Photo by dolomite1000]
BillDozer (real name Bill Dillon), a founding member of the Portland United Messenger Association (PUMA) and the Axles of Evil bike polo club sustained a life-threatening injury during last weekend’s West Side Invite Polo Tournament at Alberta Park in Northeast Portland.
I wrote about Dozer last week regarding his new gig as co-publisher and writer for New York City based, Mess Magazine.
Early in his second polo match of the tourney, he flew over the bars and landed on the handlebars of another bike. The impact separated his sternum, broke three ribs, severed an artery, collapsed a lung, and resulted in three liters of blood loss. He was rushed from the park to Legacy Emanuel Hospital and has just now been released. Read more at the Mess Magazine site.
Dozer lives in New York City but must remain in Portland for a few weeks due to his condition. He was working on a documentary video of the West Side Invite and hopefully he’ll get well soon and be able finish up the project.
PUMA will donate all profits from the West Side Invite and they’ve also set up PayPal donation account in order to help Dozer pay for his massive medical bills. I haven’t met Bill yet, but I know he’s done a lot for Portland’s bike messenger and polo scene, and now he can use our help.
Best wishes Bill. Get well soon.
it was a nasty fall, but he bounced off and walked to the bench, shortly after that he went to the hospital. i’m glad he’s surviving it. there are ways to get out of paying most of the bill. just have to ask the right questions with the hospital. i’ve dodged medical bills before, in oregon, simply because i can’t afford it but needed service. legally they cannot deny medical help, but they have to work with the person on the financial aspect. good luck Bill.
Chakra, just because you can “get out of paying” doesn’t mean you should. The self-respect that you gain for being accountable is worth the financial struggle. And if you truely need to take a handout don’t act like society owes it to you.
I don’t think Chakra was suggesting that BillDozer defraud anybody, and I don’t see anywhere that she implied society owes him. However, if he cannot afford the medical bills (and from the article, it sounds as though he can’t), then there is no shame in asking for help where it is needed.
Even with any money collected or reductions in cost on the part of the hospital, I think Dozer is in this for the long haul (sorry!), and will have many financial hurdles to climb after he gets well. In the mean time, if people want to offer suggestions and feel good about helping someone from within their community, then leave them to it.
yeah, ralph…i was not suggesting defrauding…actually i WORK in health insurance and know ins and outs for people who cannot afford it…but NEED the medical attention…and i, myself, am a single mama who has needed medical attention due to someone else and could not afford the bill, i asked questions to help me in my situation and found out LEGIT answers and help…i know Bill cannot afford the amount that is going to be suggested to pay, and so merely offering some advice, that’s all…no need to jump to assumptions in what i typed, it was NOT from a “rip someone off” stand.