Posts
14138
Joined
12/28/2008
Location
Wildomar, CA
US
ML512
10/1/2022 9:10am
10/1/2022 9:10am
Edited Date/Time
10/7/2022 11:36am
Just saw this on Eli’s IG…
https://www.gofundme.com/f/brian-kranzs-medical-bills?member=22384831&u…
“ My name is Eli Tomac, I’m reaching out to the motocross community to ask for help for my buddy and longtime mechanic, Brian Kranz. Brian and I began working together in 2010. Brian was my mechanic for 11 years, we’re the second longest standing rider/mechanic relationship in the industry. Brian is the realest guy I know, he’s a true friend and would do anything for his family, friends and team. When Brian was my mechanic, I knew without a doubt that my bike was safe and ready to go. Brian took his job to heart and he dedicated everything to his role as my mechanic.
Now the one who always kept me safe and ready to race is in the fight of his life. On August 29, Brian noticed a small lump in his armpit, he pointed it out to his wife Abbey and they didn’t think much of it. Just days later, the lump nearly tripled in size and they knew something wasn’t right. Brian called his primary care physician and was able to get an appointment on September 9. Brian received a chest x-ray that was flagged for abnormalities, so he went in for a CT scan. When the results of the CT scan came back, the doctor told Brian to immediately find an oncologist and schedule a biopsy. The biopsy was on September 21, the next day, the doctor called and with urgency told Brian to immediately head to the emergency room. Brian and Abbey went to the ER and Brian was admitted, he’s been in the hospital since. Brian has been diagnosed with Tcell ALL – Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma. This is a rare, yet aggressive form of cancer that has taken a hold of Brian’s body. He has a lump in his armpit, one near his heart and one on his thyroid. Doctors have created an intensive chemotherapy regimen in effort to combat this cancer as quickly and aggressively as possible. Brian was admitted to the hospital on September 23 and began his chemotherapy treatments on September 27. He will have 4 weeks of the most intensive treatments in the hospital. When Brian is released, he will continue to receive treatment for 5 months that will be approximately 4 hours a day, 4 times a week. The road to recovery isn’t going to be easy, but if anyone is up for the fight, it’s Brian. The doctors have stated that if Brian survives treatment, there is a 70% cure rate. There isn’t anything that Brian wants more than to live out the rest of his life healthy while enjoying his awesome wife Abbey and three beautiful kids – Keira (9), Chloe (6) & Corbin (4).
As if the stress and anxiety of this current situation isn’t bad enough – there is added stress with regards to Brian’s insurance coverage. Brian does not have cancer treatment coverage, so every single penny spent on treatment, care, medications and more will be billed to the Kranz family for them to pay out of pocket. There’s no telling now exactly what the financial ramifications will be, but they’re expecting hundreds of thousands in medical bills. This is why I’m reaching out to you – our motocross community. Brian needs our help, we can’t let him face this alone. If you can, please consider donating towards Brian’s medical bills. I would love to see our community come together and help to ease the financial burden that he is feeling – let’s do this”
https://www.gofundme.com/f/brian-kranzs-medical-bills?member=22384831&u…
“ My name is Eli Tomac, I’m reaching out to the motocross community to ask for help for my buddy and longtime mechanic, Brian Kranz. Brian and I began working together in 2010. Brian was my mechanic for 11 years, we’re the second longest standing rider/mechanic relationship in the industry. Brian is the realest guy I know, he’s a true friend and would do anything for his family, friends and team. When Brian was my mechanic, I knew without a doubt that my bike was safe and ready to go. Brian took his job to heart and he dedicated everything to his role as my mechanic.
Now the one who always kept me safe and ready to race is in the fight of his life. On August 29, Brian noticed a small lump in his armpit, he pointed it out to his wife Abbey and they didn’t think much of it. Just days later, the lump nearly tripled in size and they knew something wasn’t right. Brian called his primary care physician and was able to get an appointment on September 9. Brian received a chest x-ray that was flagged for abnormalities, so he went in for a CT scan. When the results of the CT scan came back, the doctor told Brian to immediately find an oncologist and schedule a biopsy. The biopsy was on September 21, the next day, the doctor called and with urgency told Brian to immediately head to the emergency room. Brian and Abbey went to the ER and Brian was admitted, he’s been in the hospital since. Brian has been diagnosed with Tcell ALL – Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma. This is a rare, yet aggressive form of cancer that has taken a hold of Brian’s body. He has a lump in his armpit, one near his heart and one on his thyroid. Doctors have created an intensive chemotherapy regimen in effort to combat this cancer as quickly and aggressively as possible. Brian was admitted to the hospital on September 23 and began his chemotherapy treatments on September 27. He will have 4 weeks of the most intensive treatments in the hospital. When Brian is released, he will continue to receive treatment for 5 months that will be approximately 4 hours a day, 4 times a week. The road to recovery isn’t going to be easy, but if anyone is up for the fight, it’s Brian. The doctors have stated that if Brian survives treatment, there is a 70% cure rate. There isn’t anything that Brian wants more than to live out the rest of his life healthy while enjoying his awesome wife Abbey and three beautiful kids – Keira (9), Chloe (6) & Corbin (4).
