ORLANDO, Fla. – It's a new trend in medical treatment-- more patients turning to crowdfunding to save their own lives when their health insurance falls short.
Sixty-five-year-old Walt Parks' entire life is about fitness. As a certified massage therapist and a group fitness instructor, he is the picture of good health.
Which is why getting a prostate cancer diagnosis was devastating.
"It was a shock when I went to my doctor and got the news," he said. "I thought wait a minute? How can I have cancer?"
Parks and his oncologist decided the best treatment for him would be high intensity focused ultrasound, also known as HIFU.
It was was just approved by the Food and Drug Administration last year and being so new the $25,000 treatment was not covered by his insurance.
"It tears you up. It really does," he said. "It's like here's something that I feel is just what I need and then I can't afford it."
Parks' friend and son talked him into creating a GoFundMe page.
At first he was reluctant. He had donated to other people's GoFundMe pages, but didn't like asking for help for himself.
"It's like I could help others, but I didn't really want to ask others to help me," he said. But more and more people are turning to crowdfunding to help foot the bill where health insurance is falling short.
In fact, medical fundraising is the top category on the GoFundMe site, followed by memorial and charity fundraising.
But Parks says asking for help was difficult. "I am laying everything out saying here I am," he said.
"I have cancer. I need to be treated and I need help."
And he got help.
In just over two months he raised $20,000 from about 180 donations.
GoFundMe says 99 percent of its donations are less than $100., making it feasible for people to give what they can.
But Parks says it was more than the money- it was also the positive affirmations that came with it.
Parks had the treatment, is back to work and has been cancer-free for almost nine months now.
"GoFundMe worked for me, and I know it worked for a number of other people," he said.
GoFundMe has tips for how to make a successful campaign.
It says to give a description of the medical issue, and provide details of the treatm