Danny Kassap Fund

[The Joggler]

Danny Kassap survived a near-fatal heart-condition scare at the Berlin Marathon, but he now faces an $18,000 medical bill. A website has been set up to collect donations at http://www.dannykassapfund.com. Here's the write-up from the site:

Danny Kassap, one of Canada’s finest distance runners, very nearly died last month when he collapsed while running the Berlin Marathon. Now he needs help from the running community to pay for the life-saving medical care that he received while hospitalized in Berlin.
If you follow distance running in Canada, you’ve probably heard of Danny Kassap. A native of the Democratic Republic of Congo, he came to Canada as a teenager in 2001 for the Francophone Games. He made a daring escape from the athletes' village, seeking refugee status in Canada on the basis of political persecution.

Meanwhile, Danny found his way to Toronto, and began training with the University of Toronto Track Club. In 2004, he won the first marathon he ever ran in a very impressive time of 2:14:50. For the next several years, he continued to run very fast times on very high mileage, while also working full-time and obtaining his high school equivalency. Danny has never been on any form of social assistance.

After numerous legal setbacks, Danny finally became a landed immigrant in April of this year, and a Canadian citizen in August. As a result, he was finally able to run a race outside of Canada. In April, he traveled to England to run the London Marathon, one of the world’s most prestigious and competitive road races. He finished 15th, just three places behind the reigning Olympic marathon champion Stefano Baldini. In September, he traveled to Berlin to run his first marathon as a Canadian citizen.

For the first several kilometers in Berlin, Danny appeared poised to have another outstanding race. However, near the 5 km mark, disaster struck when Danny suddenly collapsed. A good Samaritan who happened to be in close proximity to him at the time began administering CPR almost immediately, and a paramedic on a motorcycle got to him within a minute. Danny received between 15-19 shocks from a defibrillator, and the paramedics worked on him for 45 minutes before his condition stabilized. He was placed in a medically-induced coma for several days, and remained in a Berlin hospital for over two weeks before he was able to return home to Toronto.

The doctors determined that Danny suffered a “ventricular fibrillation” (an uncoordinated contraction of the cardiac muscle) brought on by myocarditis (an inflammation of the heart), which in turn was caused by a cold virus. Danny will not be able to run for at least the next three months, but doctors are cautiously optimistic that he will make a full recovery.

Danny received outstanding medical care while in Berlin, but it has left him with a crippling debt. Even with OHIP covering a portion of Danny’s medical bills, he still owes $18,000 to the hospital which cared for him, and which discharged him on the undertaking that the amount owing will be paid in a timely manner.

Danny presently works full-time as an assistant manager at the Running Room. Eighteen thousand dollars is a prohibitively large amount for him to have to repay quickly. Danny has been unable to contact his family since coming to Canada, and even if he could, they would be unable to provide him with any financial assistance. However, we are hopeful that Danny’s many friends and well-wishers within the running community will be able to provide him with some measure of support.

Danny’s primary motivation for running the Berlin Marathon was to secure a spot on his first Canadian national team so that he could proudly represent Canada at next summer’s World Championships. Danny has made a tremendous contribution to the Canadian running community since arriving here more than seven years ago, and now is our chance to return the favour.

[canalrunner]

He is an inspirational story and is deserving of our support on his road to recovery.

Maybe a couple of 5k Fun Runs could be organized for that pre-Christmas lull to raise some money.

[TheBman]

That link does not work.....any ideas?????

Bman

[Nicholas]

That link does not work.....any ideas?????

Bman

Worked for me...all the way through to donation. Still works now.

[tgilpin]

The link did not work for me either...but I will keep trying. I wish Danny a full recovery and feel he is very deserving of our support.

I find it very strange though that he did not have travel medical insurance for this type of emergency. It cost's litterally dollars a day and can really help out in situations like this.

[TheBman]

Actually, no it wouldnt......

We were insured to the nose for TTW....but if you get hurt during a sporting event, your insurance does not apply.
We got a nice bill from the hospital in Austria!!!!


Bman

[Jwolf]

Hmm... interesting about the insurance. Makes me wonder about people that travel to the U.S. or abroad for races.

I do feel for his situation, but frankly I'm not sure how I feel about paying his medical bills.

[Irongirl]

Hmm... interesting about the insurance. Makes me wonder about people that travel to the U.S. or abroad for races.

I do feel for his situation, but frankly I'm not sure how I feel about paying his medical bills.

if you don't feel comfortable, then, don't donate.....I'm personally glad that the joggler posted this - for those that want to donate - the option is available.

[canalrunner]

I feel good. Pay it forward.

[TheBman]

To be honest.... that was one of our concerns trainning in Lake Pl for the IM, but never really thought of it for TTW but issured our butts for all the asspects surrrounding the races.
Funny...thats when we needed it. Its your health...you do what you got to do!
For Danny..... $18k...the price of a mid sized used car....is a small price to pay to be able to get back home, see his fam/friends and LIVE again....so in the big picture....its not all that bad!

