Just Wonderin' - Democratic Underground

NanceGreggs

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Wed Jul-09-08 06:11 PM
Original message

Just Wonderin'

So I have this friend. And my friend has a niece. And that niece had cancer. Diagnosed at fifteen with Ewing’s Sarcoma, Brittani’s chemotherapy treatments destroyed her lungs, which led to a double-lung transplant last May.

The sad news is that Brittani's condition is now deteriorating, and the cause is not readily known. And the sadder news is that in what is continually touted as "the richest nation on earth", our healthcare system still runs on the premise that money talks, and kids like Brittani walk - or, more correctly, get shuffled out the nearest door the minute her parents' wallet is diagnosed as slim bordering on empty.

Outside of her immediate family and friends, no one knows about Brittani. I’m just wonderin’ why.

If Brittani had been born a spoiled heiress with more money than brains, everyone would know her. She’d be all over the news shows every time she “wore” a new designer. And if she got in trouble with the law for being hooked on heroin, her story would be front-page fodder for weeks at a time.

But Brittani is just another good kid, one of tens of thousands, hopelessly addicted to expensive, life-saving medication. There are no headlines about her in any newspaper I can find; just wonderin’ why.

If Britanni went missing in the Bahamas, her face would be as familiar to every American’s as that of their own child. The MSM would run with her story 24/7; they would delve into every detail of her life – including the fact that she hasn’t had much of a life since tragedy struck. But Brittani doesn’t warrant so much as a mention, because even though she meets the usual criteria for a media feeding frenzy (she’s white, blonde and heartbreakingly pretty), she’s very sick and faces an uncertain future due to her parents’ lack of financial resources.

And that is one of Brittani's biggest problems, because no one wants to discuss that topic in a public forum – people might start thinking about the billions we’ve wasted in Iraq while kids like Brittani suffer. People might start wonderin’ why that is.

Britanni’s health insurance is about to come to an end. Her insurance carrier has decreed that her coverage has reached its lifetime maximum benefits. I can’t help thinking about how much the CEO of her insurance company made last year, and whether he truly considers that reaching the ripe old age of seventeen constitutes “a lifetime”. And I can’t help just wonderin’ what tiny fraction of his year-end bonus it would take to keep Brittani, and kids like her, alive.

It was just a few short years ago that Terri Schiavo’s condition was propagandized by the Republicans into a weeks-long cause celebre, meant to be interpreted by the voters as their party’s unwavering dedication to the preservation of life.

But Brittani isn’t in a vegetative state with no hope of a meaningful life. Quite the contrary; she recently graduated with her high school class – no small feat considering the extra effort it takes to concentrate on one’s studies while one is facing the prospect of death – and hopes to go on to college. Brittani wants to be a nurse, so she can help others who, through no fault of their own, find themselves in situations like hers.

Again, I can’t help but question where those politicians are, the ones who insisted that Terri Schiavo’s life (such as it was) was worth the investment of their time and effort. Where are they now, when a viable life can be saved? Again, just wonderin’.

The thing to remember is that Brittani is not alone in her plight; she is just one of countless thousands of Americans who are depending on the rest of us to insist on access to affordable heathcare for their families. Her fight is our fight, because there but for the grace of God go any one of us, or any one of our children.

My friend, Brittani’s aunt, is a fellow DUer (JFN1). If you have any support to offer, any ideas for getting Brittani’s story out to the masses, any thoughts on how to help in any way, please PM her. I have no doubt your efforts, along with your prayers and good vibes, will be greatly appreciated.

Brittani needs help now, and when it comes to ensuring that we will all do our best to see to it that she gets that help, she – and everyone like her – shouldn’t be left just wonderin’ if and when that help will arrive.