Remi Bateman, a 9-year-old from Utah, is at that age where even minor differences make you a target at school. Hers is that she was born without a left arm, and kids were starting to bully her.
She’d used prostheses in the past, but they weren’t really functional in the same way a robotic arm is. So her parents took her to Denver to try out a Hero Arm, one of the most affordable robotic arms out there. (It’s cheaper than the prostheses her insurer already covers.) Her doctor wrote her a prescription saying it was medically necessary, and of course it was denied by their insurance company, Select Health. Twice. (They said it was for “cosmetic” reasons.)
Mom Jami Bateman was desperate, and did a GoFundMe. Which, as we know, is the patriotic and American way to pay for health care! In three days, they had more than enough money to pay for it.
Andy Schoonover is the CEO of CrowdHealth, a subscriber-based resource that helps people negotiate lower costs for medical bills. He told the family on Dec. 16 that his company wanted to pay the entire cost of Remi’s bionic arm.
“We were looking for some ways to help people during the holiday season, and I stumbled upon Remi’s story on social media,” Schoonover said. “We were honored to help her out.”
After Schoonover sent a check to Open Bionics for Remi’s prosthetic arm, the Batemans were faced with a decision: What should they do with the money people donated to Remi’s GoFundMe?