This is not the place for THIS debate....but I would like to believe that his sponsors and his employer (given the business that he is in) would be helping out with this somewhat.

But the rest.....well, sure wouldnt hurt to toss him a weeks worth of Lattés, would it?

Bman

[Jo-Jo]

Thanks for the link.

[La]

Hmm... interesting about the insurance. Makes me wonder about people that travel to the U.S. or abroad for races.

When I bought insurance for my trips to Europe I was told that I was not covered if I was going for a race. Cycling "trip" was fine, but not a race.

I wonder though if professionals wouldn't have some kind of medical insurance that would cover them for races since this is what they do for a living?

[Jo-Jo]

Hmm... interesting about the insurance. Makes me wonder about people that travel to the U.S. or abroad for races.

When I bought insurance for my trips to Europe I was told that I was not covered if I was going for a race. Cycling "trip" was fine, but not a race.

I wonder though if professionals wouldn't have some kind of medical insurance that would cover them for races since this is what they do for a living?

I'm going to ask Mike that this evening when I talk to him.
As you know Rach was badly injured on the race course at IM Arizona in 2006 and had to have surgery in the US.
She was registered as an Elite for this race.
She did get an out of court insurance settlement but that money came a year later.

[Jo-Jo]

Hmm... interesting about the insurance. Makes me wonder about people that travel to the U.S. or abroad for races.

When I bought insurance for my trips to Europe I was told that I was not covered if I was going for a race. Cycling "trip" was fine, but not a race.

I wonder though if professionals wouldn't have some kind of medical insurance that would cover them for races since this is what they do for a living?

I'm going to ask Mike that this evening when I talk to him.
As you know Rach was badly injured on the race course at IM Arizona in 2006 and had to have surgery in the US.
She was registered as an Elite for this race.
She did get an out of court insurance settlement but that money came a year later.

I asked Mike. They purchase a "elite status" rider on their travel insurance policy when they are competing.

Mike said it was still a big pain dealing with insurance companies regarding Rach's accident. He said at the immediate time of the accident they were great but as the need for ongoing therapy became apparent they were not so great. He said having a good lawyer made a difference but a big part of the reason they settled out of court was they just wanted to get on with their lives.

[La]

And in Danny's case, there wasn't anyone at fault for his hospitalization - it was a medical condition. I'm sure there are all kinds of loop holes in insurance policies that would keep them from paying out.

[Jwolf]

Hmm... interesting about the insurance. Makes me wonder about people that travel to the U.S. or abroad for races.

When I bought insurance for my trips to Europe I was told that I was not covered if I was going for a race. Cycling "trip" was fine, but not a race.

I wonder though if professionals wouldn't have some kind of medical insurance that would cover them for races since this is what they do for a living?

I'm going to ask Mike that this evening when I talk to him.
As you know Rach was badly injured on the race course at IM Arizona in 2006 and had to have surgery in the US.
She was registered as an Elite for this race.
She did get an out of court insurance settlement but that money came a year later.

I asked Mike. They purchase a "elite status" rider on their travel insurance policy when they are competing.

Mike said it was still a big pain dealing with insurance companies regarding Rach's accident. He said at the immediate time of the accident they were great but as the need for ongoing therapy became apparent they were not so great. He said having a good lawyer made a difference but a big part of the reason they settled out of court was they just wanted to get on with their lives.

Rach's situation was different in that it was an accident caused by another party.

It sounds like Kassap should have been able to get elite status insurance.

As for the rest of us-- I wonder how hard it is to get coverage for when we race out of the country? It's something I will definitely check into before I go away for a race next time. My feeling is that the 'over-the-counter'-type policies from places like TD and CAA might not cover enough, but there must be something you can pay to cover yourself.

[TheBman]

Here to tell ya, the TD policy does NOT cover racing related injuries....much like ANY auto policy. If you get hurt racing your car, be it on the track or on the street, it voids the policy.

So, if you do hear of a policy that covers triathlons and marathons.....BUY SHARES in it for sure!!!!

Bman

[canalrunner]

This is info from another forum. Now I just have to cut my marathon time by 60 minutes to qualify as an elite.

http://www.armstrongmccready.ca/CAIPFrameset.htm

Insurance for Canadian athletes... inside and outside of Canada and covers overuse injuries. Elite/national team members also have a certain amount of out of province coverage available to them.

[HCcD]

From the Toronto Metro ...

Fellow marathoners rally behind Danny Kassap after near-fatal heart attack
Lori Ewing, THE CANADIAN PRESS
30 October 2008 03:53

Danny Kassap, pictured here after winning the 2004 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, collapsed due to heart failure during last month’s Berlin Marathon in Germany.
Canada's running community is once again rallying to support talented marathoner Danny Kassap.

