A move, a wedding … and an expensive medical diagnosis
Aid recipient: Sarah Grover of Johnstown is a busy local actor who most recently appeared in the ensemble of “Jekyll and Hyde” at the Candlelight Dinner Playhouse. Before that, she played Esmerelda there in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” “Sarah Grover is everything you could want in Esmerelda – lively, free-spirited and sassy, while also empathetic and loving,” wrote Brian VanDriel for the Greeley Tribune. She also has credits at 
BDT Stage, Arvada Center, Performance Now, Midtown Arts Center, Original Dickens Carolers, Starkey Theatrix and more. She is originally from Virginia Beach.
Her medical story: Last October, Sarah experienced sudden and severe stomach pain that took something of a medical odyssey to properly diagnose. Sarah missed eight performances during this time and was inundated with a dozen bills that came to a comparably modest $1,965.38 in out-of-pocket expenses. But the other shoe dropped when Sarah received one additional straggler of an E.R. bill totaling $4,060.40 from Banner Health for her visit to the Northern Colorado Medical Center. It’s worth noting here that Sarah does have (lousy) insurance, and UnitedHealthcare Golden Rule paid just … $400 of this new bill. Yes, leaving Sarah with 90 percent of the bill to pay herself, or an additional $3,660.40. (Why do we even have insurance again?)
How we have helped: The Denver Actors Fund board of directors voted unanimously to gift Sarah with $6,145.75 to cover her medical expenses and some lost wages.
A message from Sarah: “I have no hesitation in saying that The Denver Actors Fund has saved my life. My fiancé and I just bought a new home and we are planning our wedding, so when this stream of medical bills kept arriving, the stress and worry of finding a way to pay for them grew by the day. With all the crazy and uncertainty in the world right now, it was so comforting to learn that we now have this incredible weight off our shoulders. There is so much good still in the world. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. I am out of words and filled with hope.”
Note: Like most every other theatre production in Colorado, ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ has ceased performances because of CoVid-19, leaving Sarah Grover and the entire Candlelight ensemble without pay for the final two weeks of scheduled performances.
The Denver Actors Fund now has made more than $477,000 available to Colorado theatre artists in medical need.
How you can help us help us help more Colorado theatre artists: Simply mail checks in any amount made out to The Denver Actors Fund to P.O. Box 11182, Denver, CO 80211. Or use this donation link. Your donation will be applied to the replenishment of the Denver Actors Fund’s general fund, with our humble thanks.
Read testimonials from other Denver Actors Fund beneficiaries here
Note: At The Denver Actors Fund, anonymity of aid recipients is presumed and fully protected, unless and until the recipient chooses to have their story told.
ABOUT THE DENVER ACTORS FUND:
The Denver Actors Fund is a modest source of immediate, situational relief when members of the local theater community find themselves in medical need. In addition to $477,000 in financial relief, a team of more than 60 Denver Actors Fund volunteers have offered good neighborly assistance to more than 100 beneficiaries including meal prep and delivery, child care, transportation, errands, construction, pet-sitting and more. For more information, visit our web site at DenverActorsFund.Org.
HOW TO APPLY FOR AID:
To apply for Denver Actors Fund aid: Fill out this brief online form here
GET INSTANT, FREE MEDICAL ADVICE: The Denver Actors Fund has launch of a major new FREE medical service for qualified Colorado theatre artists: We are partnering with Hippo Health to provide access to emergency medical evaluations via video conferencing with a Board-certified physician. Click to read more about this wonderful, innovative new partnership that will further improve the lives of artists!
MORE WAYS TO HELP:
DONATE ONLINE:
Go to our online giving site at: ColoradoGives.Org
DONATE BY MAIL:
Send checks made out to The Denver Actors Fund to:
P.O. Box 11182
Denver, CO 80211
VOLUNTEER:
Ever thought about taking a more active role in The Denver Actors Fund? Click here for more information
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