Daughter Refused To Pay Her Sick Father's Medical Bills And Wonders If That Makes Her A Jerk
Her dad was out of the picture for 19 years. What would you do?
Some family wounds never really close, especially when money and old abandonment issues get dragged back into the picture. In this Reddit story, a woman says her father walked out on her family more than 18 years ago, then resurfaced only when he needed help with medical bills.
She refused to pay, and that decision set off a fresh round of tension with the relatives still in the picture. Her post on r/AmItheA**hole quickly drew a wave of reactions from people who had very strong opinions about what a daughter owes a father who disappeared.
Now the internet is split, and the family drama is only getting messier. Read on.
Here's the original Reddit post by u/HumanWaste000:
RedditOP had a very special relationship with her father before the divorce.
RedditHer mom took on all the responsibilities on her own and raised them both.
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Despite everything, OP's mom still wanted her to help a little.
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Here's how Reddit users reacted to u/HumanWaste000's post:
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He should be giving them money, not the other way around.
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He never attempted to contact them before that.
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This user was in the exact same situation as OP:
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It also echoes the AITA post about refusing to split an ex's pet surgery bill after shared history.
The kids grow up thinking something is wrong with them.
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He doesn't deserve OP's help.
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He only provided half her DNA and nothing else.
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The father made a conscious decision to abandon his children.
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He stopped being her dad when he abandoned them.
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"He had plenty of time to reach out and build a relationship before financial hardship."
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He does not deserve to be in OP's life.
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It's totally unacceptable.
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The father only sees OP as a wire transfer, not family.
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She could do it out of the kindness of her heart, but not because she's obligated to do so.
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He made it clear who and what was important to him.
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That man is not her father.
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It's one last opportunity to rip her off before he dies.
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OP has every right to refuse to pay her father's bills. His new family obviously does not care about them as people since they only decided to contact them after the dad was going through tough times.
The dad never attempted to contact them before and disappeared from their lives for years; he is barely even their father anymore. No a-holes here today.
The dad will have to deal with whatever tough times he is going through on his own because he will not be getting help from OP anytime soon.
For another money fight, see the inheritance spat where one sibling refused to pay family bills.
