Woman With A Disabled Husband And Two Disabled Children Fights Foreclosure

[AlphaCentauri]

Janet Catucci never planned to build a house big enough for three wheelchairs.

She never imagined that the ramp in front, built when her son grew too big to carry up and down the front steps, would also become a gangway for her daughter — and then her husband.

But in a life that seems to have thrown Janet and Tony Catucci Jr. quite a bit more than their fair share of bad luck, the house — at least until now — has been a haven, providing a measure of comfort for the family even as the odds of anything resembling a "normal" existence continued to stack up against them.

The couple's first child, Tony Catucci III, was born in 1984, deaf, blind, epileptic and mentally retarded, his body crippled by cerebral palsy — the result of what doctors assured the Catuccis was a rare genetic misfire. But two years later, Ashley arrived with the same problem, and it became clear that Janet and Tony would carry an unthinkably heavy load.
Despite the challenges, they were committed to keeping their family whole. Tony worked three jobs. They bought a little ranch in West Hartford, walking distance from Sears, where Tony sold vacuums and sewing machines.

http://www.courant.com/news/health/hc-janetshouse.artapr27,0,4651104.story

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Let the bank take back their house

and throw them on the streets. After all, the government has shown time and again by their actions that people don't count, only corporations. And we can't have the CEO have to do without that third home in the Bahamas just to accommodate these folks, can we? :sarcasm:

[AlphaCentauri]

2. you mean let the free market do it's magic

:sarcasm:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. In the immortal words of Scrooge

"...let them die, then, and decrease the surplus population." We've returned to the repressive and classist Victorian Age.

[AlphaCentauri]

7. We are in an aristocratic society already

[Xenotime]

9. HA! Free market economies are a proven failure.

Good experiment but obviously doesn't work.

[AlphaCentauri]

11. Friedman idea of privatizing everything and let the market solve all problems

did take us to that attitude than when someone is in despair we just have to shout 'can someone throw them a check please' so that everybody else stay quiet

[Kittycat]

3. Dear god.

I cannot even begin to imagine what they're going through or have been through. I cannot believe there aren't programs for stuff like this. Hopefully some good hearted citizens or businesses can help out.

[otohara]

5. One Visit To The Hospital

with shitty insurance - can do this to anyone now days. It's downright scary - my friend had a mild stroke - two days in the hospital. Now he's about to lose his home.

[Kittycat]

12. ..

My 4yo son is a surviving twin (24wkr) that spent 6.5mo in the NICU, and two years on oxygen in-home - with a laundry list of health and therapy needs. We're fortunate that we've had savings to pull from to cover all the things that insurance doesn't. I can't imagine how those without insurance, and not qualify for state aid do it (or can't afford to buy in to the state aid program). I lost track on the totals for Kyle as he approached 2yo, and was totaling $1.6M at that time ($1.2M in the NICU alone).

[otohara]

13. How In The Hell

do the hospitals expect even the insurance companies to come through on charges like this? Not that I have any sympathy for insurance companies, but this is insane and it doesn't happen in other countries.

[Kittycat]

14. I know how my insurance company paid for it.

Unfortunately they raised the rates for every employee at the company I worked for at the time :(

[AlphaCentauri]

19. That is an abuse from the insurance companies

to punish the other employees for the illness of other, universal health care is the only viable solution

[Donnachaidh]

20. Hospitals are the bloated pigs living off the insurance pipeline

And so are the doctors who *have* to have that latest machine that costs more than a luxury car, just because it MIGHT do some good for somebody. Then they play 3 card monti with paperwork, selling the machine to X, and then X leases the machine back to the hospital, so no one really gets hit with taxes. It ain't JUST the insurance companies ripping off consumers - the doctors and their *groups* are just as bad, if not worse in some instances.

But of course, the AMA refuses to police it's own, and allow the quacks and the crooks to flourish, while people lose their homes over exorbitant charges, or DIE because they don't have insurance. But the AMA pushes through legislation so patients cannot sue the crooks.

Yet we're supposed to show respect for the nedical community. :puke:

[jwirr]

6. If there were anyone with brains in that state they would rescue this

couple because it will cost much more to house them in care facilities than keep them in their home. Rent Vouchers to Buy would be a good move.

[DesertRat]

8. That's just disgraceful

We spend BILLIONS of $$ on nation building and can't help our own needy citizens. :mad:

[1776Forever]

18. So so true! We send billions to dictatorship - which to me Pakistan is really & forget our own!

:thumbsup:

[Lars39]

10. How many times have you read that headline, except the family

was in another industrialized country with health care for all? Never.

[AlphaCentauri]

15. agree

Universal Health care would take the burden out of employers and will provide for this cases

[magellan]

16. That's right

For example, in the UK this family would be able to move into a council house and have handicap facilities installed, with most if not all of the cost subsidized. The husband would be on unemployment and disability. They'd all have access to NHS medical care.

They wouldn't find themselves on the streets facing exorbitant medical bills and only one income to support them. They wouldn't want for essentials or a roof over their heads.

They'd be a darned sight better off.

[Skittles]

17. I hope the publicity gets her some help

yes

[lapislzi]

21. Yes, we are all one car crash, one illness away

From utter ruin.

I read some of the callous comments on their message boards. One step above the Dickensian workhouse.