Sarah Burke's agent has launched $550,000 US fundraising effort to help cover the freestyle skier's medical expenses, following her death in Utah on Thursday.
According to the Canadian Freestyle Skiing Association, Burke was not insured under the association's policy when she was injured because she was participating in an unsanctioned event hosted by one of her sponsors.
While it remains unclear if Burke was otherwise insured, Burke's publicist Michael Spenser has started a website to help the family pay Burke's medical bills and other expenses.
So far, the site has raised more than $100,000 toward its goal of $550,000. The fundraiser's beneficiary is listed as Burke's husband, Rory Bushfield.
Burke died Thursday morning in a Salt Lake City hospital, more than a week after tearing the artery that supplies blood to the brainstem during the fall in the superpipe at the Park City Mountain Resort.
Burke had surgery to repair the torn artery and had been in a medically induced coma.
Peter Judge, CEO of the Canadian Freestyle Skiing Association, says its athletes have excellent insurance when they are competing for the association, But Burke's accident happened during an unsanctioned event.
"She was in the U.S. taking part in a third-party training opportunity, something that was separate to our program," said Judge.
"The Canadian Snow Sports Association has a very comprehensive policy which covers these kinds of situations, but unfortunately in this instance she was involved in a third party event which was not part of the program and as such was not under the umbrella of coverage,"
'She lived a perfect life'
Burke was in Park City training for a superpipe event hosted by Monster Energy, one of her main sponsors, at the time of the accident.
A spokesperson at the Monster Energy Company would not say if Burke was insured or if the company would help cover her medical bills. Any decision will be posted on the company's website, said the spokesperson.
A notice on the company website on Friday morning said, "Best wishes to Sarah Burke and her family. We love you Sarah."
Burke, who was born in Barrie, Ont., and lived in Squamish, B.C., just south of Whistler, was considered both a star and a pioneer in her sport.
She won multiple gold medals in the Winter X Games and played a leading role in getting it added to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Socchi, where she was favoured to win gold.
She also won the 2005 world championships, was the first woman to land a 1080-degree spin (three full rotations) in competition and won the 2007 ESPY award as Best Female Action Sports Athlete.
Mogul skier John Smart says Burke's death was an incredible loss.
"She was a leader in this sport, 16 I think was when she was throwing down tricks that nobody believed a girl could or anyone could do. I wasn't even doing them.
"She led a very, very exciting life and she lived a perfect life. She really did. She did everything well," Smart says.
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Does this actually happen in your country???
If this happened to me and I survived it, I'd be faced with a bill for $550,000?!? What sort of lunacy is this??? Most people would have to liquidate EVERYTHING they own. House, cars, investments, furniture, etc. and most still wouldn't have enough! An event like this would BANKRUPT most people. Does a 1 week stay in an American hospital really cost $550,000 if you don't have insurance?!?!? Does this make any sense?
How does the hospital justify a charge of $550,000 for this? This doesn't happen in other civilized nations, why does it happen in Duhmuhrika?
For $550K, do you at least get Jesus himself to operate on you?
What if you don't have insurance? Do they just kick you out?
Duhmurikah is like a circus, it provides you entertainment every time you come across it.
Here's another good one:
What a fukked up system you duhmuhrkians live in! Only in Uhmurika!
Think again, pal. Apparently I'm a little too sharp for you.
