Minnesota-based influencer Josh Liljenquist has started a GoFundMe to raise money for an injured former St. Paul firefighter, Thomas Bever, who says bureaucracy left his family in financial ruin.
“This is a man who spent his life helping others. He helped a stranger at his door. He served his city. He helped save someone’s life. And even while struggling, he still wants to help someone else,” the GoFundMe from Liljenquist says.
Liljenquist films acts of generosity, doing things like ordering food for homeless people, giving cash to those in need, and generating awareness for larger needs by creating fundraisers. The influencer has millions of followers on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. He was recently banned from St. Paul parks before the city reversed the ban.
Bever, a former captain with the St. Paul Fire Department, told Alpha News senior reporter Liz Collin earlier this month that his surgeries and treatments for injuries he received while on the job were considered “elective” during the 2020 COVID mandates.
“Due to the mandates that the state of Minnesota and Walz put through, they deemed my surgeries electives. I remember getting letters saying your surgeries are denied, that they’re elective operations,” Bever said. He also outlined how he had to “fight every step of the way for any type of treatment” for his work-related injuries that led to him being forced to retire with a medical disability.
Bever is a father of five, and his family now lives in a barn due to his inability to work and the medical bills.
“He says his shoulder surgery and injury support were denied, and he has had to pay out of pocket while continuing to fight for his pension and the support he believes he deserves,” the GoFundMe reads.
In a video published to his social media pages, Liljenquist knocks on the door of the barn that the family lives in, asking for something to drink. Bever immediately goes to grab a soda and offers it to him. Liljenquist then draws Bever into conversation, asking about his injured arm and their living situation.
Liljenquist said that Bever spent his life serving and helping people in the community. “Now it is our turn to help him and his family,” Liljenquist wrote in the fundraiser. “The money raised will go toward helping him and his family with basic needs, housing stability, groceries, bills, medical-related expenses, transportation, and giving his children more security while he continues fighting to rebuild his life.”
The GoFundMe has raised more than $22,000 in seven days, with over 600 individuals donating to support Bever.
Hayley Feland
Hayley Feland previously worked as a journalist with The Minnesota Sun, The Wisconsin Daily Star, and The College Fix. She is a Minnesota native with a passion for politics and journalism.
