Actor and Filmmaker Needs Bariatric Surgery

Hello! My name is Daniel Emery Taylor! I'm a 35 year veteran of the film industry - some know me best as an actor (The Return of Swamp Thing, Road Trip) and some know me best as a filmmaker (It's Just A Game, Camp Massacre). Regardless, I've spent my life trying my best to entertain folks and make their lives just a little more enjoyable.

Well, now, I've come to a point where I need some surgical assistance to make my own life a little more enjoyable. I have struggled with my weight for practically my entire life (and I could go into the various mental health issues as to why that is, but I won't bore you) and the various lifestyle changes over the last several years (including the pandemic) have lead me to a point where my weight is severely and negatively affecting my lifestyle. Mobility has become a concern over the last couple of years as well as mounting related health issues (lymphedema, sleep apnea, pre-diabetes).

I have been in a weight loss program at UAB (University of Alabama - Birmingham) for the last couple of years and have received both medicinal and therapeutic care. My doctors have concluded that bariatric surgery is my best chance at getting my life back and I agree.

So, here I am at 43 years of age and just over the 500 pound mark (having lost 50 pounds over the last few months) and I am doing what is necessary to save my life. And not just save it as in I'm afraid of dropping dead any time soon ... but saving it in that I have so much more to accomplish in life and I need to be able to do it.

The unfortunate thing is that the entertainment industry - especially if you're nonunion and are on the working class end of things - offers very little in terms of a safety net. I do have insurance (that, trust me, I pay VERY dearly for) but with co-pays and deductibles so high, as well as the additional expenses and time spent not working, I am stretched well beyond my limit. So, I'm asking very kindly for your support.