Original ‘G.I. Joe’ Animated Series Creator And ‘Transformers: The Movie’ Writer Ron Friedman Launches Emergency GoFundMe To Pay For Cancer Treatments, Living Expenses
Spencer Baculi
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In another unfortunate reminder of just how little Hollywood cares for the creatives upon which their industry is actually built, an unforeseen rise in medical and living expenses for both him and his wife has led storied television and film writer Ron Friedman has found himself turning to crowdfunding in order to help alleviate some of their financial pain.
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Perhaps best known for having created the original G.I. Joe animated series and penning the screenplay for both 1986’s The Transformers: The Movie and 1987’s G.I. Joe: The Movie, Friedman’s extensive Hollywood writing career stretches all the way back to 1965’s My Favorite Martian and includes such credits as Gilligan’s Island, The Dukes of Hazzard, Wonder Woman (1976), and Marvel’s 1994 Iron Man and Fantastic Four animated outings.
Unfortunately for Friedman, at some point in recent years, he found himself diagnosed with prostate cancer – and it was in light of both this unfortunate condition and his wife’s own failing health that he turned to the public for help.
In launching a GoFundMe for Friedman, his friend and campaign administrator Jared Egol explained, “Ron and Val, his wife of 51 years, need help. Ill health and the mounting bills that follow mean they need to move urgently to a less expensive rental near the hospital on which they both rely for their care.”
“We are seeking funds that will go directly to Ron and Val to pay for their move and cover their rent, bills and living expenses for a few months, so that they can focus on their ongoing treatment and recovery,” he detailed. “The $48,000 we are seeking breaks down into $28,000 for their medical bills and the balance would cover the cost of relocation, rent, and living expenses for a few months. We would be so grateful if you would consider helping.”
Providing further context to the campaign’s necessity, Egol explained, “Now, Ron no longer teaches and writes only because he wants to, but because he has to pay for his prostate cancer and chronic pain treatments, as well as basic living expenses no longer covered by his WGA pension [at present, the circumstances behind Friedman’s loss of pension coverage has not been publicly detailed]. Val has been in poor health for a number of years, limiting her ability to work and contribute.”
“Ron has given so much joy and entertainment, wisdom and thrills to generations of film and TV fans,” he added. “Please consider helping Ron and Val in this difficult period of their lives.”
As of writing, roughly two weeks out from its opening and with approximately, the campaign has raised $9,507 of its $48,000 total goal across 169 donations.
Should fans wish to make a donation of their own, they can head over to the GoFundMe page itself and directly contribute to the campaign.
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