Aurora shooting may ruin one victim's finances

(CBS News) Victim Caleb Medley was shot in the eye at the Aurora movie theater massacre and remains in intensive care in an induced coma. In the same hospital, one floor away, his wife Katie is about to give birth to their first child.

"He's a strong guy," said Seth Medley, Caleb's brother. "I'm not used to seeing him like that. I don't ever want to see him like that again."

But even if Caleb fully recovers, what happened at the midnight movie threatens to ruin the couple financially. His family has been told medical bills could total $2 million. Longtime friend Michael West is trying to raise money.

"Caleb, he doesn't have any insurance so I put together a website," Michael said, adding that Caleb was looking forward to being a dad. "We've talked to him because we know he can hear us. He needs to get better because he needs to be a dad."

Many are struggling with the emotions raised by this tragedy.

Caleb Medley's fundraising website
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Kaylan, 13, was the babysitter for the youngest victim in the shooting, six-year-old Veronica Moser Sullivan. Veronica's mother Ashley Moser is still in the hospital with wounds to her neck and abdomen.

Kaylan was in the theatre beside them.

"I want it just to be a nightmare, just a dream. I don't want this to be real," Kaylan said.

When the shooting stopped, Kaylan called 911 then tried to give CPR to Veronica.

"It's horrifying picturing in my head what I saw that night," Kaylan said. "Other people have it much worse than I do. And other people are going through a lot worse than I am."

Kaylan said she feels like she needs to be strong for the people who've been injured.

"If they break down, I want to be strong and help them through their breakdown that they have at the time," Kaylan said.

Kaylan's family knows she too needs help. Her mother says the 13-year-old will start getting grief counseling this week.

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The Aurora shooting victims

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[Gldn1]

Once again...the Media playing politics with a tragedy. First it was gun rights be damned! Now it's "If only they had Obamacare!" Stop grazing in the field of media spin & hype. There is already more than $4m set aside in a charity for the victims. Most of that will be gobbled up by the hospitals.

[JHeisel]

Get shot in a massacre.

Have to be hospitalized.

Get billed for 2 million dollars.

Only in America.

[mykodack]

"Medical System Victimizing Aurora Survivors For A Second Time"

If it wasn't bad enough already Aurora survivors like Caleb Medley are now being told they owe outrageous amounts of money for hospital bills to be exact 2 million dollars just for him alone! Are you kidding me this makes me sick that the movie theater where they were shot isn't taking any responsibility for what happened in their cinema. Sure it wasn't their fault but it still happen inside of their Theater and they should have the decency to assist with some or all of these people's medical cost who can't afford to pay their medical bill. Come on now where is the love and support Aurora's Mayor said would be given to such victims? WE REMEMBER! The only thing such victims will remember is the cost they will have to pay for the rest of their life even with the support from good samaritans donating money why isn't the city of Aurora, Cinema or hospital stepping up to make this right? Please voice your opinion and let the city of Aurora and hospital know we will REMEMBER how victims are treated of such tragic events!

[Awhol]

Disturbing that the guy does not have insurance but can have a baby and a wife. What were they doing hitting the government up for the hospital fees to have a baby just like every other piece of trash?!!!

Dont tell me you cant get insurance. If you can go to the movies you can get freaking insurance!!!!

[CKOHOUT]

He's alive, isn't he? Trauma surgery, ICU, drug-induced coma ... it all adds up. Don't worry, he'll do what so many uninsured like him do, file for bankruptcy and pass along even more costs to the insured.

[cj9x]

The shooter *started* the violence; our failed medical system keeps it going.

[crisa2]

Wait, why did they try to give the girl CPR? Wasn't she shot?

[Marie8527]

Because "they" was a very brave 13-year-old girl who didn't know how better to respond.

[martitimer]

I am surprised a country as great as the USA does not have a criminal compensation fund to cover situations like this, but I guess I am more shocked the hospital would even think of charging anyone under the circumstances.We may not have the best health care here in Canada but we would not be charged for treatment under the same circumstances and yes we pay for our health care by paying taxes on just about everything we buy in addition to our regular income tax, but it would never add up to 2 million dollars in payments for the regular consumer.Wishing a speedy recovery to all those poor victims of such a senseless act.Maybe Universal health care is not such a bad idea,but maybe paid into the Government instead of private insurance companies who are profit motivated and then The Government could regulate what the medical profession is allowed to charge. just saying

[hateselfhaters]

Please, Americans - use this as a wake-up call to recognize how horribly abusive your Health Care system is to the vulnerable people in your society. Even if you have insurance, the co-pays nickle and dime you to death, unless you are wealthy...then you can just shrug it off, because you are not ruined.

However, the majority of lower-income people *would* be ruined by something like this, and this happens on a daily basis in America - we just do not see it altogether - en masse - happening to a large number of people publicly - like with this tragic event.

The real tragedy happens NOW, as people lucky enough to live will find their quality of life unluckily rapidly deteriorating as they attempt to cope with the expenses.

The majority of lower income people could never afford to insure everyone in their family. It is pathetic and ridiculous, especially since this country relies heavily on the labor that lower income people do. It is not the CEOs and rich people who keep the streets clean and fixed, who nurse people, who teach people, who fix things, who make those CEOs and rich people richer by being Mass Consumers.

Why can't you see that your system is so heavily exploiting the middle and lower classes? Grinding them down, making all the "Right Sizing" and "Down Sizing" and "Outsourcing" at the expense of the majority of hardworking American citizens - while pocketing Record Profits and bonuses for the people who have been truly abusing "the system" of public welfare for greedy but stupid corporations?

It is so stupid - if *you* go bankrupt, nobody will give you Credit for 7 years...if you are a company, though, they cannot wait to give you another chance to blow the public bailouts.

Please, America....recognize that this kind of Post-tragedy Tragedy would not happen in a country that values ALL of its citizens and supports them ALL by Universal Health care that is accessible even to the poorest among us.

The NEW American Dream: work all your life, do all the correct things, get Down-sized, lose your income, lose your insurance, lose everything you worked for trying to stay alive when a disease or a man-made tragedy strikes you.

[afriskyr]

Ok perhaps this guy should have insurance but the real issue is that he shouldn't have to pay medical bills for a crime against him!! That is just wrong.

[phwtb100]

Medical cost will NEVER be reasonable until WE CAP THE AMOUNT THE HOSPITALS, DOCTORS, LABS, PHARMACEUTICAL AND INSURANCE COMPANIES CAN CHARGE!!

There is absolutely NO EXCUSE for the medical and insurance fields to continue to rape US citizens with astronomical rates and fees.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!

[cpjohn1]

Don't get me wrong for asking this, but why didn't he have insurance? Was he unemployed or was he one of these people that opposed the health care law? Just trying to understand why he didn't have insurance.