The Congolese native, who was finally granted Canadian citizenship this past August after a seven-year struggle, is facing $18,000 in medical bills and a long road back from a heart attack that nearly killed him while running the Berlin Marathon on Sept. 28.

His friends and training partners with the University of Toronto Track Club are hoping to raise funds to cover the costs of Kassap's medical care through www.dannykassapfund.com.

"I think in many ways the track club and (coach) Ross Ristuccia have become like a family to him, and Ross has become like a surrogate father," said Jay Brecher, one of Kassap's training partners. "We certainly do regard Danny as being a member of our extended family, and we'll do anything possible to help him at a time like this."

The 26-year-old Kassap, one of Canada's top marathoners, was five kilometres into the 42.195-kilometre Berlin race when he suddenly collapsed due to heart failure. Paramedics worked on Kassap for 45 minutes, using a defibrillator to shock his heart, before his condition stabilized. He was placed in a medically-induced coma for several days, and remained in a Berlin hospital for over two weeks before he was able to return home to Toronto. His Ontario health insurance covered just a portion of the cost.

"It's a tragic situation for a guy so young," Ristuccia said. "It's not like he was on the tail end of his running career, he was just about to be really good."

The doctors determined that he suffered a ventricular fibrillation - a contraction of the cardiac muscle - brought on by inflammation of the heart, which was caused by a cold virus.

Kassap won't be able to run for at least the next three months, and his future as a competitive runner remains unclear.

"He's my assistant coach now," Ristuccia said. "It's good for him, and he's so well liked by the people he trains with. Danny is such a well-liked person, he's always got a smile on his face."

Kassap was striving to earn a spot on the Canadian marathon team for the world championships this August in Berlin.

The wiry five-foot-seven runner fled to Canada during the 2001 Francophone Games to escape his war-torn homeland, but he remained in limbo for several years after his application for refugee status was rejected.

His University of Toronto teammates pooled their money to obtain an immigration lawyer, and Kassap was finally granted landed immigrant status in April, and his Canadian citizenship four months later.

"If it hasn't been one thing it's been another with Danny," Ristuccia said. "But one thing that it's done is made us all realize there are certain things we should do to keep care of ourselves. Plus, it could have happened on one of his morning runs, he could have been on one of the trails here running alone, and nobody would have found him in time."

Kassap won the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 2004 in his first attempt at the distance, in a course record time of two hours 14 minutes 50 seconds. He was 15th, just three places behind reigning Olympic marathon champion Stefano Baldini, in the London Marathon this past April - the first time he was permitted to travel outside of Canada to race - in 2:15.20.

His time ranks him as the second fastest Canadian this season behind Dylan Wykes of Kingston, Ont., (2:15.13).

Ristuccia was watching the Berlin marathon on the Internet hoping to follow Kassap's progress, but grew concerned when he couldn't find the runner's results.

"They were focusing on (Haile) Gebreselassie (who was on his way to a world-record time)," said the coach. "Then I was looking for his result and there was nothing coming up, and I started to wonder. . . did his timing chip malfunction? When I finally found out what happened, if I could describe what a huge shock it was, I would. . . but I can't."

Kassap left behind seven brothers and sisters in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where civil war has raged for years. He arrived here speaking almost no English, but found his way to Toronto's Covenant House, a home for runaway and homeless youth. He then took a job working in a fish and chips shop and enrolled in classes at an adult learning centre to earn his high school equivalency. He is now an assistant manager at a Running Room store.

According to a BBC report, Kassap was one of 106 athletes from Africa that sought asylum in Canada at the Francophone Games.

[DougG]

There was an article in today's Globe about him too.

Hijak, Andy what is "From the Toronto Metro " ?

[HCcD]

There was an article in today's Globe about him too.

Hijak, Andy what is "From the Toronto Metro " ?

http://www.metronews.ca/toronto/Sports/article/132793

[BJH]

There was an article in today's Globe about him too.

Hijak, Andy what is "From the Toronto Metro " ?

The Metro is a free paper given away at subway and Go train stations. I think it is owned by TorStar. Seems to carry the same stories (word for word) any way.

[canalrunner]

Nice the topic is back on Danny Kassap and off the great insurance debate (although a good topic for another thread).

Issue is whether people want to help Danny Kassap out or not. My cheque is in the mail.

[The Joggler]

Here's a Toronto Star article:

http://olympics.thestar.com/2008/article/527112

Danny did have insurance, but was still left to pay a portion of it. CBC Radio told me they were going to be interviewing him on air today, and were planning to touch on the travel insurance issue. I didn't catch the interview -- did anyone hear it?

(By the way, Torstar and Metro International (a Swedish company) each own 50% of Metro's operations in Toronto.)

[The Joggler]

I take that back -- I don't know if Danny had insurance or not, only that a portion of his bill was paid off by other parties, including OHIP.

In any case, if ever there was a case of someone worthy of a donation, he is it. Just a great guy. And, since August, a great Canadian.