The Odds? 13 Million-to-1, but Somewhat Higher in Canada

Leibowitz's Canticle ^ | August 18, 2007 | Leibowitz

[Bob Leibowitz]

The quadruplet sisters, Autumn, Brooke, Calissa and Dahlia, born to Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Jepp began life with the odds stacked heavily against them. First, successful delivery of naturally conceived identical quadruplets occurs only once every 13 million births. According to Dr. Jamie Grifo of the NYU Fertility Center in New York, there are only 50 living sets of such twins in the entire world.

More daunting, the Jepps are Canadians.

That Karen and J. P. Jepp lived with their 2 year old son Simon in Calgary, Alberta presented a potentially life-threatening challenge Friday night when Mrs. Jepp began labor. For months, the couple had planned their high-risk delivery—all multiple births are by definition high risk—with the medical team at Calgary's Foothills Hospital. Unfortunately, when the time for delivery arrived, dictated by intrauterine stress affecting one of the babies in the 31st week of pregnancy, there was no room at the hospital for the Jepp family.

[Bob Leibowitz]

For the recent birth of identical quadruplets, there was not a single hospital in all of Canada with room in a neonatal unit.

The family was airlifted from Canada's third largest city to America's 356th largest city for qualified care.

Today, America is Canada's backup for emergency medical care. Where will Canadians go for treatment when the U. S. adopts the Canadian health care system?

[CzarNicky]

Since they were born here who do they pay taxes to when they become adults?

[NonValueAdded]

I wonder if there is a truthful estimate of how much pressure is releived from the Canadian system by the access to US healthcare by the snowbirds. At one point a few years back, there were radio ads run here in Florida alerting the visitors that their whatever card was good at local doctor x or hospital y.

[ClaireSolt]

The snowbirds I know worry about health emergenies bankrupting them while they are here and some buy insurance because Canadian Medicare does not cover them.