Friend needs help

To the editor:

A letter to the editor is, unequivocally, not an appropriate forum for fundraising. To be fair, however, it’s less appropriate to have to rely on crowdfunding sites for life-saving care.

I have a friend who just entered a specialized clinical treatment facility. With financial aid, the daily rate for her care, $179, is about a third of what it would typically cost. She’s been hospitalized over 30 times in the last 3 years and has been unable to receive appropriate or adequate care, in her community or elsewhere across the state. Her entry into this facility came after months of small and large battles, most of which would be moot in a system that prioritized and provided for mental health.