Bear Silber of Wailuku, Hawaii was sick. He had been to doctors, had lots of tests. But, he was not getting any better. He had no insurance. He was hiding away in his own home, in constant pain.

One day, Silber saw a picture and a comment on Reddit about a physical condition called “Cushing’s Syndrome”. He recognized the symptoms as matching his own. He took his newfound discovery to his doctor, and eventually to an endocrinologist. Thanks to the comment he saw posted on Reddit, Silber was able to get the treatment he needed and is now on the road to recovery.

Now, as a thank you to the community, Silber wants to write a book about his experience. He has launched a Kickstarter project to tell the world about how Reddit saved his life. His job barely pays his medical bills, so he is looking for some support in order to write his book. His goal is to raise $17,500 to help with his expenses while he writes the book, as well as some other professional support in getting the book to audiences.