NEWS

WIRES

OTHER

Shame on Wal-Mart

By David Nassar

Today's lead story on CNN.com is about former Missouri Wal-Mart employee Debbie Shank. Debbie used to stock shelves at night for Wal-Mart. Now she owes Wal-Mart almost $500,000.

Tell Wal-Mart not to take her money:

http://action.walmartwatch.com/debbieshank

The 52 year-old was a Wal-Mart employee when she was left "brain damaged, disabled and penniless" from a car accident seven years ago. But after the Shank family received a settlement from the trucking company at fault, Wal-Mart demanded reimbursement for every cent it had paid for Debbie's medical bills - plus interest and legal fees.

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Debbie Shank's case, leaving her family no choice but to pay Wal-Mart $470,000. Now her family doesn't know how they're going to be able to afford Debbie's nursing home bills.

To make things worse, the $470,000 exceeds the remaining $277,000 in Debbie's trust from the settlement, which means Wal-Mart may even go after the donations given to the Shank family for Debbie's care, including the money you helped raise in November. This is just wrong.

Wal-Mart may have won the lawsuit, but the Shank family has already lost enough. The company claims that it has to collect the money for the good of all Wal-Mart employees. But, in this particularly egregious situation, surely the largest company in the world run by the wealthiest family in the United States can give this family a break. Write to Wal-Mart executives and ask them to tell Lee Scott to do the right thing and let Debbie Shank keep her money:

http://action.walmartwatch.com/debbieshank

This company already has a reputation for treating its employees poorly, and this tragic situation exposes the company's pure heartlessness. The Shank family is living most people's worst nightmare - and Wal-Mart is only making it worse.

Debbie's husband, Jim, told reporters:

"She's 52 and she's going to live a life in a nursing home. I just got a call today from the head nurse, and (Debbie) hasn't eaten in a couple days and she's talking about wanting to die," Shank said. "It makes the visits hard."

... "Be a human being; don't be a corporation," Shank said, "for the sake of one lady who is going to be miserable for the rest of her life. Take your victory. Let us pay some bills and get some quality of life."

Tell Wal-Mart that the Shank family has paid enough and Lee Scott should reverse the decision or find another way to let the family keep this money. Help us get this family's story out by forwarding the CNN story and this e-mail to your friends and family:

http://action.walmartwatch.com/debbieshank

Thank you for telling Wal-Mart to do the right thing for Debbie Shank.