A neighbor claimed that it's breaking his heart to watch an 80-year-old Arizona resident work five days a week as a Lyft driver just to afford medical care and pay bills.
When Richard Hoppin retired as a Marine, he realised that ‘sitting at home’ just wasn’t how he wanted to spend his remaining years on Earth.
“If you want to die, just sit at home. I thought I'd do something very constructive and help people,” he said, as per 12 News.
As a result, the American, born in the 1940s, began driving for Lyft, the second-largest ridesharing platform in the country.
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“They need a ride, so I give them a ride,” Hoppin, who has multiple sclerosis and Crohn's disease, explained to NBC affiliate KYMA-DT.
Five times per week, the Valley veteran will head out in the only vehicle he and his wife, Catherine, own to pick up between six and eight passengers.
“Some rides are real long, some are real short. I've been to California, I've been to Phoenix, I've been to Flagstaff, and Tucson,” he continued.
According to Catherine, who had recently undergone three rounds of radiation for lung cancer, the couple of hundred dollars that her husband earns through Lyft really helps boost their income.
Without it, she said that the couple may be homeless by now.
While Catherine has health insurance to cover her $50,000 radiation sessions, she is still required to foot some of the bill, as per the news outlet.
And it's for this extra expense that Hoppin’s late-in-life Lyft career comes in handy.
Concerned neighbors have started a GoFundMe in Hoppin and his spouse’s honour.
“It breaks my heart to see him just trying to get through the day,” the GoFundMe, started by Arizona resident Michael Long, reads.
“Their health is declining, and the cost of medical care, food, and utilities is overwhelming.
“With no family left to support them, they are relying on the kindness of neighbors and the community.
“I want to help them cover their medical bills and everyday living expenses so they can focus on their health and well-being, rather than worrying about how to make ends meet.”
Long added that surely the idea of knowing you’re helping to make someone’s life better is a ‘gift’ and that any support would ‘mean the world to Richard and Catherine’.
“[It] will help them feel less alone during this difficult time,” he wrote.
In an interview with 12 News, Long added that he didn’t know the ‘real’ financial situation that Hoppins and his wife were in and that he hoped the ‘goodness of people [would] come forward and donate something.”
At the time of writing, the GoFundMe has raised $30,719 of its $35,000 goal. You can donate here.
At the time of writing, the GoFundMe has raised $30,719 of its $35,000 goal. You can donate here.
Ella Scott