This is Finnley. My grandson-to-be. The first child my son and daughter-in-law are expecting. Finnley is not healthy. He has the most advanced form of spina biffida, myelomeningocele. This means he has a hole in his spine from his L5 vertebra on down. His spinal cord is pulling loose through that hole. As it does it pulls on his brain causing brain damage. Without intervention, his prognosis is very bleak, death or severe mental retardation are likely outcomes. There wasn’t even a surgery to fix this until recently. In most countries there is no treatment available. Doctors recommend that the mother have an abortion. Here in the US we’re lucky to have a treatment. An in vitro surgery while Finnley is still in the womb. With the surgery he has an excellent chance of survival and living a normal life. In some ways we really do have the best healthcare in the world.
In some ways we don’t. At a time where they should be focused on their baby, my son and daughter-in-law had to make a choice between an abortion or a heavy burden of debt. Even if all goes well my daughter-in-law will be on bedrest for weeks and may never be able to have children again. After Finnley is born they will assess what other surgical interventions will be needed. My son told me they were saving for a house and will get through this. A young family starting out shouldn’t have to sacrifice their life savings and dreams of a home to save their child. This is what healthcare is in America.
There is a Gofund me for Finnley. The goal is set too low. $1000 won’t even cover the initial surgery, let alone the money they’ll lose because my daughter-in-law will be on bedrest for weeks and unable to work. If you want to contribute financially, you can there. If you can’t, please, please, please vote for any democrat before anyone else in the general election, and for democrats who stand for real change and not the status quo in primary. What’s happening to Finley is a tragedy, but it’s happening all over the US every day in small ways and large. We need universal healthcare, now!