Restaurant Workers Organize Fundraiser For Stricken Colleague
(CBS) -- It is perhaps a textbook example of the importance of health insurance: the story of an uninsured Chicago man whose co-workers have become his family as he fights cancer.
WBBM's Steve Miller reports.
Like many restaurant servers, 41-year-old Brian Vincent did not get health insurance.
And when he was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic melanoma last month, his co-workers at the Grillroom in the Loop tried to help him.
"He doesn't have family. We are his family," says Grillroom General Manager Jen Shannon.
On Feb. 17, a Friday, servers at several restaurants will donate part of their tips to Brian.
"We're calling it 'Tipping Our Hat to Brian.' We're just going to gather up as many as we can and hopefully help out a fellow server," Shannon says.
She has been Brian's advocate. She says her friend now has insurance, but it doesn't take effect until next month.
Time is not on Brian's side.
"What do you do?" Shannon says. "What do you say to somebody who you know there's treatment that can prolong their life but nobody cares because he doesn't have insurance in place?"
A Go Fund Me page also has been created.