The first night of the Democratic National Convention was a barnburner, but no moment was more poignant than the appearance of the Lihn family. Watch:
Zoe Lihn was born with a congenital heart defect, half a heart. Before she was even born, the Lihns knew she was facing three open heart surgeries, one right after she was born, then at four months. At six months old, Zoe Lihn was halfway to her insurance company's lifetime cap on coverage, with one more surgery in her future. Then this happened, in Stacy Lihn's
own words (full transcript below the fold):
For me, there was the day the Affordable Care Act passed and I no longer had to worry about Zoe getting the care she needed.
There was the day the letter arrived from the insurance company, saying that our daughter's lifetime cap had been lifted.
There was the day the Supreme Court upheld Obamacare.
Like so many moms with sick children, I shed tears and I could breathe easier knowing we have that net below us to catch us if we fall, or if, God forbid, Zoe needs a heart transplant—Obamacare provides my family security and relief.
With the Affordable Care Act in place, the Lihns will be spared the fear that
Susan Gardner and her daughter have lived with for the past two decades, that because of insurance company rules and because of lack of funds, a potentially fatal heart defect would have to go untreated. The Lihns won't have to think about what Susan has spent two decades fearing: to save her child's life, she would have to take on financial ruin. That's a choice too many American families have had to make.
That's what Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan and every congressional Republican running this year want to return to: insurance companies making the decisions of who gets to live and die based on their bottom line.
2012 Democratic National Convention: Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Stacey Lihn
The following is a transcript of a speech, as prepared for delivery, by Stacey Lihn at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Governor Romney says people like me were the most excited about President Obama the day we voted for him.
But that's not true. Not even close.
For me, there was the day the Affordable Care Act passed and I no longer had to worry about Zoe getting the care she needed.
There was the day the letter arrived from the insurance company, saying that our daughter's lifetime cap had been lifted.
There was the day the Supreme Court upheld Obamacare.
Like so many moms with sick children, I shed tears and I could breathe easier knowing we have that net below us to catch us if we fall, or if, God forbid, Zoe needs a heart transplant—Obamacare provides my family security and relief.
But we're also scared. Governor Romney repealing health care reform is something we worry about literally every day. Zoe's third open-heart surgery will happen either next year or the year after.
If Mitt Romney becomes president and Obamacare is repealed, there's a good chance she'll hit her lifetime cap.
There's no way we could afford to pay for all the cares needs to survive. When you have a sick child, it's always in the back of your mind and sometimes in the front of your mind.
On top of that, to worry that people would let an insurance company take away her health care, just because of politics?
One in 100 children is born with a congenital heart defect. President Obama is fighting for them. He's fighting.
For families like mine.
And we need to fight for him.