Newspaper Article

Today, my picture was featured in the Bellingham Herald. That is our local newspaper. It's an article about state budget cuts and how it will affect hospital care if the state continues with current budget proposals. In particular, our local hospital (where I get my therapies) stands to lose $6 million in funds. My favorite hospital of all time, Children's Hospital in Seattle, will lose over $60 million! That hurts. Really.

So what does that have to do with us? Mommy was approached by Children's Hospital to see if we would be willing to share our story. The $60 million in cuts would directly affect the uncompensated care program of Children's Hospital which is what literally saved Mommy and Daddy financially when I had my first open-heart surgery. Now that I'm being monitored for a second heart surgery, we are enrolled in the program again because monthly co-pays combined with out-of-pocket expenses means the echocardiograms, x-rays, etc would be a financial hardship to us. So Children's Hospital is helping us again...which we are sincerely grateful for.

Since Children's Hospital is trying to help save some of this $60 million and show our representatives at the state how this would affect families, we agreed to share our story. So over the last week, Mommy met with a reporter and told him some of the things we have endured. Then a photographer came and took my picture. It's hard to admit we are receiving help (you know- that pride thing) but Mommy and Daddy thought this was way to important of a message to let our pride get in the way. So we let our name, picture, and the fact that we receive help be published.

This is a very important message...one we hope others will share also. Please do not let your local Washington State representatives cut funds so drastically to the medical community. It really does hurt. If these proposed budgets are carried out, my family (and me) will potentially forsee big cuts to my therapy program at my local hospital. In addition, my upcoming heart surgery would potentially wipe Mommy and Daddy off the map of any financial stability if uncompensated care funds were not available to us.

We are not the only ones affected. Here is what we would like you to do. Contact your representatives and tell them to protect funds to hospitals, medicare, and medicaid. Click here to find your representative and get the message out to leave funds to these programs alone. We understand that cuts need to be made....but not at the expense of those that don't have a voice. Tell your legislature to leave funds to Children's Hospital alone. We truly need these services.