HealthWell Foundation

I wanted to reach out to share my sincere gratitude to your wonderful Foundation for extending the life of my husband, Jack, through your program.

In 2014, Jack was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, a disease of the lungs for which there is no cure. Although there are medications that slow the progression of the disease, they also have an extremely high price tag. At the time of his diagnosis – we were living in Kapalua, Maui – he was told that he had three months or so to live.

Jack was never one to buy into predictions, so we traveled to his doctor at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, who put him on a trial medication. When he was no longer eligible for the trial, we were grateful to be introduced to the HealthWell Foundation and, in 2017, Jack received his first grant through your Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Fund to help with our very expensive copayments. He lived another eight years after his diagnosis thanks to life sustaining medications, medications that we would never have been able to afford if it weren’t for the miraculous support we received from his doctor and the HealthWell Foundation.

He passed peacefully on March 12, 2022.

His life was an adventure and his story inspirational to say the least. For years, Jack was an underwater cameraman, diving 300 feet deep into the waters off the South Pacific Islands. Filming for National Geographic, Navy Combat Camera, NOVA – working with SEALS, and others, his life was most adventurous. When he was 30 years old, he fell asleep while riding his motorcycle. He hit an unmarked curve and dropped 40 feet into a stone quarry – landing on a rare patch of grass – and survived. Hundreds of bones were broken. He was told he would never film again. His stamina and infectious enthusiasm allowed him to heal and he continued to film for several Hollywood production companies and enjoy a career as Director, Chief Cameraman and Editor for the Jet Propulsion Lab and NASA worldwide for many years.

Our story of working together with the security of HealthWell’s assistance and compassion was one we shared to boost the spirits of many who found themselves falling into feelings of hopelessness and abandonment.

I want to not only thank the HealthWell Foundation for giving us more time together, but also encourage others to seek out HealthWell’s profound assistance. We were under the illusion that grants were hard to get. HealthWell made that experience not only possible, but efficient.

Life is precious! It’s comforting to know that organizations such as HealthWell exist to help us when we need it most!

With deep appreciation,

Sharon “Sam” D.

Wailea, Maui