Man Demands Sister Cancel Her Trip To Pay $10k For His Surgery, Internet Gets Suspicious
Planning a vacation is often just as thrilling as going on one. You spend months hunting for the best flight deals, finding great hotels, and crafting the perfect itinerary. But sometimes, your family can throw a wrench in your well-laid plans.
That’s exactly what happened to this woman, who shared online her tough moral dilemma. Just days before her long-awaited European vacation, her brother asked her to cancel everything to help him pay for an emergency dental surgery. Despite the pressure from him and even their mother, the author decided not to cancel her trip. It’s a tough choice, but keep reading to see how she handled it.
Image credits: Vlada Karpovich / Pexels (not the actual photo)
A woman shared how her brother, after poor financial decisions, asked for a $10K loan, expecting her to cancel her trip with her partner
Image credits: Freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: True-Strawberry-9409
Image credits: Budgeron Bach / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Sibling rivalry isn’t just a childhood phase; it follows us into adulthood
According to Worldmetrics.org, around 80% of people have at least one sibling, which means many of us can relate to the joys and challenges that come with having a brother or sister. Whether you’re the eldest, the middle child, or the youngest, you’ve likely experienced the delightful chaos of family life.
Remember those moments of sneaking the remote control during family movie night or the joy of stealing your brother’s favorite toy? These childhood antics might seem trivial now, but they help create lasting memories that strengthen our bonds.
Interestingly, even as adults, many people find themselves still competing with their siblings. A recent survey of 2,000 adults revealed that 51% maintain a competitive dynamic with their brothers and sisters.
For instance, 26% of respondents confessed that they often compare their professional accomplishments to those of their siblings. Whether it’s who got the better job, got more promotions, or hit specific career milestones sooner, this competitive mentality can take many different forms.
Additionally, 22% of those surveyed reported engaging in discussions about home ownership, often debating who has the nicer house or the more impressive living arrangement.
Even in adulthood, a surprising 20% still argue about who is the “favorite” child in the family, showing that some sibling rivalries never really fade away. However, it’s not all competition and rivalry. Siblings can also be a tremendous source of support during difficult times.
Even as adults, a surprising 20% of siblings still find themselves in playful debates over who gets crowned the “favorite” child in the family. You might secretly believe you deserve that title, but your brother or sister might have a different opinion.
Image credits: Mental Health America (MHA) / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Having a brother or sister can be a real comfort—you know you can always count on them when the going gets tough
Nearly 75% of siblings say they feel loved and supported by each other. So, when life throws us a curveball, it’s often our brother or sister we instinctively turn to. After all, those shared childhood experiences create a unique level of trust and comfort, making siblings our best friends.
Yet, sibling relationships can sometimes become complicated, especially when expectations come into play. In this case, the brother who had been financially irresponsible expected his sister to drop everything to help him out. This raises an important question: is it fair for siblings to expect so much from each other? Have you ever faced a similar situation where a sibling asked for help but you felt it was beyond what you could give?
Many people advised the author to go ahead and enjoy her vacation, pointing out that her mother could step in to help her brother instead
A few others suggested that family should always come first
Poll Question
Thanks! Check out the results:
You just know all the YTA people saying family comes first are absolutely awful and abusive to their families. No one who says that phrase is a good person to their family members.
It's either fake or bro is lying. Not only would an emergency dental procedure not cost anywhere near $10,000 but there are a lot of dental offices that will do payment plans in that case.
Load More Replies...The YTAs are such a bunch of suckers. OP could pretend to comply say, "Well, OK. Tell me who your dentist is and I will call them and set up a payment plan that Mom and I can contribute to. I can't pay the whole sum right now because I don't have that kind of cash on hand." [non-refundable deposits, her own payment plans, don't let brother think she can instantly cut a cheque for $10K anyway] Whaddya wanna bet that brother blusters and blockades and refuses to name his dentist who probably doesn't exist? Oh, and won't mom protest that she shouldn't be part of a payment plan and how dare OP voluntell her wallet the same way she voluntells OP's wallet?
I needed $30K worth of dental work (per Aspen Dental. Don't go there. Seriously.) but not once did I ask family for money. Instead, I ended up going to a dental university--where I got about $17K of the work Aspen quoted done for about $1,500. The remaining stuff is comprised of 3 implants--which will end up being about $6K total...It's unfortunate that US insurance companies consider teeth to be "cosmetic." The point of this is is that $10K is still ridiculously sus for a single dental procedure.
If he has tooth infection and can't afford the dentist, I suggest he gets some mouth wash and use that until he figure out his next step. I agree with some of the other commenter's it shouldn't cost 10k to get his tooth fix. Probably it has been at least 5 years ago I had a root canal. I didn't have dental insurance and it cost me about 4k. I know prices have gone up, but I don't think getting a root canal would go up 6k in5 years ago or a little more than 5 years. He might be trying to scam his sister for some reason.
My mom had tooth that was causing her pain. Costly root canal, or they simply pull the tooth for far less cost, which was the most viable choice. They also worked with her with a payment plan a few weeks later to arrange for fake tooth because the missing tooth gap distressed her. $10K (an interesting perfect number) is absolute BS, Even metal/ceramic braces without insurance don't cost that much.
How do y'all know it's fake? Have you actually read the comments on Reddit?