As if the stress and anxiety of this current situation isn’t bad enough – there is added stress with regards to Brian’s insurance coverage. Brian does not have cancer treatment coverage, so every single penny spent on treatment, care, medications and more will be billed to the Kranz family for them to pay out of pocket. There’s no telling now exactly what the financial ramifications will be, but they’re expecting hundreds of thousands in medical bills. This is why I’m reaching out to you – our motocross community. Brian needs our help, we can’t let him face this alone. If you can, please consider donating towards Brian’s medical bills. I would love to see our community come together and help to ease the financial burden that he is feeling – let’s do this”
How in the hell does insurance coverage disallow cancer treatment coverage??? Freaking insurance companies....how easily they take your money and screw you when you need it.
Prayers for Brian and his family.
Let's go moto community!
The Shop
Moisture-wicking fabric provides a soft, lightweight fit
If I may ask, since I have no clue how it works out in the US, if you pay regularly for health insurance, what excactly do they cover for you, only a small percentage or?
Tomac should fix that if he is a true friend.
Brian can beat this 💪🏼
All the best to Brian Kranz, stay strong buddy. Love from Finland
Pit Row
Yes, it sucks that insurance doesn’t just cover everything but the issue is much more complicated than that. The drugs that are used are nsanely expensive, the equipment used is insanely expensive, the amount of doctors and nurses, their expenses, etc etc. The cost of healthcare in general is a very complicated problem.
I had the Honor & Pleasure of working with Brian at YOT Yamaha of Troy.
Brian’s 1 of the best guys as I came to know him.
All these yrs later we’ve remained friends.
Every now & then we’ve rode MTB’s together as he has family where I live.
I remember the day he came to me & said he’d been offered the Mechanics Job at Factory Connection Honda.
As happy as I was for Brian, I immediately told him to “get on their bus when it pulled up”, I was sad due to the fact that I was loosing him.
Eli’s 100% correct, guys like Brian Kranz are rare in Life & especially in the work place.
As I grew as a Team Manager as well, I always used Brian as sort of an imaginary yard stick for Crew I would hire throughout my Career.
My Family’s sad to hear of this as many are as well.
We hope & pray Brian BEATS THIS!!!
Please DONATE whatever you can.
👍🙏🙏 DaveO
they are young and healthy and buy only "catastrophic insurance" (think spend less money per month).
That means they pay if you are in the hospital, however most cancer treatments are not in the hospital so they are not covered. If he were an employee of Tomac, he "could get fired" and though Obama care purchase a new policy that covers his treatment but likely he was not an employee. If you get fired or change jobs they let you change insurance mid year. But not if you organize your own insurance.
Since the sign up period for the next year starts soon but does not take effect until the new year, and he needs treatment ASAP, he's stuck with what he has. This is all speculation, I have NO inside information that this is the case. This was only to address the question of how insurance works. I do know someone that had this exact same insurance dilemma so it is a real possibility.
TM
There are financial assistance programs available direct from the drug companies.
I'm enrolled in one that saves me close to $100,000 a year.
That's just one script.
Then there are the meds needed just to deal with the side effects.
I seriously hope he can overcome this hideously unfair disease.
Brian, if you read this, ask your doctor about SRS Stereotactic Radio Surgery, and the fairly new drug Keytruda. They saved a close friend's life.
Update, I did a quick search and did see some limited use in blood cancer.
TM
Please donate it to Brian.
The 5-year survival rate for ALL across all age groups is ~68%, but the older you are, the lower the expected survival rate.
You can't afford to get proper treatment for cancer in the US without excellent health insurance coverage. National health insurance like the rest of the developed world already has, is now needed in the US more than ever.
Post a reply to: Brian Kranz (Tomac’s former mechanic) is in major need…