Why Do The Swoop Exists
The stories behind Initiative #17 — documented for posterity.
The Facebook Friend
I was Facebook friends with a woman who had cancer, and would post about it every week in vain attempt to stave off the long-term effects she knew it was going to have on her family.
She wrote about how she felt about her children under ten and her husband, and the decisions they had to make about whether to try to save her by taking on lifelong debt that would outlast her by 50 years if it didn’t work.
And that last week before she died, with the half-measures of some chemo they managed to second mortgage the house for, and its effects, still trying to raise money with crowdfunding pleas for the debts she knew would ruin the future for them, still trying to work, were heart-wrenching.
No one should have to choose between trying to save their life and the livelihood of the survivors.
The Impossible Math
| What She Faced | The Reality |
|---|---|
| Children under 10 | Would grow up without her |
| Treatment cost | Second mortgage on the house |
| If treatment worked | 50+ years of debt for her family |
| If treatment failed | 50+ years of debt AND no mother |
| Last week alive | Still crowdfunding, still working |
The debt would outlast her. The debt would ruin the future for her children. And she knew it, every day, as she posted.
The Military Friend
I had a friend in OCS that on the last PT test I ran with after I finished to encourage him to make the cutoff time. He made it.
And then was denied his Commission, because he was 12 years in remission for testicular cancer, and the military didn’t want to be responsible for his potential bills.
All that work.
Twelve years cancer-free. Denied for what might happen.
What This Reveals
| System Failure | Impact |
|---|---|
| Pre-existing condition discrimination | Career denied |
| Risk-based decision making | Human worth reduced to potential cost |
| 12 years of health irrelevant | One diagnosis defines forever |
| “All that work” | Wasted by institutional fear |
The system doesn’t just fail during crisis. It fails before, during, and after. It punishes people for having been sick, even when they’re not anymore.
The Make-A-Wish Critique
Make-A-Wish Foundation was innovative but limited because it gave a lightning strike of one big life event. For an understandably limited number of children; who have desires limited by inexperience and exposure, and are an easily marketed demographic.
Far more needed and rare is the support of a likely terminal adult with both the awareness of what is needed more than a trip to Disneyland or a signing party with their favorite sports team, and the despairing inability to secure it.
The Gap
| What Exists | What’s Needed |
|---|---|
| One memorable experience | Ongoing survival support |
| Children (marketable demographic) | Adults with families (invisible) |
| Trip to Disneyland | Mortgage payment |
| Lightning strike of joy | Bills covered while dying |
She didn’t need a trip. She needed her family to survive after she didn’t.
The Starfish Story
Which is how, in my family, we refer to the story told about a man who during a walk saw a boy dancing erratically down the beach. Upon approaching him, the man saw that the boy was picking up starfish and flinging them into the ocean to save them from the inevitable scorching death of the afternoon sun.
When asked since there were literally thousands of starfish that he couldn’t save, what did it matter, the boy replied as he threw another one:
“It matters to THIS one.”
No effort is wasted.
Standing, Not Sitting
One of my favorite passages of scripture is a single word. It’s during the stoning of the Apostle Stephen in Acts 7 that records the only time where Jesus is explicitly described as “standing” at the right hand of God, rather than sitting, in EVERY other context.
Standing. Where Stephen could see him, as it happened.
For reasons not discussed here (NO religion, NO politics Policy), but the impact is clear — and as my German check pilot admonished me I’m not “sitting back.” I’m not sitting at all; and I hope you aren’t either.
WE are the instruments of good. It’s up to US. Be present. Make a Difference.
What Do The Swoop Actually Does
We can’t do everything. But we can do SOMETHING.
The Ripple “Make A Difference” Initiative — Do The Swoop — provides for the living needs of the family of patients so that they can focus on what matters.
We couldn’t possibly fund all the need in the world with the current systems. But we CAN take care of their electric bill, and water, and food, and make sure they don’t have to worry about eviction while they go bankrupt trying to pay for medical treatments while we try to make a better system that they may never get to see.
One grace that is within our collective power to bestow. If YOU want to.
What’s Covered
| Covered | NOT Covered (By Design) |
|---|---|
| ✅ Electric bill | ❌ Medical treatment |
| ✅ Water bill | ❌ Hospital bills |
| ✅ Food | ❌ Insurance premiums |
| ✅ Rent/mortgage | ❌ Prescription costs (see LifeLine) |
| ✅ Basic utilities | ❌ Debt consolidation |
Why not medical bills? The medical system is broken. We cannot fix it alone. Medical bills will bankrupt families regardless of what we do. But we CAN ensure the lights stay on while they fight.
The Moral Stance
Make it Personal. Do the Swoop.
I cannot, and I WILL NOT stand idly by.
How This Connects to the Platform
| Element | Connection |
|---|---|
| Funding source | 2% Community Projects from Cost of Doing Good |
| Parent initiative | The Family Table (#15) |
| Related initiative | LifeLine Medications (#12) |
| Governance | Tatiana Schlossberg Health Accords |
Related Documents
| Document | Location |
|---|---|
| Do The Swoop Initiative | Full initiative details |
| The Facebook Friend Letter | Complete letter |
| Tatiana Schlossberg Health Accords | Governance framework |
| LifeLine Medications | Medication access |
| The Family Table | Parent initiative |
“No one should have to choose between trying to save their life and the livelihood of the survivors.”
For the Keep.