Okay so while I think this story is possibly fake, everyone harping on the cost he is quoting saying dental work isn't that much is so wrong. I have an infection in a tooth's nerve that needs to be surgically cleared out, the tooth will be pulled and a titanium implant will be put in. The infection is literally fracturing my skull. The cost, without insurance, is $7000 and they won't do it until the entire sum is paid up front. They refuse payment plans, don't take CareCredit, and they're the only one in my area that can do it. Not to mention there's the cost of the week of work I'd miss, and any supplies or other medications needed. Very easily could reach close to the 10K mark. It's not an unheard of amount at all. That's American care for you
For all the folks who called OP the AH for not cancelling her vacation in order to help her brother, ever tried to get a refund from the airline, hotel, travel agency, etc?? No fun, and it's a major headache (I've heard stories from folks who've tried to do so and had to contact a consumer advocacy group to get help)! Also, that PTO OP was supposed to use to take that vacation? She would have to go back to her boss and explain that she had to cancel PTO. Depending on the company, it might carry over to next year, or not ("use it or lose it")! Worse, she'll have to deal with her partner's disappointment, and while she can promise to go on that trip next year, "tomorrow is not promised", as the saying goes. Meanwhile, brother gets treated for his dental issue, and goes his merry way without so much as a thank you to OP!
Let him know your trip finances are non- refundable, the money would not be available to him anyway. He will have to get a second job to pay off his own bills.
Your brother seems awfully entitled. Fortunately, your mother has pretty much announced she would be happy to open the ol, purse strings.
You just know all the YTA people saying family comes first are absolutely awful and abusive to their families. No one who says that phrase is a good person to their family members.
It's either fake or bro is lying. Not only would an emergency dental procedure not cost anywhere near $10,000 but there are a lot of dental offices that will do payment plans in that case.
Load More Replies...The YTAs are such a bunch of suckers. OP could pretend to comply say, "Well, OK. Tell me who your dentist is and I will call them and set up a payment plan that Mom and I can contribute to. I can't pay the whole sum right now because I don't have that kind of cash on hand." [non-refundable deposits, her own payment plans, don't let brother think she can instantly cut a cheque for $10K anyway] Whaddya wanna bet that brother blusters and blockades and refuses to name his dentist who probably doesn't exist? Oh, and won't mom protest that she shouldn't be part of a payment plan and how dare OP voluntell her wallet the same way she voluntells OP's wallet?
I needed $30K worth of dental work (per Aspen Dental. Don't go there. Seriously.) but not once did I ask family for money. Instead, I ended up going to a dental university--where I got about $17K of the work Aspen quoted done for about $1,500. The remaining stuff is comprised of 3 implants--which will end up being about $6K total...It's unfortunate that US insurance companies consider teeth to be "cosmetic." The point of this is is that $10K is still ridiculously sus for a single dental procedure.
If he has tooth infection and can't afford the dentist, I suggest he gets some mouth wash and use that until he figure out his next step. I agree with some of the other commenter's it shouldn't cost 10k to get his tooth fix. Probably it has been at least 5 years ago I had a root canal. I didn't have dental insurance and it cost me about 4k. I know prices have gone up, but I don't think getting a root canal would go up 6k in5 years ago or a little more than 5 years. He might be trying to scam his sister for some reason.
My mom had tooth that was causing her pain. Costly root canal, or they simply pull the tooth for far less cost, which was the most viable choice. They also worked with her with a payment plan a few weeks later to arrange for fake tooth because the missing tooth gap distressed her. $10K (an interesting perfect number) is absolute BS, Even metal/ceramic braces without insurance don't cost that much.
How do y'all know it's fake? Have you actually read the comments on Reddit?
Okay so while I think this story is possibly fake, everyone harping on the cost he is quoting saying dental work isn't that much is so wrong. I have an infection in a tooth's nerve that needs to be surgically cleared out, the tooth will be pulled and a titanium implant will be put in. The infection is literally fracturing my skull. The cost, without insurance, is $7000 and they won't do it until the entire sum is paid up front. They refuse payment plans, don't take CareCredit, and they're the only one in my area that can do it. Not to mention there's the cost of the week of work I'd miss, and any supplies or other medications needed. Very easily could reach close to the 10K mark. It's not an unheard of amount at all. That's American care for you
For all the folks who called OP the AH for not cancelling her vacation in order to help her brother, ever tried to get a refund from the airline, hotel, travel agency, etc?? No fun, and it's a major headache (I've heard stories from folks who've tried to do so and had to contact a consumer advocacy group to get help)! Also, that PTO OP was supposed to use to take that vacation? She would have to go back to her boss and explain that she had to cancel PTO. Depending on the company, it might carry over to next year, or not ("use it or lose it")! Worse, she'll have to deal with her partner's disappointment, and while she can promise to go on that trip next year, "tomorrow is not promised", as the saying goes. Meanwhile, brother gets treated for his dental issue, and goes his merry way without so much as a thank you to OP!
Let him know your trip finances are non- refundable, the money would not be available to him anyway. He will have to get a second job to pay off his own bills.
Your brother seems awfully entitled. Fortunately, your mother has pretty much announced she would be happy to open the ol, purse strings.





























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