By Brian S. Brijbag, Esq.
Some victories are loud.
Courtroom wins. Spotlight speeches. A moment on stage with applause waiting at the end.
But some victories happen in silence — unseen, unsigned, unnoticed by most — and yet they echo through a person’s life for years.
That’s the story of Project Jubilee:
An initiative that began as a question and became a quiet, radical act of mercy.
We didn’t demand thanks.
We just pressed a few buttons and made $3.2 million of medical debt vanish across Hernando, Pasco, and Citrus Counties.
And the silence that followed? That was the sound of freedom.
💡 Why We Did It
Debt is not just a number.
It’s a sentence — often unearned, always oppressive.
And in my work as a personal injury attorney, I see the wreckage it leaves:
- Families skipping care because of fear, not health.
- Parents choosing between groceries and prescriptions.
- Clients who win their case… but still lose sleep over hospital bills they didn’t even agree to.
And here’s what really broke me:
The people carrying this debt weren’t reckless. They weren’t irresponsible.
They were simply sick. Injured. Human.
They showed up at the ER when their child had a fever.
They called 911 when their chest hurt.
They trusted that help wouldn’t cost them their future.
They were wrong.
And I wanted to help make it right — not through litigation, but through liberation.
✝️ Why “Jubilee”?
In the Old Testament, the Year of Jubilee was a sacred reset. Every 50 years, debts were forgiven, slaves were freed, and land was returned. It wasn’t a policy. It was a declaration of value:
“You are more than what you owe.”
We borrowed that spirit — as a religious gesture, and as a deeply human one.
Because sometimes justice isn’t about punishment.
It’s about release.
🧾 How It Worked
Through the Brijbag Family Foundation, we partnered with RIP Medical Debt, a nonprofit that buys bundled medical debt on the secondary market — the same way collectors do — but instead of trying to profit, they forgive it. Permanently.
Here’s the math:
- We raised and allocated enough to abolish $3.2 million in debt for thousands of local residents
- No strings. No applications. No forms.
Just a letter in the mail that says: “Your debt is forgiven. You owe nothing.”
And then… silence.
No press release. No photos of people holding oversized checks.
Just a ripple of relief that passed through households across Florida’s Nature Coast.
💬 What They Didn’t Say
We didn’t ask for testimonials.
We didn’t require gratitude.
But I like to imagine what that moment sounded like for someone:
A phone call that never had to be made.
A bill finally placed in the shredder.
A tearful laugh over the kitchen sink.
The space to dream again.
Debt may be silent — but so is dignity.
And we gave a little of that back.
🧠 Why This Matters More Than Ever
Medical debt is the leading cause of personal bankruptcy in America.
It doesn’t just affect the uninsured. It hits those with insurance, those with jobs, those who played by the rules — and still lost.
And when people are buried under bills, they stop seeking care.
They stop asking for help.
They stop believing that relief is possible.
Project Jubilee said: Yes, it is.
It said:
“You’re not just a balance. You’re a person.”
“You don’t have to earn forgiveness.”
“Sometimes grace shows up in the mail.”
🔄 What’s Next
Project Jubilee wasn’t a one-time stunt.
It was a blueprint.
We’re working on expanding this initiative — with new rounds of debt relief planned for the coming year, focused on:
- Veterans
- Parents of children with special needs
- Those impacted by long-term COVID medical expenses
- Individuals denied disability or awaiting Medicaid determinations
Because financial recovery is part of healing, too.
And in the absence of a national fix, we’re going local. Personal. Immediate.
❤️ Final Thought: The Joy Is in the Quiet
I’ve won trials that changed lives.
I’ve written plays that made people cry.
I’ve given speeches that made people cheer.
But nothing — nothing — compares to the quiet joy of knowing that someone’s tomorrow just got lighter, and they’ll never even know who helped.
That’s the beauty of Project Jubilee.
It’s not about being seen.
It’s about setting people free — quietly, completely, and with no strings attached.
Because sometimes the most powerful words aren’t spoken at all.
They’re printed on a letter that reads:
“This debt is no longer yours.”
And that? That’s worth everything.
Brian Brijbag 