First off... Personally, WHM isn't that expensive to level. The only problems one may run into are obtaining the various spells. MND and MP equipment, while nice (i.e. Holy Phial, etc) isn't fully necessary to obtain at that immediate level. Take your time and get money - then buy it (though I got lucky and got a Phial for 20k a couple years ago>.>

. Otherwise, just try to get what equipment you can with what money you have, but remember that spells come first.
Second premise, some SMN just don't want to main heal. Of course, if that was the case in this scenario, I'm sure he would have been like me when I was leveling up SMN for my WHM support.. and placed a comment in his /search comment saying that he does not wish to main heal.
Overall, from the sounds of it.. the person is merely someone who does not wish to main heal or is just not motivated enough to go out, get gil, and buy necessary (not wanted) spells (i.e. Raise, Protect/-ra, Shell/-ra, Cure/-aga, etc) and equipment (i.e. Pilgrim's Wand [+2 hMP] is free from W. Saruta NM, Zealot's Mitts are only 10k on Jeuno AH, etc) for WHM in order to level it. If you really do think WHM is that expensive to level... just ask around and find a WHM who had money trouble (and/or still does... such as myself..) back around that level and ask them what they did.