Mom Goes Blind So Her Daughters Can See

[Are_grits_groceries]

Monique Zimmerman-Stein has been nearly blind for the last two years from Stickler syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. She recently decided to forego her own treatment to save funds to treat her two daughters, who also suffer from the condition, reports Lane DeGregory of the St. Petersburg Times.

The family is covered under husband Gary's Blue Cross/Blue Shield plan, but that coverage only pays for 80 percent of medical expenses.

She will no longer get treatment to preserve that last slice of light. The injections that might help cost $380 after insurance, and she needs one every six weeks. She could be spending that money on her daughters' care.

If forgoing treatment might help them see, she said, "That's a choice any mom would make."

No one should have to make such sacrifices, said her husband. He hopes the new health plan will include a public option and won't exclude people with pre-existing conditions -- like his wife and daughters.

The expensive care has already forced the family out of their home, which was foreclosed, and forced them to sell their furniture and to cash in their life insurance.

Tampabay.com put together an excellent video to accompany the story:
http://www.tampabay.com/video/?bcpid=2441023001&bctid=42043731001

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/28/mom-goes-blind-so-her-dau_n_301947.html

These are the stories that should be played every day. Forget those effing teabaggers. They should line up people like this for a hearing in Congress, and have them appear nonstop.

The members or Congress who represent them should be there, and shown on a split screen with PAC contributions, and votes listed.

Do something besides talk about lobbyists and their whores. Show real people.

[BlooInBloo]

1. Yet another choice no-one in a civilized country should be forced to make.

:(

[Barack_America]

2. "And I'm proud to be an American...."

But a little bit less so right now.

:cry:

[kath]

3. Only in the U.S.

I'm soooooo frickin' sick of this shit. :-(

[CountAllVotes]

4. many people end up in nursing homes because they are blind

they might not have another thing wrong with themselves either.

They recently came up with basically a cure for wet macular degeneration. My uncle has this. He is blind in one eye because of it and the cure was found just in the nick of time before it quite recently attacked his other eye.

If he did not have insurance, he'd be blind now as the injections must occur immediately after the condition presents.

These injections cost over $2,000.00 each when they first came out. Now they cost about $700.00 each. You might need one every six weeks, yes.

If you don't have insurance for these shots, you will be blind and likely end up in a nursing home. God this angers me!

:mad:

This is exactly why we need health care for ALL Americans!

:kick:

[lapislzi]

8. My Canadian BFF suffered from "wet" macular degeneration

She was only 40 years old; is a single parent of 2 school-age kids. She received the treatment (it sounds absolutely awful), and she is now cured.

Cost to her? $0.

[BR_Parkway]

5. Dear Mr. President - this is the "uniquely American" system we're supposed

to defend and preserve? You should have told Rahm "Single Payer and nothing less", then unleashed him. The country (besides a few who will never see beyond your skin color anyhow) would still be singing your praises 3-4 generations from now. It would have been the best gift you could have given your daughters and all the rest of us.

[Echo In Light]

7. Didn't that "uniquely American" feces begin w/Bush praising a woman who works 2 or 3 jobs?

Puke

[Coyote_Bandit]

13. Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda

But didn't.

Didn't even fucking try.

Wasn't even willing to consider evidence as to whether single payer was a viable option.

Odd given the fact that the Prez used to be a supporter of single payer. Apparently he sold out in order to get the corporate $$$ to finance his campaign and advance his personal desire for position and the power and prosperity it brings.

Meaningful healthcare reform is my line in the sand. Looks to me like Dems are not going to get their sh*t together and deliver.

[Rex]

6. Mom is a saint! Bless her.

People that make money off of other people's hardships are gonna float, head down, in the Lake of Fire.

[Liberal_in_LA]

9. kick... I hope money floods in for this family

[apnu]

10. I have BCBS from work, they suck.

We used to have Aetna -- they gave us the run around but always covered stuff. BCBS goes out of its way to screw the policy holder.

[BrklynLiberal]

11. Being put into a position of having to make a choice like that is what should be illegal!!!!

Where else would a mother be put into a position of having to choose like that? Not in any "civilized" countries...and not in lots that are not even considered "civilized" by those that opposed universal health care for all Americans...

This is a national shame....

[Festivito]

12. The left-wing press will headline this on every world news tonight!!!11!

NOT.

[Are_grits_groceries]

14. That's what is so frustrating.

However, these stories are so commonplace that they won't show them because of ratings.

Idiots.

[grantcart]

15. absolute scandal

[BlancheSplanchnik]

16. no words for how this makes me feel.

no words

:cry:

:mad:
:nuke: