[nagdu] Donations pour in for New York City blind man saved by guide dog after subway fall

[Howard J. Levine]

If you live in New York state AMC medical center provides free medical care
for working guide dogs.

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Marsha Drenth
Sent: Thursday, December 19, 2013 8:42 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Donations pour in for New York City blind man saved by
guide dog after subway fall

I also heard this on the radio and news. But I am a bit confused, can
someone please explain what the man's health insurance has to do with
keeping or not keeping the dog? I have never heard of health insurance
covering a service animal. 


Marsha drenth
Sent with my IPhone 

> On Dec 19, 2013, at 7:38 AM, "Ginger Kutsch" <GingerKutsch at yahoo.com>
wrote:
> 
> Donations pour in for New York City blind man saved by guide dog after 
> subway fall
> 
> Published December 18, 2013/
> 
> FoxNews.com
> 
> http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/12/18/donations-pour-in-for-new-york-ci
> ty-bli nd-man-saved-by-guide-dog-after-subway/
> 
> 
> 
> Online donations topped $40,000 after a blind man who was rescued by 
> his guide dog told reporters that he needed to give up his beloved dog 
> because the dog was retiring and his insurance would no longer cover 
> the care for the animal, Reuters reported.
> 
> 
> 
> "We recognize everyone's concern about Orlando's future, whether he 
> stays with Cecil or goes back to the loving home of his puppy raiser, 
> please know he will be honored like the hero he is," Guiding Eyes for 
> the Blind, the organization that provided Cecil Williams the dog, said in
a statement.
> 
> 
> 
> Williams, 61, who became blind after a bout with meningitis in 1995, 
> said he became dizzy Tuesday morning on the platform at 145th Street 
> in New York City and lost his footing. A quick-thinking subway 
> conductor managed to hit the brakes and the train, for the most part,
safely passed over them.
> Transit officials pulled Orlando out from under the train before 
> Williams was extracted with the help of a backboard and neck brace.
> 
> 
> 
> Williams held a press conference at the hospital where he said his dog 
> is going to be retired and enjoy the remainder of his life. He thanked 
> those who contributed to these funds and said this is an example that 
> "good people still exist in this world."
> 
> 
> 
> He said Orlando has been a loyal companion and said they are alike in 
> some ways.
> 
> 
> 
> "We both have gentle souls," he said.
> 
> 
> 
> Michelle Brier, the director of marketing from the organization, said 
> Williams had been planning to give up the dog he received from the 
> origination back in 2006 because caring for two dogs would have been a 
> hardship. Williams said he never wanted to give up the dog, but 
> keeping his was impossible because a retired guide dog is not covered by
his insurance.
> 
> 
> 
> "The dog saved my life," Williams told the Associated Press from St. 
> Luke's Hospital, where he was taken with a cut on his head. "I'm 
> feeling amazed. I feel that God, the powers that be, having something 
> in store from me. They didn't take me away this time. I'm here for a
reason."
> 
> 
> 
> Several donation web pages have been created in an effort to raise 
> enough money to keep the pair together, Reuters reported. Donations on 
> Indiegogo has already reached $19,000. On the site Gofundme, more than 
> 600 people have donated more than $21,000 for the cause.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> 
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