Pro Fighter Jessica Bednark in ICU, Needs our Help!

by NCSAR on May 25, 2009 4:10 PM EDT

Here is a clip of a posting about this. She def needs our help! Like many pro MMA fighters she does not have health insurance. This needs to be pushed to the front page, please rec.

On Saturday at 12:30 PM, professional MMA fighter Jessica Bednark went to St. Cloud Boxing and Wrestling Club for an open sparring session. A seasoned fighter with a record of 5-2, Bednark was training for a June 12th fight against Adrienna "AJ" Jenkins.
When Bednark took her gloves and head gear off, she told gym owner Scott Kelm that her legs felt like jelly. She lay down and shut her eyes. When Kelm noticed that her breathing was shallow, he called 911. Bednark’s boyfriend, Jay Gould, said that the ambulance then noticed that one pupil was larger than the other, an indication of brain trauma. A catscan indicated a ruptured artery in Jessica’s brain. "Whether it came from a vital blow or swelling on the brain, we don’t know," Kelm said.

More information from Nick Thomas:

Here’s a thread on the UG about Jessica.

" A paypal address has been created by Derek for receiving donations: helpforjessica@twincities.mn "

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Here’s a thread on the UG about Jessica.

" A paypal address has been created by Derek for receiving donations: helpforjessica@twincities.mn "

by Nick Thomas on May 25, 2009 4:25 PM EDT reply actions

Good add Nick!

by NCSAR on May 25, 2009 4:42 PM EDT reply actions

Rec this

Please update when your hear word about her condition. My heart goes out to her and the rest of the Minnesota MMA community during this difficult time.

A wise man told me don't argue with fools
Cause people from a distance can't tell who is who

by thetakeover on May 25, 2009 7:06 PM EDT reply actions

How does the paypal thing work so I can donate?

Keep firing Assholes!

This is a dream competition for me. I drink as much coffee as I want, and eventually I hallucinate.

by Ubernoober on May 26, 2009 12:12 AM EDT reply actions

by brandonh on May 26, 2009 3:08 PM EDT up reply actions

Keep firing Assholes!

This is a dream competition for me. I drink as much coffee as I want, and eventually I hallucinate.

by Ubernoober on May 26, 2009 7:29 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m not trying to hijack the thread — but if there is anyone out there w/o group health insurance or Medicare/Medicaid, please research catastrophic insurance. It can be had for a relatively small fee and can at least prevent major financial collapse. Look at the major companies.

As for Bednark’s situation, someone should alert her family/friends to make sure that the hospital knows that she is uninsured. Its questionable whether you should wait till she’s out of the woods, but hospitals will cut the bills down and rethink the use of expensive tests that may be unnecessary.

Creator of the FightMatrix rating system.

by JCS_FM on May 26, 2009 12:15 PM EDT reply actions

Update on condition

You can read more about this ongoing story here. Hopefully the publicity will get her the help she needs and shine a light on the need for affordable healthcare in MMA.

A wise man told me don't argue with fools
Cause people from a distance can't tell who is who

by thetakeover on May 26, 2009 3:41 PM EDT reply actions

…shine a light on the need for affordable healthcare in ~~MMA~~ society.

Agreed

Creator of the FightMatrix rating system.

by JCS_FM on May 26, 2009 4:33 PM EDT up reply actions

Thanks for fixing that

Agree 100% that this is a problem with society in general, not MMA, though it’s particularly pronounced in MMA since fighters are independent contractors with a high injury rate.

A wise man told me don't argue with fools
Cause people from a distance can't tell who is who

by thetakeover on May 26, 2009 7:33 PM EDT up reply actions