips made some suggestions as to how he could possibly ameliorate his situation. “Maybe you should talk with a social worker at the hospital maybe she could help you with placement in a LTC facility,” one wrote.
Someone else said that because he was mostly incapacitated when it came to full-time or labor intensive work he could apply for social security benefits: “Apply for social security you are eligible for benefits asap. You can in person or online,” which was a recommendation someone else had as well: “Have you gone to the social security office to get help with social security you qualify 100% so security check?”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Phillips via TikTok comment for further information.