I think it's great that people are willing to dig deep to help the guy out, hats off to them. But if you have decent travel insurance I think you'd find that you would be well covered for the likes of his condition.

daggy said...
I think the mere fact that this thread turned into a discussion about costs of treatment and health insurance around the world shows us that maybe he handled this poorly.
If he wants to keep us updated about his situation then that's great and makes a lot of sense.
But to tack on a web site so we can send money while we are still reeling from the shocking news is a little unusual and really should of been left to others (?) to do this.
I'm not sure what the correct word is I'm searching for but I feel uncomfortable about what he's done here.
I have a close family member going in for cancer treatment this week, but we don't have the world wide fan base to be asking for money to pay our bills.

Your right man. Something doesn't gel right here. There's not enough info provided. Why stay in the US? Why not travel to his home country instantly? What are the actual costs that need to be covered?.

NickT said..
Didn't he see his doc before he left then again while away? Pretty sure travel insurance would be saying pre-existing condition and washing there hands of it. Maybe this might explain things if he's getting treatment in the US?

It was pre existing, but not diagnosed by the doctor he went to see at home. It was diagnosed correctly in the US. If it had been diagnosed at home, he maybe wouldn't be in this position.

Its a free choice - no one has to give anything. Some people have, some people haven't. I'm sure everyone wishes him well either way.

waveslave said...

Plummet said..

It just goes to show that none of us are safe, no matter how fit or healthy we are.

I'd hate to be the one to break the news to you ....

but there's no getting out of this life ,,,

alive.

lol.

Yes that's true but at the same time you don't want to leave this life early. My wife has gone through the cancer thing with surgery, chemo and more surgery so unless you have gone though something like this yourself I think you should leave comment like this out. It's not as easy as you may think for people.

Dave Whettingsteel said..
The Dutch have a pretty good public health system.

They do, but from what I've read I'm questioning whether he would be covered. Hence why I think he's asking for donations.

waveslave said...

noodelsrominov said..

waveslave said...

Plummet said..

It just goes to show that none of us are safe, no matter how fit or healthy we are.

I'd hate to be the one to break the news to you ....

but there's no getting out of this life ,,,

alive.

lol.

My wife has gone through the cancer thing with surgery, chemo and more surgery so unless you have gone though something like this yourself I think you should leave comment like this out.

I'm hoping the result ended in a happy outcome. ^^^

So far so good but it's drugs for the next 10 years till we know it's gone for good.

sir ROWDY said..

Dave Whettingsteel said..
The Dutch have a pretty good public health system.

They do, but from what I've read I'm questioning whether he would be covered. Hence why I think he's asking for donations.

Just wondering why you think he wouldn't be covered for a life threatening disease in the Netherlands?

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_the_Netherlands

Very tough news for Ruben.

There are lots of misconceptions in the above posts on the status of his sponsors and his insurance both personal and travel.

SPONSORSThe comment about the sponsors paying for his treatment.
This may happen if some of the sponsors do it as an act of good faith BUT USUALLY THERE IS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEM TO DO SO>

Most sponsorship contracts for pro athletes will have a clause that states the contract ends if they are unable to perform after a qualifying period. This has happened to surfers who are injured and after 3 months ( this varies) of not being able to compete they get dropped.

Most contracts expect the athlete to have their own insurance.

Travel INSURANCE
Travel insurance is primarily designed to give people financial assistance if injured or a struck with a sudden illness - THEY ARE NOT DESIGNED TO PAY FOR LONG TERM TREATMENTS SUCH AS CANCER-
Most policies would have a clause like -
8. WE WILL NOT PAY for any expenses incurred in relation to treatment that can be reasonably delayed until You return to Australia; ( AMEX TRAVEL)

PERSONAL INSURANCE-

IF he had any INCOME PROTECTION OR TRAUMA INSURANCE then this would pay him an agreed amount defined by a policy - HOWEVER due to what he does for a living it is doubtful that he would have cover -


If you don't know what TRAUMA insurance is
Trauma Insurance pays a lump sum in the event that you suffer a major injury or illness such as heart attack, stroke or cancer.

More info here - www.yesinsurancesolutions.com.au/services/trauma-insurance/

So If Ruben had this then he would be eligible for a lumps sum payment - this would help cover his medical expenses.

I hope he has a positive outcome.

sir ROWDY said..

I'm just guessing.

All this vacuous gossip about Ruben's private financial position comes across as crass and undignified.

A little bit of sensitivity please.

I'm going to channel the positive vibes and good energy in his direction. )))))))))))

interesting fact, at any one time 50% of red bull athletes are under rehab( physio, surgery,etc) so they are perfectly equipped to help the bloke out, both financially and professionally, cancer might be off their radar but how could you as a company md of a hugely wealthy company watch one of your team not get the best aid available to them, if it was one of their f1 team(higher profile) itd be a done deal

Get well soon Ruben Lenten we are looking forward to seeing you again.

Wow. Tons of negativity going on in this thread, which surprises me because anyone that met or knows Ruben will know that he's one of the most positive people you'll ever meet. If you've ever had a chat to him on the beach or asked him something about kiteboarding, he'll be the one to tell you to do it, to go for it, to push it, and to fill you with positivity.

His cancer is a rare type of lymphoma with an aggressive treatment plan. He went to the doctor before leaving the Netherlands and that doctor said that it was nothing to worry about. He was still feeling unwell in California so he went to get it checked again, which is when they diagnosed the tumour.

Speaking from personal experience, i have been in a hospital in the US as a foreign citizen (for a random pinched nerve in my neck). I was admitted, sat in a chair (not even a bed) for 2 hours. They gave me 2 Valium, 2 Vicodin, and 1 heat pack to put on my neck. The bill was just under $10k. (US Dollars). So can you imagine what 2 weeks in a bed would cost, with X-rays, CT scans, PET scans, Biopsies, blood tests, and a first round of Chemotherapy.

Y'all sound like you want that commie socialist red health care system. What, are you a leftie liberal commie pinko?

waveslave said..
I'd hate to be the one to break the news to you ....

but there's no getting out of this life ,,,

alive.

lol.

waveslave said..
A little bit of sensitivity please.

kitemarc said..

Sounds like a housewives show

Sounds more like a confusing episode of House to me.

Still mind blowing. Great vid.