Dying woman's last wish: Pay off someone else's medical debt — worth $15 million

Photo: Casey McIntyre's X-account Dying woman's last wish: to pay off someone else's $15 million medical debt

Casey McIntyre dies of cancer November 14, but she developed a plan to cancel others' medical debt as a parting gift.

Faced with death from ovarian cancer at 38, Casey McIntyre developed a plan to transform her misfortune into blessing for strangers.

A New York book publisher has agreed to use money raised in her memory to pay off others' medical debt and then pay it off, according to a website that has helped her with her charity work and, as of Friday, had raised almost all of her six-figure total.

«Note to my friends: If you're reading this, it means I've passed away,» read a recent post on McEntire's account on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter, which served in part as a detailed description of her campaign. «I'm very sorry. This is nonsense, and we both know it. The cause was stage four ovarian cancer.»

After describing how much she and her family and friends love each other, McIntyre's account linked to her campaign on the RIP Medical Debt website. In an accompanying message, she added: “To celebrate my life, I agreed to buy out the medical debt of others and then eliminate that debt. I am so fortunate to have had access to the best medical care at [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York], and I am acutely aware that so many in our country do not have access to good treatment.»

< p class="dcr-1kas69x">McIntyre's generous gesture — as she was taken at a young age from her husband and their young daughter on November 12 — has produced tangible results, if RIP Medical Debt's numbers are any indication.

As of Friday evening, her campaign with the New York-based nonprofit had raised nearly $140,000 of her $150,000 goal, despite a situation in which an estimated 100 million Americans are saddled with medical debt totaling about $195 billion.

The United States does not offer a universal healthcare system for its citizens.

Donations to RIP Medical Debt were pouring in by the minute as and McIntyre's story went viral on media channels covering uplifting news.

The group's website says that every $100 raised helps reduce medical debt by $10,000, meaning McIntyre's goal of $150,000 in donations could eliminate the medical debt of others people worth 15 million dollars. A quarter of American adults with medical debt owe more than $5,000, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey last year.

Note to my friends: If you are reading this I have passed away. I'm so sorry, this is bullshit and we both know it. The cause was stage four ovarian cancer.

I loved each and every one of you with all my heart and I promise you, I knew how much I was loved. pic.twitter.com/xCtiD93S7T

— Casey McIntyre (@caseyrmcintyre) November 14, 2023

Before her latest act of kindness, McIntyre made a living as a publisher at Razorbill, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Her passion was publishing works for young readers, and she «saw herself in every child sprawled out on the sofa, rug or bunk bed, engrossed in their latest book obsession,» read her campaign page for RIP Medical Debt.

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She was also a fan of beach trips and karaoke, starting most of her singing lessons with her own rendition of Bonnie's song Wright. Lots to talk about.

McIntyre died Nov. 12 after a previously diagnosed late-stage ovarian cancer recurred, X said in a statement. The statement said McIntyre spent five months in home hospice care, visiting her family and friends from Virginia, Rhode Island and New York.

McEntire's loved ones planned a memorial for her on December 2 in Brooklyn's Prospect Park.

• This article was amended on November 17, 2023 to clarify the source of funds that will be allocated to pay off medical debt.