This seems unnecessarily unkind Sherry. I don't know you but your words make me wonder about you and your ability for empathy.
I do know Shannon (virtually but we've developed a relationship over our time on Medium). I know her to be a kind person, not a liar and certainly not a con artist.
Go back to one of her articles and look at the pictures she's posted of her legs. Do a tiny bit of research and find out that the surgeon she's found is the best man for the job. If you were a talented plastic surgeon wouldn't you set up your practice in Beverly Hills? How can you fault someone who needs a major surgery, who is worried about her child should something happen to her, for wanting the very best doctor to do the procedure.
If you visit Dr. Amron's website you can see photos of successful surgeries he's completed. Read a few testimonials and see how many lives he's changed through his practice and development of a new kind of liposuction procedure that actually works on the unique fat that is a part of Shannon's condition.
If you can't or don't want to contribute, nobody is forcing you to do so. If you don't believe Shannon's situation there are certainly other ways to get that off your chest.
When you mention that you don't make squat here on Medium, I believe you. When you say if you did you would help someone worthy I want to believe you but then you write
"and if someone who was truly in need required treatment for stage four cancer or another life-threatening disease, I’d be the first to open my wallet. And I have."
and you expect readers to believe that, don't you?You don't know Shannon but again, look at the pictures she's posted and do a bit of research instead of deciding that she isn't truly in need.
Her lipedema has become life threatening. Again, look at her pictures. I'm fat and my legs do not have similar, unusual fat accumulation in the places hers do. Read about lipedema. She is becoming immobile which in and of itself is life threatening.
As for her income, Medium money is not taxed. Her fantastic run on Medium was always awe inspiring to me. Just like me, her income on Medium over the last year + has significantly dropped. I don't need to see her bank statement to understand that.
She used the money she was making to get herself out of debt, to improve her life before she came to understand that her condition was a condition. And now the money train is slowing down and she needs help...in between a rock and a hard place sort of help. I don't blame her for asking. I think she is awesome for reaching out to others.
I don't believe I've lived a day of my 65 years as a gullible person but I've definitely made some effort to have empathy for my fellow human beings.
Empathy. It's just delicious.
